Black death and beyond

 Another post about a book.. well, there are just a few concerts now and I have been to a christmas party with Lazy man's load, Suicidal angels and Nightstalker. But that's not black metal, so i'll just leave it there. Still hoping for the mayhem/mortiis tour, but it looks bleak to be honest..

Anyways, this one is a true gem here. I am SO happy i bought this. I did think about it for a while because I don't really need the CDs. But I needed that book. Not having seen it before i wasn't sure if it would be worth it. if it's just ten pages with a bit of information i would have been disappointed. But this here is pure gold. 

This book explains the beginnings of Darkthrone, most of the content is from interviews with the guys themselves and other involved parties. So this is in their own words. It's a lengthy enough book and it explains a lot of things that were also new to me. I loved to read about every single album, how they came about and how they were released. 

This ties nicely together also with Ted's solo stuff and his DVD he had released and that I have in my possession. It explains his feelings and his escapism. Fenriz talks about his depression and his own demons he had to fight. All in all a great book, with huge and plenty photographs, some published for the first time. This is eye candy as well! all in all this was one of the best buys ever, I love to have this in my collection. 

- Daedin 

Rotting ways to misery

Rotting ways to misery, the history of Finnish death metal. That's another book I recently bought and read. Yes, this is about death metal and not primarily black metal. But in the beginning the scene had no distinction between the two, everything was just extreme. The terms black and death would come later. So books about death metal and its beginning always also talk about black metal bands, because they were in the beginning the same small tight underground group. 

So although I read this books mainly for amorphis and sentenced and the jyväskylä (and vaasa) scene where I was part of, of course there were many mentions of black metal bands, too. I enjoyed this book immensely, it was just such a joy to read about the beginnings and how these bands got started. I'm too young to have been part of that, but I was part of the second wave of death metal in finland, when I was an active member of the scene from 2002 to 2008 and went to countless concerts in Lutakko and elsewhere. 

So that was really awesome to read and remember those times back then. Another book I read right now is the Finnish book called pohjoisen laulut, Suomalaisen hevimetallin matka maailmalle. This translates roughly as the songs of the north, Finnish heavy metal and its road to global success. This is also not fixed on black metal, but many black metal bands get a mention, too and are part of the whole metal scene that has gained fame outside of finland. this book is also great, it was written by a guy from Jyväskylä, and i just love that he is from my hometown in finland! how awesome! 

It is a somewhat academic book, because it was written after his research work for another project, so it is a bit drier to read than other books, but it's absolutely massive in interviews, research done in magazines and own experiences. So it's very entertaining, too. 

So yea, that's it so far, in the absence of concerts and all that.. there seem to be some concerts starting november-december and I hope i can go to one of them. let's see and hope for the worst and fear for the best, haha!

Merch of the bands

 so this one was absolutely unexpected. I didn't know about this until my partner's son mentioned it. I thought I could have a look, since there were supposed to be metal bands at merch of the bands. 

I was in for a treat!! i met there again my former boss and drummer in Kawir, Hyperion. That was awesome and we could exchange a bit news and moan about the covid situation, haha!

I went to purchase a book about led zeppelin, too, and it wasn't even too expensive. 15 euro for a huge biography. can't wait to read that one, led zeppelin are one of my favourites and they were my second huge rock love after aerosmith. 

and well, who do i spot then?? sakis from rotting christ!! i finally caught up with him then and we had a chat. he asked about my daughter right away <3 it was so awesome to meet some metal family at this event, because it's been ages since the last huge concerts or festivals, so this was the next best thing. 

and so I left the event, grinning from ear to ear, with a fantastic book in my hands and some great memories. i really hope concerts come back next year.. 

Livet i Mørke

 it's been quite a while.. the Covid virus is still holding a tight grip on us all. There are no bigger festivals, concert tours and sport events yet. it is slowly getting better with people getting vaccinated and some events taking place. 

this actually happened end of may/june, but i'm not sure why i didn't write about it then. but now it's time for it!! so i had been to park tritsi to do a virtual half marathon and was nearly finished when i get a phone call from dennis. he tells me there is a metal festival going on at the small park next to his shop. so although i was dead tired i headed over to the park, with a few euro and a shirt from his stock, haha, and there i was!! 

it was massive fun, finally after such a long time, a festival again!! there was a quite interesting band, one that played only instrumental and was kinda boring after a while, but this here is about livet i mørke, because they are black metal!! 

oh boy, it was awesome. i've missed this so much! i afterwards checked facebook and even wrote them, but they don't have any material out yet. i grabbed the few live videos they have to be able to listen to something. but yea, this is fresh, underground greek black metal (with a scandinavian name, haha) and it's awesome!

just one weekend later i went to another mini festival with two metal bands. there was no black metal, but toxic pub played thrash metal classics, so mostly cover songs but that was SO fun, too. lots of head banging going on there :)

anyways, it's end of august now, since then there hasn't been anything else I heard of or went to, because summer in greece means that everything stops, haha. but there is something else I must write about, but that in the next blog post then, hehe!!

alrighty, laters then!! 

