Taake - Taake

November 3, 2008

Reviewer: Jesse

What’s this?  Taake is actually naming their songs this time?  I guess after going down the generic “self-titled” route, giving the songs names is the least they could do and we’ll just ignore the typical narcissistic album cover.  Seriously though, despite the usual consistencies, Taake has generally been a fairly unstable and enigmatic band.  Only their fourth full-length album in fourteen years, some people are surprised they actually made it this far what with their myriad line-up changes and recent imprisonments, the latter of which people still don’t really know all the details of. 

The good thing is that when they actually do find the time to record an album, it’s almost always exceptional and worth the wait.  Holding true to some of their Norwegian counterparts, Taake’s take on black metal has always had a bit of rock and punk fused into their style to go along with the rawness and grim nature overall.  This new album might be the best example of that.  The previous album, Hordalands Doedskvad, had probably their most accessible sound with plenty of catchy riffs and melody and not as dark as one might expect.  Taake on the other hand has gotten back somewhat to what they were doing years ago… distant, dark and melancholic but not too much as to leave out the clear punk influence.  The tracks give the listener a nice range of style which honestly is one of the lost arts in black metal these days.  Too often are bands consumed in following the grim blueprint that their songs tend to blend together during the course of the album and you can’t recall much of it when it’s over.  Taake is quite aware of this I would think and keep the contrast between songs at just a high enough level to keep you interested without sacrificing their sound.

Overall, this album is pretty much what anyone who is familiar with them would expect except that it’s a slight departure from the previous album, but not enough to make anyone’s eyebrows raise too much.  Granted, the production is certainly better now than it ever has been, but not in a way that compromises anything.  The song “Umenneske” represents that in a nutshell and is probably the best track on the album if you ask me.

I’m glad Taake is still kicking around in the studio if this is the kind of material that they are going to continue to produce.  I doubt I’ll ever approach a new year with eager anticipation for new output, but it’s a nice surprise when they do get around to it.

Release Date: December 1, 2008
Label: Svartekunst Productions

TRACK LISTING

1. Atternatt
2. Umenneske
3. Lukt Til Helvete
4. Doedsjarl
5. Motpol
6. September Omsider
7. Velg Bort Livet

Total playing time: 46:03

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