torstai 25. syyskuuta 2014

Frostmoon - Tordenkrig (1999)


Frostmoon - Tordenkrig compilation, cassette version (1999)
1) Skogsrøst
2) Vikingmakt
3) Iskaldt raseri
4) Norgesriket hylles
5) Hersker av mørket
6) Attack of the Northern Frostwinds
7) Ancient Vardöhus
8) Black Bestial Funeral
9) I'm Psychokiller

Mediafire  / Rusfolder

I decided to post today another item from master Henri's hoard, thanks once again for sending the rip and cover scans! We continue to explore the dark, degenerate times surrounding the millennium and from the ruins of the once mighty Norse empire crawled various suspicious entities, such as this specimen here, Frostmoon. This is the cassette version released by Alkana Žemė of the "Tordenkrig" compilation which contains the EP of the same name (tracks 1-5) as well as material from split EP with Ork (track 7) and from the never released debut album "Black Bestial Funeral" (tracks 6, 8 & 9). The CD version, released by Sound Riot, featured ten tracks, "For all tid" instead of "Ancient Vardöhus" from the split, unreleased track titled "A Funeral Memorial" and "Behind the Snowcovered Mountains" instead of "I'm Psychokiller" which judging by the name I would've preferred to have here too. Note that the cover here mistakenly states tracks 1-6 being from the EP and the rest from the forthcoming album.

To the music, Frostmoon was one of those bands I was wary of from the first time I heard them on Oskorei compilation, if I remember correctly, as they just sounded suspicious, unserious and all kinds of plastic and disingenuous. Maybe it's the machine drums, the effect-laden main vocals, the utterly goofy "hey" shouts on "Vikingmakt" or whatever else, but I didn't like them nor did I trust 'em. Perhaps I'm getting soft with age or really need to have my ears checked but it doesn't sound as bad now as it did back then, I actually like some of the guitar bits. I still can't take them seriously though, just look at that tacky Oskorei graphics job on the covers, the track titles that get worse by the release or just the band name itself! And the longer it goes on, the more mixed the signals I'm registering are getting. A fitting monument to the disastrous state of the later 90's scene, approach carefully with a shield in hand and escape route well scouted. Or very drunk.

6 kommenttia:

Anonyymi kirjoitti...

I love your description here, it's so spot on! I have to admit that I had completely tapped out of the contemporary metal scene by that point. I think around '96 or so something really died, and I lost all interest for good. From the early 80s to the mid 90s, metal went from strength to strength, all genres developing and maturing before our eyes. Then it seemed that everything had already been said, and it all descended into a post-modern morass of decay. I'm just glad I was around to experience most of that long golden era first hand. It's great that so many young fans are around now and are interested in metal's obscure history, but I don't know if they can ever really "feel" what it was like back then, in its actual context.

Velkaarn kirjoitti...

@anon:

Thanks, it turned out slightly mean but it is truthful! I agree to a degree with you, but there were still good releases buried in the mass of mediocrity and commercial shit. And of course there still are.

Can't speak for the younger fans, but based on my experience with them many are very enthusiastic and honest with their passion which is good. Many are also very interested in obscure old stuff so it will not be forgotten. Of course they won't be able to experience what we had back then, but perhaps they have their own things which are incomprehensible to us old timers. I know for fact that many things are to me!

GREV kirjoitti...

Thanks for that Velkaarn & Henri!

Víctor Moreno Marín kirjoitti...

Thanks by this album. Excellent blog: to bookmarks.

Velkaarn kirjoitti...

@Victor:

Thanks for your comments and glad to read you enjoy the blog!

Unknown kirjoitti...

I think that everything that critics of frostmoon's work says is why they didn't do the following bathory works on the path of viking metal from hamerheart to norland 1_2 that they don't criticize but frostmoon did a good job of viking I still like black metal to this day 2022 hey XD