Hopefully your stomachs have settled after Christmas, and you looking forward to the new year. 2013 is going to be a good year for metal, and for the Friday Frenzy !
We are looking for extreme metal from around the globe for airplay on the show!
If you think you have what it takes to be on the most extreme metal show on the planet, hit us up at ff.tbfm@gmail.com !!
‘Greatest of deceivers’ is the fourth full length offering
from Norway’s
Nidingr. Nidingr are the brain child ofMorten
Iversen (Stage Name: Teloch), producer & member of Mayhem, Gorgoroth, 1349
and many more.
Those expecting the usual frost-bitten
atmospheric keys and raw production of the aforementioned artists may be
disappointed. This album is relentless & precise blackened-death metal madness. The
usual mechanical blast-basts, grinding guitars, and dark middle-eight passages
signature of Norwegian black metal are there, but several elements within the
environment stick out. The technical
bass work on this album is noticeable, seeing as bass is usually shunned out of
the mix in most black metal releases, and the chainsaw-like guitar tone which
would usually sit more comfortably in death metal gives the songs the bite of a
snarling wolf.
The album is raw, unrelenting, and feels colder
than hell frozen over. The lack of symphonic work on the album shows that synthesizers
and orchestration are not necessary essentials needed to create a chilling
sound.
The vocal work is quite monotonal when
screaming, but the occasional desperate operatic roar or quiet unsettling
whisper makes a welcome appearance every so often. Teloch’s roar sounds less
like that of a banner-man waving on the hordes of some medieval army, but more
like the cries of men witnessing the horrors of the vanguard.
The album’s single ‘Vim Patior’ begins with a
few punk-driven riffs, before throwing the listener into dissonant
tremolo-picked melodies which accompany blast-beats and distressed vocals. This
song also features some of the more post-rock/metal vibes which pop-up from
time to time during the LP.
‘The worm is crowned’ has a sound similar to Deathspell
Omega’s work; hectic, blasphemous and raw, but beautifully arranged and meticulously
executed.
On the other hand, the song ‘Pure pale gold’ shows of a
selection of playing styles, it begins with a sludgy groove before building up
in speed to a crescendo, and then falls back to a more grim 1st wave
thrash sound.
This album is great, and musicians will enjoy it as a study,
but its not one to try and enter the bleak realms of black metal on.
69/100
Steve and Si Interviewed Teloch, check it out here:
Listen to album Single 'Vim Patior':
Nidingr - ‘Greatest of deceivers’ is out now on Indie
Recordings.
A Sunday night is a strange one for a gig, especially in a new venue. Nevertheless Si & Steve headed down to DNA in Lowesmoor, Worcester to see this mash-up of bands. The venue is famous around these parts for putting on regular rock & metal nights in the past, and since re-opening, its new slick & trendy appearance usually attracts the club scene rather than those who wear black. It's still early days for DNA, and even though the turnout was not massive for this event, the club are going to be hosting more regular live music & rock nights in the coming future.
Psyflyer opened the gig, their psychedelic shoe-gaze led by Sophia Liana, an excellent guitarist. The talent of this band shone through some minor technical difficulties towards the beginning of their set. This along with a very abrupt sound-check led to a nasty sound and raw-as-fuck feel, whether intentional or not.
Gurt had been moved from their headline slot to second to accommodate their travel back to London, (presumably so they could go and have Sunday roast with their grandparents), this crew of sludge-merchants delivered a doomy-bluesy pounding to every head in the room. I'm pretty sure the vocalist was Fredrik Thordendal but I'm defiantly wrong, (check picture).
Bast, another London based band with roots in Worcestershire performed next. This band of 3 members manage to create a huge atmosphere, comparable to bands such as Winterfylleth and Cult of Luna. I can very easily get bored of metal below 200bpm, but Bast manage to capture the listener's attention and hold it until the end, leaving you wanting more.
Evolution of Man are a local sludge/grunge/stoner rock band, moved up to the top of the bill, to stand in for Gurt. The energy and attitude this band have is great, they interacted with the small crowd well, and managed to keep the punters happy towards the end of the night. Their Alice in chains-style groovy tunes set a great backdrop for cracking open a tin and smoking until you pass out.
All in all, a brilliant turn-out for a Sunday night in a new club. Beer prices were £3 a pint, so not ideal, but not enough to scare you into sobriety.
It is 13 years since Amenra were born somewhere from the darkest mires of Kortrijk, Belgium. Their sound is rawcus and punishing, yet there is somehow an underlying beauty always felt in their sound, due to its organic vibe, and natural ebb and flow. This is honest songwriting. Fans of Neurosis, Cult of Luna and early Pelican will feel right at home here; in fact if you have ever seen Neurosis or Pelican live, then there is a chance you will have seen Amenra opening for them. This band are also signed to Neurot Recordings, partially owned by members of Neurosis. If you are unfamiliar with post-metal this may not serve as the best starting point, but fans of the genre should definitely find something here, as they have most certainly managed to carve their own identity within the sludge/doom metal sound!
Despite only boasting 4 tracks, the album clocks in at around 40 minutes, which are shared pretty much equally between the songs. Album opener 'Dearborn and Buried' is crushingly brought into life around the 60 second mark by a wall of guitar distortion and the unforgiving and primal screams of vocalist Colin H. Van Eeckhout, whose voice is strained yet never sounds uncomfortable.
'Boden' also begins quietly and builds to an epic crescendo of crashing symbols and layers of droned guitar which further the inevitable comparisons with CoL and Neurosis, and also bring to mind early Isis before they mellowed. Amenra most certainly haven't mellowed; in fact things have been turned up a notch in all directions here. The album then continues into 'A Mon Ame' which is most definitely a slow-builder, perhaps overly so – if your mind easily wanders then you well may find it out of the door and half a mile down the road by the time the vocals kick in! The second half of this song though is truly powerful with some excellent chord progressions, dynamic vocals, and fitting drums. ''Less is more'' seems to be the adopted approach from drummer Bjorn Lebon, and it certainly works! This is never an album that wants to show off; this is the person with their cap pulled down at the back of the class, happy for the attention to be on others but with a confidence and brooding intensity that commands respect from everyone... their presence is most definitely felt.
The album closer 'Nowena | 9.10' is perhaps the strongest on the album, starting with an almost Tool-esque section of haunting vocals and minimal guitar work.. the calm before the storm. The song then chugs along all the way to the end, leaving you wanting more.
The photos used for the album artwork are bleak and foreboding, and serve as a rather fitting representation of their sound! In summary if you want uplifting music you are looking in the wrong direction. However if you want an album that is honest and powerful yet intricate, look no further.
Rating: 75/100
Check out Si's Interview with Amenra at Damnation Festival 2012 here:
