Vårjevndøgn

Fenriz’s Isengard is back with a hugely anticipated 3rd album. Recorded back in 89-93 but only now seeing the light of day, this should be something special.

Eerie riffs drone into life with a bellowing reverberation of “Cult Metal” that falls into ambience before hammering drums and scathing riffs punishingly surge forth. The groove of the riffs has that nice doomy feel that suit the vocal wailing beautifully, dialling back the folky side of things for a more full-on heavy metal attack. Visceral and haunting passages that feel more in tune with 80s speed metal and early doom metal take the foreground on this record while still having that almost celtic sway to the songs. The melodic ferocity of the record belts out pure metal mania with so much loveable energy from the passionate Fenriz that it is hard not to be taken in by the speeding onslaught of carnage and mystical sounds.

Packed with catchy songwriting that feels like a Norwegian extreme metal take on Brocas Helm or Manilla Road, nobody could say that Fenriz’s encyclopaedic love of 80s metal didn’t shape this album. With a bit of melancholy especially in the lead guitars and vocals, there is a bit more moodiness on this records than the other 2 but it also feels the fiercest. Some may be sad to see the less viking metal sounds unfurl but I would argue this is just a marvellous, just in a very esoteric way. For all of the weirdness, there is an anthemic value to most of the songs with their simplistic riffs and beats that will have many headbangers vocally droning along with the savagely eerie chants. Truly a captivating sound, if a very very strange one.

Acid Rock seems to be an influence on this material with some almost psychedelic passages that have a Hawkwind kind of verse appearing a few times between the blackened doom oddities. “The Fright” is a perfect example as the trip of grooving riffs and stoner-style hooks bend the norm of extreme metal while still delivering a fearsome punch of mighty Metal aggression too. Perhaps the Celtic Frost, Root and Master’s Hammer approach is a bit unhinged for some, but to me these bands represent a lot of the fiery and volatile spirit I love in Heavy Metal, thus this frenzied and spasming opus has a really enjoyable feel that is like a convulsion of passionate mania as rabid as anything sonically heavier while having so much catchiness and unpredictable twists. While it shall probably prove divisive, I certainly sit on the positive side that thinks this is some really killer stuff.

“Vårjevndøgn” is a very eclectic record. Blending the folky black metal of Isengard’s other releases with a heavy influx of doom metal, acid rock and 80s classic speed metal touches to up the ante, there is something for everyone here. In just over half an hour, the album feels both concise and yet a lot more expansive than one would expect. Truly a weird and magnificent piece of Fenriz’s musical history and progression that I deem certainly valuable and worthwhile.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com

I think the main problem with this release is that yes it was recorded during the time when Fenriz was very prolific at recording and produced many of his greatest classics, but that time also intersected with the time he was very prolific at releasing his recordings under various monikers, so if he didn't release these recordings at that time of being very prolific at releasing them, there was probably a reason for that. And in turn of course this release is then the result of Peaceville Records badgering the fuck out of him for some previously unreleased stuff in hopes of people being interested in it, to which after some amount of aforementioned badgering he eventually relented.

And that's not to say that in that previously unreleased material that at the time he didn't see fit for release his talent suddenly blipped out and he just recorded total crap. All the typical Fenriz qualities we know and love are certainly here, he's always got his playful but not wanky drumming, his feel for nice riffs and his vocals that make up for lack of technical skill with spirited delivery. It's not like any of this sucks, it's just the thing that...

You know how after that Darkthrone "trilogy" which they themselves don't see as such but fans do so, about a trillion bands sprung up copying it almost exactly? Not so exactly that they'd be playing cover versions of it, just playing music that sounded exactly identical to it? Most famously popularised by bands like Judas Iscariot or Nargaroth, sounding exactly like the Darkthrone "trilogy" without covering a specific song note by note?

