I have been having the "wanting to review something itch" for awhile and nothing that has come my way in form of promos has caught my eye, or I guess ear. But then I saw that Trelldom`s CD Til Et Annet is being re-released by Hammer Heart Records. And this being one of my favorite black metal albums of all times I thought that this CD deserves a bit time in the spotlight.
Trelldom is a black metal band that focus more on feeling then being the fastest band in the world. For me this is a very emotional album, it is filled with ups and downs haunting melodies and bone chilling vocals. And for me the vocals is what makes this album really stick out, the vocals are just fantastic on this record. They are so filled with angst and raw feeling that is almost hard to put to words. And the man behind the mic is Gaahl, more famous for his role in Gorgoroth and antics outside the metal scene. But his work on this album will always be the thing that I think of when I hear his name, for me this is pretty much the album to beat when it comes to the vocal department.
Just take a break from reading, head over to whatever site you prefer when it comes to looking up new music, type in or copy Vender Meg Mot Ett Kommende, and be ready to experience a revelation of darkness. The build up with the siren and the scream when it all kicks off, wow, epic stuff.
So if you are ready I will continue!The music Trelldom plays is primitive black metal that ranges from slow, mid tempo/upbeat to fast, as I wrote earlier we are not breaking any land speed records with this one but the drummer does get a pretty good work out. The riffing is pretty much standard black metal riffing, but done very well. The songwriting is very strong and all the songs are great tracks in their own right. The riffing is more chord focused then the standard single string runs of for example Dark Funeral. Here you will find more power chords played with tremolo picking. There is an almost rock n roll feel to some of the riffing take the song Slave Til En Kommende Natt for example, or maybe one should call it punkish, hm I don't know. Well anyway this sounds what has been very popular to do in the last ten year, mixing black metal with rock and punk, and these dudes did it before it was cool!
The drumming is really solid, nothing to elaborate but you cannot accuse the dude of being monotonus or sloppy cause the chops on this records are tight and fun to listen to. The drumming is a bit more lively then what you generally get in a black metal recording. Maybe this is what makes get that rock n roll vibe. Well anyway the drumming complements the music very well and it all works great together. The drum sound is nice and natural, besides the kick of course, since I assume it is triggered! All in all the production is great, and very fitting for the music. It is not a bathtub recording or an recording where everything sounds like it has been polished to oblivion. Everything sounds natural and the mix is very nice and even. Another thing that makes this album stick out for me is the bass, not that it is doing something that extraordinary, it is mainly playing along with the guitar, and adding some small stuff here and there. But what is nice is that it is loud in the mix, giving the album a fatter sound then what you generally get out of a black metal record. And I do like my black metal like I like my ömn ..... lets say hamburgers, fat and full!
Just a bit more praise about the vocals on this recording and I promise that I will shut up about it, Gaahl uses a lot of different styles of vocals on this album, black metal vocals of course, but also chanting, clean vocal and some more let's call them bizarre vocals, and this makes this album a real treat to listen to, since there is so much variation. Just listen to around 3:30 on the title track, it sounds almost like King Diamond!! I know I have ranted a lot about the vocals on this album, but it was the vocals that really drew me in when I heard this album for the first time, or should I say when I heard the first track for the fast time since I heard Trelldom for the first time on the sampler CD called "Born Of Fire" released by Hammer Heart Records, if I remember correctly, this was about 12 years ago, so.
So to conclude: Is black metal your bag? do you like it when they switch it up a bit, do you want a good production but not too good? Do you crave fantastic vocals that will haunt you and thrill you for years to come? Then Trelldom`s Til Et Annet is for you, pick it up where you get your quality metal CDs and other merch!
Sweden`s Wilhelm Lindh*, "Portuguese by adoption," guitar player, composer and owner of the Doom / Death Metal band The Gardnerz, reviews here in HeavyHardMetalmania.net. Careful and professional analysis to the music and albums with suggestions of what there is to see and hear ... not to be missed. "The wisdom is found in the extremes, all extreme Metal here!".
1. Vender Meg Mot Ett Kommende
2. Slave Til En Kommende Natt
3. Min Død Til Ende
4. Til Et Annet...
5. Til Is Skal Eg Forbli
6. Svinfylking - Til Krig
7. Høyt Oppe I Dypet
8. Sonar Dreyri
