NORDJEVEL - Nordjevel

Nordjevel - Nordjevel (2016, Osmose Productions)

Norway has always been the dedicated territory for Black Metal since the burst that made the subgenre infamous in the early 1990’s. With a debut album the year after they formed the band, Nordjevel and their self-titled record were signed and released on the legendary French label Osmose. Normally, this might be a sign of a talented band and an essential listening while being at such an early stage in their career.

Nordjevel’s drakkar, by the way they are not a Viking Metal band, is navigating between the intense early Marduk and Immortal sound of fast paced Black Metal and even some Dark Funeral at some extent. Nordjevel is a very homogeneous and monochromatic record that at first will seem like a huge heavy block of granite that is raw but that with subsequent listens gets in your ear and develops as a missing link between Black Metal and Extreme Metal. While keeping its feet firmly in BM, Nordjevel makes a point of eliminating any saccharine and any useless firework. It's Blastbeat after Blastbeat and they make a point that their Black Metal isn't for the weak.

It is a sound that is closer to the organic roots of Black Metal at its coldest form. It is a bold statement for the band to get out of any trend or tendency that might take away the basic elements of the genre from its roots.

It is a conservative album that is far from being nostalgic or repeating past patterns but it is centering Black Metal where they think it should be. The concepts of the genre are mastered and the album is easily a sure shot but I think it will take an initiated ear and a purist to actually enjoy this at its fullest. This is an album that I think did it for me and I liked it more than I thought I would at first.

8.0