Album list 2020

 album list 2020

what kind of year was that?? did we ever think that something like this could happen, not just in the apocalypse movies but in real life?? it’s been crazy, it’s been insane, i’ve been frustrated so many times, angry, sad, disappointed.. but what can you do. life goes on. and with it music. wardruna’s new album was postponed to 2021, i was really pissed about that. but here is the rest, some really awesome gems amongst them. 

mortiis - spirit of rebellion

this album is based on, as the name already tells us, Ånden som gjorde opprør, but mortiis soon realised that the album started to develop into its own, individual work. it’s such a great album, it does remind of era 1, it’s of the same spirit and highly enjoyable. I’m so happy to see mortiis is continuing and it actually doesn’t matter where he’d going, i’m following and i love everything i hear. 

kawir - adrasteia

Kawir!! i love them very dearly from the moment i discovered them. if you remember, their drummer is actually my former boss :D so yea, also this work is fantastic. i love how they take some theme from greek mythology and create their masterpieces with a concept behind it. 

aherusia - NOSTOS~An Answer (?)

and then aherusia!! same goes for aherusia. they use traditional greek elements and their music is also a work of art in a way, tying together old and new. absolutely fantastic music, glad to see they continue in their own niche and with their own style. 

oranssi pazuzu - mestarin kynsi

finns are represented here, too, with oranssi pazuzu. their newest album didn’t strike me immediately, but also with their previous albums it’s like this. they need time to develop and you need to concentrate on them and let the music suck you in. astonishing new album!

solstice - angleland

this is a compilation of live tracks, some demos, rare tracks and such. i’m always eager to hear unreleased stuff from them, because until now i loved whatever they put out. here it’s a great mix for the true fans.

nomagik aka akizzbeatzz - urbanized desert stories

my former workmate and his great project is continuously evolving. he put out a new full album and it’s great relaxing music, full of rhythm, drums, beats. something really different from the rest of my discography, but i love it!

emyn muil - afar angathfark

WOW!!! i fell in love with this album immediately. yes, it’s very summoning oriented, but it’s so so good! i think the best until now. it catches the spirit totally and is full of great moments. 

dwarrowdelf - evenstar

Also dwarrowdelf released a new album and i like it a lot. It has some clean vocals and some unexpected parts, but it’s really good and it’s a great evolution of dwarrowdelfs sound. well done!!

in slaughter natives - skända din nästa

this is a compilation kind of album with older assorted songs. i love this one, so dark, so hypnotizing, so soul crushing!!

Árstíðir lífsins - Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir

these icelanders were my newcomers this year because all other bands were already known to me. this album is great metal inspired by iceland, vikings, traditions. beautiful to listen to their language, what a fantastic album. 

ulver - flowers of evil

I love ulver! even more so since I’ve seen them live. their new album is the same style than their last and it’s very catchy music. danceable, electronic, very entertaining!! this is a must!

havukruunu - uinuos syömein sota

oh, some more finns! havukruunu have created a great album with also a huge fanbase, according to bandcamp!! i’m very happy for them, their album, the artwork, the specific Finnish metal sound, it’s all there! 

EPs

yoth iria - under his sway

a new project by jim mutilator!! fantastic two track with slow, menacing sounds, exactly what i like. can’t wait for the full album!

ville valo - gothica fennica vol.1

ville is back!! i’ve been so excited to hear his new EP and it’s very much alike HIM and it’s so good. it’s what we’ve all been missing since HIM quit!

ihsahn - telemark \ pharos

ihsahn has become one of my favourite artists, who would’ve guessed! but seeing him live played a huge role here. his new EPs speak to me even more, since one is titled after his birthplace in norway and the second bears a greek name. so that’s pretty cool. and the songs are fantastic with the title track pharos being my favourite. and some fun cover tracks thrown in, too :D

mortiis - the shadow of the tower (full), remixes, the great leap remixes, bleed like you remixes, sins of mine, blood becomes water

ok, mortiis put out the full album and then a bunch of other stuff. i think i didn’t even write down all of it here. i can’t get enough and he’s been fantastic in sharing with us everything he’s working on. that’s also part of the cult of thee black wizards i’m part of, a secret mythical club, of only initiated wizards and witches, hehehehehehe!! :D

encloaked - isolation suite, beacons burning on the winter horizon, hyperborean hands

I discovered also encloaked, this is synth music, very hypnotic and drawing you into another world. beautiful music to relax and escape. 

xelyruth - where pages scream

this is a greek project and this album was part of the book/music project called the metal chapters. i read the book and some of the songs accompany small stories. really great concept and awesome metal!

live concerts

well.. there wasn’t going on much due to corona.. but at least in the beginning of the year i still managed a few concerts. 

rotting christ heretics tour 

rotting christ had to postpone the athens show due to weather problems on sea. so the concert moved to the new year. it was so great to see them again, i had missed them!! the tolis brothers are now accompanied by two new guys and i was first sad to see vagelis and george go, but actually they found good replacements. this was so fun and i enjoyed this so very much!!

under the pagan moon II

i’ve been to the first, of course i had to go to the second instalment, too!! i saw sear bliss. black metal with a trumpet!! and this works so well, it really surprised me! and then kawir. oh yes!! it’s been a joy to see them live again, as well as my former boss. they played music from their entire career. i’m more into the mythological stuff than the pure black metal tracks, but there is something for everyone. great evening!

ved buens ende

this concert was on march 6th. just a few days later we were hit with a lockdown. we were so incredibly luckily to see them live. they are a band who do not play many live shows and they decided to come to athens!! how awesome. this was a fantastic concert, and i didn’t even know their stuff previously. absolutely fantastic, so happy i got to see this all star norwegian black metal band :D 

and well.. then everything stopped. and i haven’t seen any more bands this year. hoping for a better 2021, hoping that the mortiis/mayhem show will actually take place. let’s keep our fingers crossed!!

best song of the year

emyn muil - hall of the fallen

wow, simply wow!! this is so much in the vein of summoning and it’s SO good. love this song so very much, really reminds me of the best summoning songs ever composed.