Listen! All this, made by man, exists for one simple reason, further harmony amongst humans, happiness, materialistic utopia, Only a few work a counter way, to conquer, to disharmonize and torture this world!
It is common in many cultures for there to be those who seek to work against the grain of the world. The "evil" skinwalkers of the Navaho who exist to spread malice, witches who seek to tear down the grain that the Benadanti fought against in night battles, the examples are many. It is in this tradition of anti existence that Ondskapt take their breath and create their music.
The void, the eternal hunger for greater fields of existence and the denial of the worldly materialism of man and the spiritual chains bonded by Christianity are found in their works. Also the malignant desires to see it all wither and die away in warfare, plague and torture. There is no reason to agree or not agree with their statements, only to grasp their world view in the light of their creations.
The music on this release of theirs is quite fully formed, it is a base on which they have spread their demonic seed further on later releases. Much of this album is made up of slower and mid paced tempos, the emphasis is on the almost temple like atmosphere created by the mix and sound. The highly reverberated sound of the recording brings to mind the production brought to life on Mayhem's masterful
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas always a favorite of mine.
The riffing is not quite as catchy as later Ondskapt releases, but the feeling of a journey is given on here, from the beginnings of the recording to the end, we are taken through an ever darkening pathway of death to a new "un"-life. Vocals are a main point on here, providing a mixture of Varg screams, and Attila like reptilian vocalizations.
I think one of the points of this release is to create a trance inducing quality. Also the sense of a religious mystery play is felt, as if this recording if introduced to the proper mind will present a kind of religious mass. Maybe this is all my own subjective understanding, and yet I think through reading interviews with the band that maybe I'm not too far off.
Certainly there will be many detractors of this release, and Ondskapt in general. This isn't a bad thing, opposition itself simply shows they are challenging something of the herd like mass within metal music. In the end Ondskapt aren't asking you to understand or even like them, they exist in their own framework and world, and are presenting the world with pieces of their minds.
So yes, I like this release, I like all of theirs, but this one hits me in a special way, something about the atmosphere hits me just right. I have listened to this album many times, and have been hypnotized by its darksome power many a night. It is an album which slowly reveals itself through time, but eventually maybe you, like I have, will learn its nooks and crannies of ebon hue.
Through ages and ages, death was our lord! Each battle, each tyranny, mere reflections of him. At the breath of the devil, light flee, we walk our narrow way as millions die! Aefas! It has come for us to witness, human history brought to an end.Sample:
youtube.com/watch?v=jrvIFadrjrU&list=RDjrvIFadrjrU&start_radio=1
