Chuck Schuldiner Project

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Nordjevel - S/T


Nordjevel are quite an interesting band to say the very least. Their uncanny ability to make truly exciting black metal that still heeds all of the old tropes hasn't gone unnoticed in the modern scene and watching them grow has been a pleasure. The blazing majesty of old resonates proudly on Nordjevel and speaks to all that this band has been able to accomplish. Driving forward with an almost punk rock like energy there is something strangely human about the music on this album. It burns brightly and provides solace against the frostbitten north.

The punch staccato riffing on Djevelen I Nord is just one example of what makes this album so inherently dynamic. Despite the relative lack of melodies or traditional dynamics Nordjevel are able to use a rather straightforward and monochromatic soundscape to shape the songs on the record to their bidding. You find yourself soaring over snowy plains – the harsh snows stinging your face but your mount driven ever on by the basement dwelling punk rock energy of the albumm. Nordjevel almost operate at a crossroads – aesthetically black metal enough to play major festivals but also sufficiently crusty as to not seem out of place playing a basement punk show.


Or perhaps I'm totally off the mark. After all – it's easy to get swept up in black metal soundscapes and attribute something greater where there is not. That being said – Nordjevel are a lot of fun to listen too – they masterfully guide the listener through nine tracks that bleed into each other nicely and leave you with a sense of utter completion – freedom from the darkness and shelter from the storm. As dark as a midwinters night on the Arctic Circle but sufficiently hopeful as to pull you out of the deepest murk – Nordjevel may be this generations true black metal saviors.

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