Nàttsòl - Stemning

Norway’s Nàttsòl is yet another band taking this rash of atmospheric black-nature-metal to a very positive degree. Along with fellow countrymen Stridsmenn, Nàttsòl is riding the current wave of very earthy music bent on showcasing the beauty of Scandinavian culture and landscapes in musical form. It is a brilliant, highly-cerebral release.

The band’s first offering, Stemning, is as chaotic in parts as it is serene, managing to quell the thirst for nature-esque black metal for even the most harsh critics like me. The music manages to lift the spirit and elevate the senses so evenly that you can easily get lost in it, always a plus for music of this type. This album was a lengthy labor of love, with mastermind Erland Antonsen taking his time finding just the right components to fashion a wondrous unit with which to create his vision. Since the idea’s inception back in 2006 this splendid offering has been carefully crafted over a period of three-plus years and it was well worth the wait.

The harsh vocals by Venomenon are quite enjoyable as an underlying current through the virtual ocean of chaotic serenity that provides a brief glimpse into the subtle charms of a country we here in the States know only through album cover photos and sensationalistic media attention over the years. For Norway, the dark cloud over its otherwise gorgeous existence needs a push out and this nature-laden sub-genre is a neat bow on such a majestic gift. The music herein is so good at creating these mental images of both positive and negative forces that I hasten to deem it black metal but for the vocals and tremolo-picking that made the genre famous. It truly does stand alone in its sincerity and design.

To be perfectly frank, this CD needs to be ingested as a whole, so saying that one or two particular tracks stand out would truly take away from the whole concept. As a whole in its entirety, Stemning is as hauntingly calming as it can be quickly destructive, much like a thunderstorm that comes in and covers the sky in a matter of minutes, does its damage, then settles into the calm aftermath that can be as beautiful as it is welcome.Nàttsòl's Stemning does just that for me and then some.    

I see good things for this little offshoot of the black metal label; it goes to show that while some things can wallow in the basement of redundancy and boredom, others rise above the ruins and touch your recesses in ways you never thought viable.           

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*Comments:

June 26, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

Release Date: June 11, 2010
Label: Lupus Lounge/
Prophecy Productions

TRACK LISTING

1.  Ved Aas I Haustmoerket
2.  Ved Baal I Kveldstime
3.  Ved Skog I Natterstid
4.  Ved Fjell I Vinterblaest
5.  Ved Elv I Eismal Stund
6.  Ved Hav I Avdagsleitet

Total playing time:  37:17