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Taake: Hordalands Doedskvad


Odine
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Okay so....

 

I never thought I'd be saying that a black metal record is now one of my favorite records of any genre, but here I am saying it. This album is pure ****ing quality, moving and intense, melodic and brilliant.

 

I never really listened to much black metal when I was younger, though I always respected and liked it's parallels to punk rock and in particular, hardcore. Essentially I get the vibe that Scandinavian Black Metal WAS their punk rock, in the same way that public enemy and other hip hop bands are black punk rock. In the same way that grime and glitch bands now like Death Grips are punk rock. So I always respected black metal as a teenager more than some other genres of metal that I find less interesting.

 

I grew up listening to punk bands, grunge and indie, noise rock and pop etc.. However years of listening to that stuff I slowly became bored. Listening to so called "alternative" radio stations that continue to play utter drivel and the same hip re-marketed safe crap was starting to do my head in.

 

Basically, I had exhausted my record (album really cause I listen a lot on my phone and headphones) collection, and not a lot of new music has been inspiring in the least.

 

Then I was surfing on YouTube and discovered Taake's "Hordalands Doedskvad". After hearing the first track "PT 1" I immediately purchased the album. And I have hardly stopped listening to it since.

 

Firstly off of note is the guitar playing. Which is to say it's phenomenal. Technically and tastefully impeccable. It shreds when it needs to, riffs powerful hooks when it needs to, and cuts through everything like a chainsaw running off a formula 1 car engine (if that is even possible). It is also super super super melodic guitar playing. If you played it on a nylon string acoustic it would sound like Mozart or something. Or like you were in a Tavern in Skyrim.

 

Then there is the drumming, which is as equally impressive. Has your usual black metal go-tos : blast beats, double kicks etc.. But what it does it does like the guitar playing. Tastefully, and awesomely.

 

Then there is the vocals. What can I say? Firstly they are in old Norwegian. Meaning they are written in the old Odinic alphabet. (Using Runes which have their own sound and meaning individually). So when translated into Norwegian and into English the lyrics don't really work at all. Because each rune can be read or heard in a different way, if that makes sense. Like Japanese can. Sound wise, Hoest's voice is chilling at times, triumphant at others, demonic and bloodcurdling when he wants it to be. And the delivery is awesome. Again, at times when there are gang vocals going on I was surprised by the similarity in delivery to a lot of hardcore bands.

 

The ambum track list is divided into Hordalands Doedskvad pt1 - 7 and is nearly and hour in length. It is clearly meant to be listened to as a whole from start to finish. And certainly that is how to do it if you want to judge the album as a work. It flows masterfully. Fast and furious much of the time, but just when you think you tire or might get bored with a certain refrain it changes tempo, or blasts off into an even better section, sedgewaying (sp?) effortlessly into different movements. And that is probably the biggest point. Even though this album is so technically amazing and furious and complicated it sounds totally effortless. As if the band got together had a beer and burped out a masterpiece. Which is probably what they did the fuckers. It's THAT GOOD.

 

For ages I've been wanting a new band to blow my mind and nothing has. And I'm late to the party as this particular album came out in 2005... But my mind has been blown. Everything about this album is killer including the production.

 

I'm sure this review will fall on deaf ears, or eyes as the case maybe, there are probably not many people at NN who like black metal but whatever... I don't care, just wanted to sing this albums praises.

 

If you like metal or extreme metal or punk rock or music that is orientated to killer guitars and MASTERFUL craftsmanship in songwriting then listen to this album. Do your brain a favour.

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  • 6 months later...

Damn, I missed this thread...

 

Indeed a great album, definitely their best. The balance between sheer aggro and creating suspense is impressive and to me the most important thing in BM, the all-blastbeat bands get boring, not to mention just silly, so fast. I wouldn´t rank Taake or any of their albums up with the best from Bathory, Burzum or Summoning, but they´re just one step below along with Enslaved and early Samael in my book.

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Yah Bathory is awesome. Taake are kind of completely different though.. this album in particular. I mean, its contemporary for a start.. and therefore is aesthetically quite different to Bathory. The musicality itself sounds more complicated than Bathory too. Allthough simplicity is not a negative quality at all. I love Darkthrone for that very reason. I dont listen to Hordalands Doedskvad everyday.. but when I'm in the right mood..boy its a great listen. And you're right.. nothing else I've heard from Taake lives up to this album. If I could understand the lyrics I suspect they might let it down somewhat.. I've heard that Hoest is not the greatest wordsmith there is.

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I´d say that there is quite a lot of Bathory´s "viking" era in Taake´s sound, except with much clearer production. But that´s almost a given for the folk influences metal bands. Darkthrone had a good run with their early albums but nowadays I really can´t listen to the silly punk ditties they turn out.

 

Ever try Summoning? "Dol guldur" is probably the best place to start, ambient BM at its best!

 

Taake´s lyrics are pretty silly in general when they write in Norwegian, little ghost takes or tributes to old folklore badly written. At least they stay away from the usual saaaaaaaataaaaaaaan stuff.

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Yeah. When it comes to Saaataaaaaannnnn nothing beats Bathory. I really dig Darkthrone's first 3 albums as you say.. But the newer stuff is a little naff. I dig quite a lot of Burzum too, though sometimes I have a hard time reconciling my enjoyment of his music with his politics. I'll check out your recommendation. I do like the atmospheric stuff.

 

Been listsening to this Swiss band called Antiversum a lot lately. They have an EP called Total Vacuum up on bandcamp and I'm really digging it. More Death/doom with touches of BM but it's atmospheric as hell. Very very heavy.

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