Well this is the thing with most of the material on Isengard's Vårjevndøgn. This stuff is pretty cool for the riffs and such, but it's also like that lost Pentagram demo prior to the Pentagram/Relentless debut where Bobby Liebling randomly discovered Mercyful Fate and decided King Diamond was the greatest singer ever and he had to emulate him at all cost with his limited but spirited Bobby Liebling singing skills. That's aside from the previously heard "The Fright" which is the most obvious Alice in Chains tribute ever, and the previously heard "The Light" which is the most obvious Candlemass tribute ever, and the randomly thrown in Regress FF track. Aside from that, all songs are like that lost Pentagram demo where Bobby Liebling for some reason tried to emulate King Diamond.

And if that sounds cool on paper, it's because it does. There's like literally nothing "wrong" with this. Classic Pentagram with King Diamond vocals, that's pretty cool. Alice in Chains tributes and Candlemass tributes with a rough demo sound, that's pretty cool. It's just that if you base everything you do on callbacks to how great things you like used to be, it's a lot more likely to make you want to listen to the actual classics than listen to what you are listening to now. Ask any Star Trek fan watching how Star Trek Picard is doing everything it can to remind you how much you loved Star Trek The Next Generation, all they end up is wanting to watch Star Trek The Next Generation, not more of Star Trek Picard trying to remind them of it. That's like Vårjevndøgn, it really makes me want to listen to Pentagram and Mercyful Fate, and with the previously released songs makes me want to listen to Alice in Chains and Candlemass, but it doesn't really make me want to spend more time listening to Fenriz trying to remind me of the classics. Kinda the same way Judas Iscariot and Nargaroth and all that followed make me want to listen to classic Darkthrone instead of them. Ironic how that works.

So yeah, if you want to listen to this compilation, go ahead. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it and it doesn't suck and it isn't terrible. There's just no point listening to it. It'll remind you of a lot of cool stuff you'll want to listen to afterwards, it just doesn't have anything cool to offer for itself.

There was actually hardly an announcement of a new album in recent times, about which I was so excited and eagerly awaited, as that of the new Isengard album. After 25 years Fenriz and his band (and this means him alone) finally release a new material, although new is not really true. It is long lost material that Fenriz found again earlier this year, probably while cleaning the house.

Production-wise it is similar to "Vinterkygge" and "Høstmjørke", the sound sounds like in the rehearsal room (according to Fenriz it was recorded in the "Sorkness brothers' porta studio", the later "Necrohell" studio), the sound is quite rough and somehow muddy. But as an Isengard fan you are used to that from the other two albums.

The songs are a big surprise in contrast to the production. Although they also have a somewhat dark atmosphere, but that's more because they are mostly kept pretty doomy. They often sound very much like Black Sabbath. Besides our all British doom gods there are also other influences like Queensyrche, Crimson Glory or the old Agent Steel (you can hear that especially in the vocals). The guitars have a wonderful sawing and mangy sound and the drums are played wonderfully rumble, now this does not mean that the instruments are played dilettantishly, but it just fits the production. If you look at the influences that were used for this album, it is clear that there are no black metal hits like "Fog of Evil", "Nestlepaks" or "I Kamp Met Kvitekrist" to expect. Actually a pity, but also "Vårjevdøgn" has some really cool songs to offer. "Dragonfly" starts with blatantly high vocals, which at least I definitely didn't expect from Fenriz. The song is pretty catchy and has an almost punky middle part. "A Shape in the Dark" stands out with its almost epic guitar riffs, the song could be better produced a real classic in classic heavy metal, "Rockemillion", is a pretty catchy bastard of metal and punk, the riffing reminds me partly of "Doctor, Doctor" by UFO. "The Light" is probably the closest to a song that could have been on the previous albums, doomy with the typical Fenriz vocals.

Well, was my long anticipation for the album worth it? I would say yes, because even if it didn't become an Isengard album like the others, there are still very cool songs to be found here, which tend in a more classic metal direction, but are still quite recommendable. So thumbs up for the album!!!

