Demo

Another solo project by Armando Luiz, the same man behind black metal bands Servi Diaboli and Obitus Vitae (as well as one half of Nihil, an international black/death metal project), Sort Himmel released their debut demo in May of 2015. The CD version was released by Cold Raw Records, limited to 66 copies. Where Luiz’s work with Servi Diaboli attempted to channel the cold nature of second wave black metal, which was decent but just missed the mark, Sort Himmel’s demo sounds like authentic second wave Scandinavian black metal.

Straddling the middle ground between the cold, frosty trem riffing of Darkthrone and the discomfiting atmospherics of early Mayhem, Sort Himmel’s sound owes much to the early ’90s. The demo spans three tracks and nineteen minutes of black metal that pays tribute to the height of the genre. It’s certainly not anything inventive, but it doesn’t really seem like it was meant to be. Despite only having three tracks, the music boasts varied tempos amid the crisp musicianship. “Under the Shine of the Moon” breaks out with fast paced trem riffing and fast-paced percussion which frequently breaks into slower and trudging soirees of melancholic chords and minor key patterns. “Life and Death” seems to summon early Satyricon vibes with it’s darkened trems and pulsing riffing while “Hate” offers an airy approach that borders on atmospheric black metal while still remaining rooted to that classic sound.

Luiz’s vocals are harsh and grating throughout, resonating deeper than the usual emulating fodder. While it presents a somewhat distinct take on the style, a little variation might not hurt. The production is stellar for a demo, but with Luiz’s history of one man projects it really shouldn’t be a surprise. The varied tempos and crisp musicianship keeps this a step ahead of the Darkthrone clones, despite it’s reliance on standard second wave histrionics. The band’s demo won’t really bring any new listeners over from the other side, but it sure is a great start for this new project. Scandinavian emulation that manages to keep a somewhat distinct sound.

Written for The Metal Observer.