Reviews: SAT205
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When the two unlikely worlds of Iran and Norway collide, the world is transformed into a devastatingly murderous territory of pure, unadulterated black metal – a brand new world that has yet to be explored. That new world, entitled From The Vastland, is ruled by the evocative (and provactive) mind of Iranian-born black metal musician, Sina.
If you are unfamilar with Sina's story, it is well-chronicled in the documentary film, Blackhearts. The film explores Norwegian black metal, but from a completely different perspective. One of the three narratives told in the film is that of Sina; a black metal musician who hails from the extreme religious and political background of Iran. Sina, like the rest of us, worships Norwegian black metal and, as a result, created his very own homage to Norwegian black metal with his band From The Vastland. In doing so, Sina experiences persecution as a result of his music. Blackhearts focuses on Sina's struggle from his homeland of Iran and his journey to his new found home in Norway.
As we mentioned, that story has been well-chronicled, and it's not the reason we are here today. Nope. Today, we are super-stoked to bring you brand new music from Sina, in the form of the song "Sinful Oblivion", a track from From The Vastland's forthcoming album, Daevayasna. The fifth full-length, the album also features fellow Norwegian musicians Tjalve (Svartelder, Pantehon I, ex-1349) on bass, Spektre (Horizon Ablaze, Harm, Gaahlswyrd) on drums, and Destructhor (Myrkskog, Odium, Zyklon, ex-Morbid Angel) on session guitar, and drops on October 25th.
Working alone (or mostly so), Sina began writing and recording black metal in Iran many years ago under the name From the Vastland, indulging his love of old school Scandinavian black metal in a place where the performance of such music was banned by the government. From the beginning, he has made the culture of his homeland a part of his creations, writing lyrical themes that draw upon ancient Persian mythology and history — epic tales of battles between darkness and light, good and evil, gods and devils — and weaving touches of Persian melody into the fabric of his songs.
Life for Sina took an unexpected turn when he was contacted by the Norwegian producer of the black metal documentary Blackhearts (eventually released in 2017) and became a part of that film, which in turn led to the opportunity in 2013 to perform at the Inferno Festival in Oslo, thanks in part to the work of a foundation established by Indie Recordings aimed at supporting bands who had spread their music in defiance of governmental oppression. There he was joined for the performance by a backing band that included such luminaries as bassist Tjalve (Horizon Ablaze, ex-Den Saakaldte, ex-1349), guitarist Destructhor (Myrkskog, Zyklon, ex-Morbid Angel), and drummer Vyl (Keep of Kalessin, Gorgoroth-live). And that in turn led to the opportunity for Sina to move to Norway, which he did in 2014.
From his new home in the cradle of black metal, Sina has continued to record and to perform at both Norwegian events and international festivals. His newest album, Daevayasna, will be jointly released on October 25th by Satanath Records (Russia) and The Eastern Front (Israel) — and today we present one of the new album tracks, entitled “Agas“.
If my memory weren’t so porous, I would have tried to ask Sina about the meaning of Daevayasna. Instead, I was left at the last minute to resort to The Font of All Human Knowledge, which tells us that the daevas were evil divinities that promoted chaos and disorder, and that daevayasna was “an epithet applied to those who deviate from accepted practice and/or harvested religious disapproval”.
Alas, I’m unable to shed light on the meaning intended by the title of the new song we’re presenting (though I will update this introduction if I become enlightened). I can tell you that on this song, as on the album as a whole, Sina performs vocals and guitars and is accompanied by Tjalve on bass, by Spektre (Horizon Ablaze, Harm, Gaahlswyrd) on drums, and by Destructhor as a session guitarist. And I can tell you that it’s a hell of a good song.
The clarity of the sound production on “Agas” allows the contributions of each of the performers to stand out; even the nimble vibrancy of the bass is not overshadowed, as it sometimes is within this genre, by the riveting impact of the other instruments or by Sina’s cruel growls. These contributions combine to create music that’s of course aggressive, to the point of near-murderous hostility, but is also powered by evocative melodies of changing dark moods.
Moving at first in a solemn pace, with heavy, stomping chords, the turmoil to come is signaled by dissonant notes. The pace gradually accelerates, and the riffing becomes frenzied and distraught, mentally abrading and unnerving. And with a bestial howl, the blasting begins and the sound generated by the guitars becomes even more vicious — seething and slicing, rising and falling. The drum pattern changes again, and the resonance of the melody turns gloomy and sorrowing, and the melancholy mood deepens further in a somber duet between guitar and bass.
After the interlude, when the drums return, the chords ring out in cries of desolation, the pace again accelerates, and the riff becomes a boiling, bitter sound. The drumming changes even more rapidly near the end, leading into an ominous, gloomy, and even imperious bridge before a tension-torquing build into a final eruption of harrowing savagery.
https://www.nocleansinging.com/2018/10/10/an-ncs-premiere-from-the-vastland-agas/
I From The Vastland pubblicheranno il nuovo album, intitolato ‘Daevayasna’, il 25 ottobre per Satanath Records. Oggi è possibile ascoltare in anteprima su Metal Hammer la canzone ‘Sinful Oblivion’.
L’artwork del disco è stato realizzato dall’artista argentina Victoria Pel.
Sina Winter ha dichiarato in merito alla canzone:
“Questa canzone è sui nostri vizi, che si diramano dalle oscure foreste del nord della Persia, dove Ahriman e i suoi demoni detengono il loro trono e da dove diffondono il verbo del peccato per fuorviare il pensiero dell’umanità… E poi verranno tre anni di buio, durante i quali si cadrà nell’oblio della coscienza. Sarà l’era di Ahriman, la stagione empia dell’esistenza. Con la mente vuota, si sarà infine pronti a seguire il cammino che conduce alle porte di un oblio peccaminoso!”.
From The Vastland словно тысячи искр. До пламени не доходит, но жара много.
Отличное начало альбома песней Fall Into Duzakh. Звериный рёв полный агрессии из открытых врат ада. Ближе к середине песни я обратила внимание на название и не удивилась. Соответствующая атмосфера. Временами мне хотелось более жесткого звучания, в моем личном аду было бы больше криков, агонии и пыток. Здесь жизнь высасывается постепенно. Словно затухающие крылья бабочки. Схожая атмосфера царит и на обложке, но я бы добавила больше динамики. Нет, обложка не плохая, но песни более живые, чем она.
Sinful Oblivion с более динамичным началом более подходит под мой вкус. В целом песня соответствует погоде за моим окном с метелью. Даже возникло желание прогуляться по пустым улицам в наушниках и погрузиться в свои мысли. И именно вот этого ощущения ветра, метели не хватает на обложке, где царит застывшее мгновение.
Agas — достойное звучание в лучших традициях блэка.
И вот именно эти первые три песни я хочу выделить из всего альбома. Я не фанат больших вставок melodic и atmospheric. Все песни хороши, но, если вы такой же слушатель как я — вам больше всего понравятся Fall Into Duzakh, Sinful Oblivion и Agas. Именно они цепляют больше всего. Даже одноименная песня по названию альбома Daevayasna не производит такого впечатления.
А в целом tusen takk for gode sanger!
https://vk.com/wall-158215406_62
From the vastland like thousands of sparks. It doesn't get to the flame, but the heat is a lot.
Great start of the album song Fall Into Duzakh. Animal roar full of aggression from the open gates of hell. Closer to the middle of the song I drew attention to the name and not surprised. Appropriate atmosphere. At times I wanted a harder sound, in my personal hell there would be more screaming, agony and torture. Here life is absorbed gradually. Like fading butterfly wings. The similar atmosphere reigns and on the cover, but I would add more dynamics. No, the cover is not bad, but the songs are more alive than cover.
Sinful Oblivion with a more dynamic start is more suited to my taste. The song corresponds to the weather behind my window with blizzard. Even had a desire to walk through empty streets in headphones and dive into my thoughts. And this is exactly the feeling of the wind, the blizzard is missing on the cover where the moment reigns.
Agas is a worthy sound in the best traditions of black metal.
And this is exactly the first three songs I want to highlight from the whole album. I'm not a fan of big inserts melodic and atmospheric. All the songs are good, but if you are the same listener as me - you will most enjoy the Fall Into Duzakh, Sinful Oblivion and Agas.
https://vk.com/wall-158215406_62
From the Vastland is a one man Iranian/Norwegian black metal band and this is his fifth album.
I enjoyed 2016’s Chamrosh, and Daevayasna provides us with another 47 minutes of classic black metal fury. The artist behind this project is rounded out by a full band for Daevayasna, boasting current and ex-members of bands such as 1349, Horizon Ablaze, and Morbid Angel, among others. A lot of experience is behind Daevayasna.
This is very enjoyable music, with the artist’s vision of Scandinanvian black metal coming through loud and proud through the songs. It’s a well-realised vision, and Daevayasna is full of songs that are surprisingly moreish and addictive. The man knows how to write a good black metal tune.