Fenriz knows how to play the guitar, the drums and the bass and he sings. He also likes old-school metal, rock and punk. That's all you need to know about this album. If you like early US heavy metal and a bit of NWOBHM/Black Sabbath, look no further, you are going to love these recordings. If not, you might still find the whole package very appealing and there is a chance you could start looking for recommendations ranging from Pentagram all the way to Jag Panzer. In general, if you even remotely enjoy rock/metal, give it a try.

There is no point at all to compare this to previous Isengard releases. There is no point in referencing in general to be honest, as each track is completely different to the next one. You get a bit of everything, the only thing connecting the pieces being the brilliantly sounding primitive sound production. There is hard rock here, early us heavy metal, early sabbathy doom, punk, you name it. Every track sounds like there is a different band performing. Fenriz plays his instruments and sings like a thousand different musicians, with only two things in common: passion for heavy metal and raw talent.

In terms of runtime, it mostly resembles an EP, but what transforms it into a proper full-length release is the undeniable sonic variety. If anything, it feels way longer than it really is, as you take a ride through all (early) things metal. Intro and outro aside, it's just 7 songs, but it's more than enough to keep you with your headphones on for a good number of spins. My stand-out tracks are Dragon Fly, A Shape in the Dark, and Rockemillion, but that's completely down to personal taste as I generally prefer metal/punk soundscapes rather than rockish/doomy ones, like the rest of the tracks offer. In terms of quality though, all the tracks are up there and honestly I cannot find a weak link in this purist's chain.

So, forget Darkthrone, forget previous Isengard releases and just enjoy this monster for what it is; Fenriz's relentless passion for all things metal. It is hard to fathom that there is only one person behind all this and I am sure Fenriz would be delighted to know that I consider him to be the living embodiment of heavy metal in these lost and lonely days. Thanks mate, this is a job well done.

The good: the production sounds like Isengard - gritty and interesting. It sounds like the classic "hang a microphone from the top of the ceiling" Isengard approach, but don't be fooled. The production is the only good thing about this release.

The vocals are dumb. There was one track with some mild rasping but there's no epic baritone from previous Isengard albums or BM vocals. This sucks! Fenriz's baritone was unmatched and made classics like Vinterskugge and Neslepaks timeless. Even his BM rasps on Naglfar or Thornspawn Chalice are pained and excellent. None of that is here, so don't get your hopes up. Instead you're treated to lots of "high flying" falsettos and "classic heavy metal" vocals (see: poor singing). There's some hardcore type singing on Rockemillion.

The problem with the vocals cannot be overstated. Not only are they distracting and poorly executed, but they're completely lacking any conviction. In other words - they're lazy. In my opinion, Fenriz's vocals have completely sank the Darkthrone albums before "Old Star", but you could at least argue that he was seriously going for it in his delivery. Without sincerity, the classic heavy metal vocals here are just irredeemable.

There are a few moments where I remember nodding my head, but for the most part these riffs aren't good enough to carry this album. "The Light" had some decent ones. Rockemillion is a hardcore punk song and is a big outlier from the rest of the tracks, which are 70's rock / protometal. To be clear - I'm not an Isengard BM purist. "Storm of Evil" is a good track, and I find myself singing it quite often. The death metal tracks are some of the most original out there - like wet cave / dripping dungeon death metal. Regardless of the style of metal, a nefarious atmosphere permeated all of Isengard's music before this. Not here. Not only is this almost entirely 70s rock, the mysterious magic that made the previous material so special has somehow been sapped away.

And finally, we get to the wet, eggy fart that is the final track. Since I was about 14, the phrase "ride the solar winds" was forever etched into my psyche in the form of D666's epic track from "Phoenix Rising". Now I get to hear Fenriz croon the phrase over a bongo drum circle and some gentle guitar stroking, and I literally can't believe my ears. Fenriz himself said a track he didn't like from the previous releases was " I Ei Gran Borti..." (the little noodly one with keys and some silly folk singing) from Hostmorke. That track sounds like Vital Remains in comparison to the final track on this album. I take no pleasure in dumping on Fenriz, but this album was a very unpleasant experience.