Sorgeldom play an unexpected brand of progressive black metal which echoes bands such as Opeth, Enslaved and latter-day Mayhem while putting their own spin on the genre. Darker than Opeth, both in tone and content, and rawer too, the band employ multiple time changes and riffs to really draw the listener in and it’s clear that the band have learned a lot since their debut album and have progressed far since their none-more-black debut.
With a strong sound (although still raw enough to satisfy all but the most tedious of black metal purists) that enables the listener to hear all the instruments with a clarity that was absent from the band’s debut, ‘I Kloaken Lattar VI Ankar’ is a strong opening track that showcases the versatility of guitarist Jododen and drummer J Marklund, although actually the whole band shine on this unique take on black metal. Clean elements vie for the attention and augment the blisteringly heavy passages giving the album a breadth and scope that makes for fascinating listening. At over ten minutes it’s also an impressively ambitious opening that sets the tone for the whole album. ‘The cold empty void’ is up next, which veers close to the interlocked guitar sounds of art-rock in the intro before a single guitar heralds the shift into pure black metal territory. The vocals are uniformly excellent with an undeniable passion behind them even though lyrics are rarely rendered with the clarity they deserve. ‘Vintern Var hard’ is perhaps the most surprising track on the album, a sun-dappled instrumental piece of post-rock that echoes Isis and offers a moment of respite from the icy bleakness of the rest of the album and which shows that Sorgeldom like Ulver and Enslaved, aren’t afraid to expand their musical horizons in the name of creating a genuine piece of art rather than just adhering to primitive notions of what black metal should sound like.
‘Darskapens Karneval’ is a more traditional, powerful blast but laden with melody and innovative ideas that sets it apart from the legions of black metal bands who release albums every year. Which is not to say it’s not heavy; blasting powerfully out of the speakers there are some fine riffs here and the drumming is top-notch as it is throughout the album. ‘summer day’ (a cover of a track by the English shoe-gaze band Slowdive) once again veers into post-rock territory with surprisingly successful results and a revelation in terms of the vocals which are rendered here in a similar tone to Attila Csihar’s monastic approach to some of Sunn 0))’s material. The title track of the album is an excellent piece, mixing together all the disparate elements of the band’s approach into one glorious statement that sums up the album and provides a stunning centrepiece. Undisputedly black metal but also overflowing with unusual ideas and inspirations it’s a true work of art and if you only hear one track by this band, make it this one – I guarantee you’ll be hooked long before it ends.
‘Drommarnas Galax’ is a far colder affair. A downbeat, introspective attack on the senses it lacks the immediacy of some of the other tracks but it’s instructive to hear the way the band approach each track as if it’s a mini-symphony in its own right, imbuing a sense of melody and purpose in their work that is both rare and inspirational. ‘I vantan pa telefonsamtalet’ is even more beautiful, housing an almost sound-track feel which works well over its epic length and which again brings to mind the Ulver comparisons, only Sorgeldom maintain a more organic feel than that band’s more electronic approach manages, and when ‘I vantan…’ takes off, as it does around the third minute mark, it becomes amazingly uplifting yet thoughtful at the same time. Final track ‘Dyk’ closes the album out after an emotionally gripping hour of amazing music with not a single track out of place or overlong.
I approached this album not knowing what to expect and found it to be one of the most thrilling, ostensibly black metal albums to have come along in years. Like the very best bands of the scene Sorgeldom are not afraid to incorporate new ideas and elements into their music and the result is a resounding success – a beautiful, epic, dark, cold, thrilling and thoughtful masterpiece that deserves to be heard far and wide. The band have achieved an amazing victory with a record that is both artistic and yet accessible despite the raw production and brutal vocals and the level of invention and imagination that has gone into creating this epic is nigh unsurpassed. Where they go from here is anybody’s guess, but in ‘Inner receivings’ Sorgeldom have created an album that will bear repeated listening and pass into black metal legend. An astonishing work of art, black metal and avant-gardefans will treasure this amazing release. Available now though the band’s myspace page, I’d highly recommend this.
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