Recommendations: Something Old, Something New

March 2, 2010

MATT

overbearingly technical, relying heavily on extended improvisations and stream-of-consciousness free jazz rhythms.  Thick industrialized guitar riffs and distorted keyboards form the backbone of their sound, with frontman Jørgen Munkeby alternatingly hollering through vocal filters and wailing on his saxophone in a style that brings to mind Ornette Coleman or early Anthony Braxton.  At first blush Blackjazz may seem insufferably random, but attentive listens will reveal intuitive flow in the tradition of the best fusion bands and a penchant for recalling and reinterpreting themes throughout the album.  The last track is a mind-blowing cover of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” with Enslaved’s Grutle Kjellson on vocals and is worth the price of admission alone.

able considering the mundane simplicity of many of other Swedish black metal upstarts of the time. Opeth’s first album comes to mind in the mid-paced rock riffs accentuated by acoustic guitars, but overall this album is fast, heavy, and fluid.  The greatest success of Enter the Moonlight Gate that it recaptures the majestic atmosphere of melancholy and longing of The Somberlain and In the Nightside Eclispe without feeling forced or derivative.  Lord Belial stayed around for a while, disbanding last year after a string of releases that were markedly inferior to this overlooked gem.

BLOG ARCHIVE HERE

Lord Belial - Enter the Moonlight Gate
(1997, No Fashion Records)

Being a Swedish black metal band in the mid-1990s probably wasn’t enough in itself to attract much attention, but Lord Belial deserved more recognition than they received.  Enter the Moonlight Gate falls squarely in the Dissection style of classic-metal-influenced death metal with black metal aesthetics, but stands out for its use of flute, violin, acoustic guitar, and female vocals. Songwriting is  epic  and  erudite,  sort of remark-

Shining - Blackjazz
(2010, Indie Recordings)

This is the only album released so far this year that really excited me.  I won’t write a full-length review because it’s not really metal and probably is of little interest to many of our readers, but I figured I’d recommend it to more adventurous listeners.  This particular Shining is a Norwegian fusion, and Blackjazz is their fifth LP and by far their most extreme outing.  Shining are all virtuoso   musicians,   and  Blackjazz  is  arguably

*Comments:

*By clicking "Submit" you agree to the following Terms of Use. You agree not to post any material that is obscene, slanderous, or threatening, or that may violate any law of your country of origin or the United States or of international law. Should you wish to restrict viewing of your email address by third parties, you must select "Hide My Email." You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Metal Psalter from any claims, actions, suits, damages, or other costs arising out of any breach of these Terms of Use.