Strid

Lack of a definite explanation, this is what surrounds the opening as well as the end of this release. There is a shroud of mystery, a certain impenetrable fogginess that clouds the perception throughout the two tracks on Strid's 1994 output. It all comes down to the samples. They exist, have an impact and they help to set the stage – set a certain kind of mood, yet they do not reveal themselves. What are those sound fragments at the beginning of “Det hviskes blant sorte vinder” and at the end of “Nattevandring”? How do they fit, if they do that is, into the broader framework of this album? Had they been a starting point in the process of getting the release done or have they merely been glued to something that might have been completed already. The latter of these two has an intriguing touch to it, doesn't it?

First the howling of wind. Someone is chased. Could it be a woman or a young man? Horses are involved. The sounds are vague. It is difficult to make out something definite. One more horse and the trampling is now more accentuated, louder, harder. Is this now a hunter or a huntress? Then a sudden short gasp and then the rattling of a chain, as if a bridge from an ancient castle is being lowered. An escalation or an escape? This is the setting. Interestingly, the music starts just as the bridge is fully open – slightly cheesy – and someone would be able to walk through or maybe even walk out. Should one step in and seek some kind of shelter? Is a place with such an entrance an omen for good or ill? Is the timing an expression of destiny? What to make of all of this?

Of course the music has a strange touch and atmosphere as it is remains on a low profile and as it avoids stark contrasts or intense moments. This is especially true once the vocals are brought into the game. Their style is more like a narrative expressed in a strange tongue; something one might expect in a cheesy black and white B-movie in which such things might appear and overdone in one way or another. The croaking fills the room and generates presence, but it never appears as if it would have something to tell. Somehow the forced way in which the lyrics are thrown towards the listener, reminds on someone expressing something that comes with a yoke, a burden that proves to be a challenge day in and out. Compared with other black metal bands, aggressiveness is quite absent – a difference to band's first demo – to a considerable degree and all that is left is an overbearing melancholy – depression might be too extreme in this regard. A contemplation, a nonsensical loud monologue set in bleak scenario. Is there a distant listener? Is there someone out hiding, unable to move a muscle over the horrors that might be expressed in those words – doomed to linger in the dark, in the mist, in the nothingness and forced to endure the endless schizophrenic ramblings? How far is the Lovecraftian universe from this?

Therefore it is the music's part to have a soothing effect. It is their part to work as a support for the (rare) vocals as well as lead the listener along the way. A dominant bass guitar and a dense texture created by rhythm guitars in the background are the basic setting, while the drums set the pace and accentuated points. Everything is in a flow so to speak and moves along gently. Primitive in terms of the complexity and an overall reduction to a small set of elements. Even though the emphasis differs between the compositions the overall direction and settings is the same. Thanks to a proper production the outcome of these elements is quite palpable as well as enjoyable. It is this that has added a certain warmth to the music, which can especially be attributed to the bass guitar line. It is reassuring to have this one clear focal element, while the rest meanders in small circles; in “Nattevandring” though the setting is a bit more complex. Keyboards? At least on the aforementioned track some kind of background ambient appears to exist. With less emphasis on the bass guitars, it is possible for them to add some nuances to the music. Generally, they are doomed to linger in the background and unable to have a lasting impact.

It may be worth mentioning that the bass guitar wakes memories on Forgotten Woods – “As the Wolves Gather” for instance and to point to a release of the same year –, but somewhat calmer and rather dreamy. This due to the way the melodies progress, which shows hints towards the ambient genre. Riffs and sounds are able to fill the room, but they are never engaging or give any idea as if they would like to go somewhere, reach a certain spot or create some kind of dynamic. Most of the time, there is a definite and unmistakable exception from this – see the next paragraph –, all is well balanced, quite gloomy and not too depressing. The distance is always there and listener has to fill the role of a lone spectator, someone allowed to watch, but never to touch or to fully embrace it. Most of the time the tunes evolve steadily, take the listener along and guide this person through bleak landscaped and barren fields. Pleasantries might be far off and all that has remained is some kind of contemplation. A contemplation that is expressed through the sadness in the voice as well as the steadiness in the musical arrangements. It feels like a depression/melancholy made flesh. You cannot escape it, you cannot outmanoeuvre it, you cannot make it disappear all of a sudden.

Or can you?

There is something strange happening at some point of the release and it starts roughly at the minute 6:05 in the second track “Nattevandring”. This break in the progression, the mood, the sound and the atmosphere takes the listener into a different realm. Even though the term cheering my be too far-fetched, there is nevertheless a certain type of positive vibe in the air. It feels as if the band had attempted to break with the earlier concepts and would now try to find a way out of this. Maybe a gloom of light appears at the horizons and sets an abrupt end to the night time wanderings. Would this also be the reason for the closing of the gate? Would this be a place that is only allowed to be opened during the time of the night, but remains sealed shut during at any other moment? Is this sound of the latching of the gate that appears at the end of the release? Make sure no one enters at bright day light?

Towards the end the listener is left with a mild confusion. How all plays out together is not resolved. You are barred from it; literally. It would be nice to have some lyrics, but they are kept away. Strid, Norwegian for battle, has some ties to the German word Streit, English for argument, conflict or even fight. In Low German or Frisian the word Striet can be found; it is beneficial to look at translations from a broader perspective. Therefore, the limitation on the term battle appears to be questionable and puts too much emphasis on a clash of armies or an armed conflict. By falling back to a less extreme translation, one recognizes the aspect of contrasts and of duality. Also, this helps to bring the samples and their role in the music into perspective, even though their actual depth as well as impact remain somewhat wanting. There is no fight, just an escape, a chase and a conflict. It may be doubted if an actual meeting of these two parties would lead to an battle at all; yet, judging from the sounds and the setting, at least some form of violence might be impossible to overcome. Anyway, the track titles give hints towards the night and towards darkness. As such it is of no surprise to experience music that in style and sounds is comparably calm and laid back. All appears sedated and the words are expressed with a vibe of introspection. It is music as a spot and with hardly a direction. It is a recognition of impotence and futility. At the end the gates are closed again, sealed and shut. All is barred out and kept away from the world. It feels like a recognition of one's limitations.

Somehow it is sad to see that the band had been doomed to leave the world with this release. It would have been interesting to see and experience how they interpret their distinct style and sound even further. They left too soon and the first step with this new band had been destined to be their last. At least they did not leave unnoticed and their small sparks of music continue to have an impact; be it through their own outputs or through some other band that has followed in their paths.

Yet the questions, the conflicts remain.