ALBUMS THAT WILL F*CK YOUR FACE OFF IN 2011: ISKALD, THE SUN I CARRIED ALONE
Iskald
The Sun I Carried Alone
Label – Indie Recordings
Release Date – January 17th, 2011
I’m glad when I can finally, finally find black metal bands that don’t simply focus on one idea, run with it, and make an albums full of songs that each sound more or less the same. Be it reclusive depressives (the legions of Darkthrone imitators) or experimental hipsters making something that is classified as BM but doesn’t really resemble it in any way (Nachtmystium), I can’t get into most of it.
Then, in 2006, I found Iskald. The band had just released Shades of Misery, which I was fully prepared to write off as another black metal horde band, until I stumbled upon one word in a review of the album: “uplifting.” Well, shit. I’ve never heard a black metal band be positively uplifting. So I had to check them out. What I found was a mixture of traditional melodic black metal and the bitter ferocity of traditional kvlt BM. And it’s awesome — especially considering how the band is only a two-piece, the complexity of the music and songwriting (yes, complexity in black metal) is astounding. The band describes their approach on the new album thusly:
“Still fueled by arctic surroundings they continue down the same musical path, introducing new elements, and also bringing back some of the old. Imagine if you were to melt their first LP ‘Shades of Misery’ and their previous ‘Revelations of Reckoning Day’ together to fulfill the perfect sound.”
Flawed English aside, that sounds like a really great prospect, as I felt that both of the band’s previous full-lengths had certain pros and cons: Shades was a coherent roller coaster of an album, throwing in completely unexpected elements in unusual combinations; Revelations was more technically accomplished, but also more boring and clichéd.
For some reason, the band has — somehow — yet to release any samples of music from the album even though it comes out next week. So until then, you’ll have to be content with listening to my personal favorite tracks from their two previous albums: “The Shadowland” off 2006’s Shades of Misery…
…and “A Breath of Apocalypse” off their 2008 release Revelations of Reckoning Day.
-DM
