Masters of the unnerving, mid-tempo black metal, Khold are, as all good black metal bands should be, a law unto themselves. With rasping vocals that are part black metal growl part crust punk gut-wrenching atonalism, taut drums and pummelling bass lines, Khold represent one of the tightest black metal bands to stay on the black side of the death/black divide with their unflinchingly inhuman, mechanistic assault quite awe-inspiring. ‘Phantom’ is Khold’s second album, re-released here by Peaceville records (it originally came out on Moonfog in 2002) with an extra track and expanded booklet; and for those who missed it the first time round, it offers a chance to once more plunge into the icy, dark swirl of one of Norway’s most terrifyingly original exports.
Khold’s unique approach to black metal is to substitute speed with weight. Rarely breaking into an all-out furious assault on the senses, Khold are terrifyingly methodical, each track slowly battering you into submission rather than expending sound and fury (with the frequently expressed concomitant of signifying nothing) with the result that the songs come off as being utterly single-minded in their purpose. Khold do not waste time on extraneous emotions – rather they bend their will towards utterly annihilating the competition with tight slabs of grim black metal.
Opening with ‘Dodens Grode (death crop)’ Khold show that ‘phantom’ is an expansion upon the sonic template laid down by their debut album with raging guitars providing the unconventional riffs that back Gard’s terrifying proclamations performed, of course, in the band’s native tongue. The effect is rather as one would imagine defenders felt as the blitzkrieg rolled over them, a shocking, awesome assault that stuns as much as it destroys and again, rather than speed, the band content themselves with an inexorability of purpose that is quite impossible to defy. ‘Skjebnevette (Vette (bringer of fate))’ is similarly unpleasant to be on the receiving end of, with the band employing the power of the studio to roll Gard’s slithering, lascivious voice around the speakers creating an effect that is both disturbing and disorientating.
Slightly more straightforward is the powerful groove of ‘Hekseformular I veb (Witchcraft in Loom)’ which has an insistent beat and repetitive guitar riff underpinning Gard’s vocal exhortations, although this gives way to the arty, beautiful riff of ‘phantom’, the album’s monumental title track which sees the band weave subtle melodies into their abrasive mix to startling effect. ‘Fra grab til morke (from grave to gloom)’ is a much more feral affair – the closest this album comes to more traditional forms of black metal – where the guitars are rendered with far more treble than elsewhere and the clattering rhythm seems at odd with the disdainfully regal pace maintained throughout the rest of the album. The effect is like an icy breeze blowing through the heart of the album and where the cumulative effect of the first four tracks can be hypnotic, this track serves to snap the listener out of their reverie and bring them back to earth with a crash. ‘Dode fuglers sang (dead birds’ song ) sees the status quo restored and the riff that stands at the song’s centre is quite crushing, while the BPM plummets from the heights established on the previous track.
‘Slaktereika (butcher’s oak)’ plays out like a malevolent waltz, the music flowing around you while Gard stands alone upon the dance floor condemning humanity. ‘Ord I flamer (words in flames)’ is simply crushing. The riff is quite overpowering while Sarke’s drums provide an almighty rhythmic backdrop upon which to pin the rest of the song. The album’s final track ‘vandring (wandering)’ ranges through a variety of tempos and brings the records to a shuddering, complex halt, leaving you once again in awe of their singularity of purpose.
A rare demo from 2000 entitled ‘rovnatt’ provides the obligatory reissue extra and it proves to be brutally fast piece of old-school black metal that is a fine track to have but which stands remarkably at odds with the more mature and unique tracks found on the rest of the album making you question the necessity of including it here, but undoubtedly fans of the band will be pleased at its inclusion if not its positioning. As with the previous Khold album this is a remarkable piece of work that is an essential purchase for black metal fans who do not already own it. For those already in possession of a copy there is no need to invest a second time, for while ‘ravnatt’ is a mighty fine track from the band’s formative years, it’s two and half minutes hardly warrant forking out all over again for an album in your possession. Nonetheless, Peaceville have once again done music fans a favour by unearthing a genre classic and if you’re not familiar with Khold’s gloriously misanthropic and unsettlingly dark strain of black metal then you need to add this to your shopping list forthwith.
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