The music is largely upbeat and atmospherically rhythmic, and features a plethora of strong melodies spread out across the tracks. The melodic aspect of From the Vastland is a an important one, and this is delivered by a mixture of cold frostiness and energetic vibrancy. Some Middle Eastern touches can be heard here and there, although these are relatively subtle in nature most of the time.
Five albums deep, and From the Vastland continues to produce satisfying, enjoyable music. Daevayasna is a strong album.
https://wonderboxmetal.com/2019/01/20/from-the-vastland-daevayasna-review/
Black metal band From The Vastland started out by Sina in 2010 in Teheran and later Sina relocated to Trondheim and Norway. From The Vasteland was heavily influenced by Persian history and mythology and this image remains with the band to this day. Ancient, epic stories of good and evil, myths and legends combined with atmospheric, blast-beating, old school black metal with a slight touch of Oriental influences. The latest effort is Daevayasna, and the fifth full-length release by From The Vasteland.
Iran and Norway are pretty different in many cultural aspects as most people would agree to. Sina transforme this meeting into a devastatingly murderous territory of pure, unadulterated black metal. From his new base in Trondheim Sina could concentrate to carefully and with great pleasure make what he enjoy the most. Making his unique black metal with his twist.
Daevayasasna in Persian means Prayer Of Demon (zoroastrian – Deava=demon, Yasna=prayer). The album also features fellow Norwegian musicians as Destructhor (Myrkskog, Odium, Zyklon, ex-Morbid Angel), Gaahlswyrd) on drums, Tjalve (Svartelder, Pantehon I, ex-1349) on bass and Spektre (Horizon Ablaze, Harm).
Sina played for the first time live in the Inferno Metal Festival in Norway 2013. There he was joined for the performance by a backing band that included such luminaries as bassist Tjalve (Horizon Ablaze, ex-Den Saakaldte, ex-1349), guitarist Destructhor (Myrkskog, Zyklon, ex-Morbid Angel), and drummer Vyl (Keep of Kalessin, Gorgoroth-live). And that in turn led to the opportunity for Sina to move to Norway, which he did in 2014.
http://permafrost.today/2019/01/21/from-the-vasteland-ancient-persian-history/
From the Vastland are a band with members from Norway and Iran that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very raw and melodic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2018 album "Daevayasna" which was released as a joint effort between Satanath Records and the Eastern Front.
Evil voices start off the album before going into more of a heavier and melodic musical direction while the faster sections of the songs also bring in a great amount of blast beats along the vocals being mostly grim black metal screams as well as the solos and leads also bring in a great amount of melody.
Growls are also added into some parts of the music while the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with some spoken word parts also being used briefly as well as most of the tracks being very long and epic in length and all of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them, a
Acoustic guitars can also be heard at times while one song also introduces synths onto the recording along with the tremolo picking also giving the songs more of a raw feeling when it is utilized as well a s some songs also adding in a ritualistic atmosphere and the music also incorporates both modern and old school elements.
From The Vastland creates another recording that remains true to the raw and melodic style of black metal from previous releases, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Zoroastrianism, Persian and Mesopotamian Mythology themes.
In my opinion this is another great sounding album from From The Vastland and if you are a fan of raw and melodic black metal, you should check out this recording.
http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2018/12/from-vastlanddaevayasnasatanath.html
Il cammino dei From The Vastland si arricchisce di un nuovo capitolo, un’opera di maturità e concretezza, dove il black di origine norvegese viene preso come modello assoluto e plasmato poi a seconda delle esigenze, reso in questo caso più orecchiabile ma senza perdere minimamente velocità. I blast beat sono davvero furiosi, per non parlare dei riff, graffianti e veloci senza il minimo accenno a voler rallentare. Anche il cantato è in linea con il sound norvegese, quasi sforzato nel sembrare malvagio, spinto al limite del rantolo. Rispetto ai lavori precedenti, questo album risulta più snello nella struttura, più diretto come il black dovrebbe in realtà essere e tutto sommato raggiunge il paradossale obiettivo di essere fedele alla tradizione norvegese senza per questo risultare anacronistico. Un lavoro nel complesso gradevole e senza pretese altissime ma assolutamente in linea con il genere proposto. Sette tracce veloci, dal minutaggio piuttosto lungo ma dinamiche e potenti soprattutto nella produzione.
http://www.metalhead.it/?p=153967
Mit From the Vastland begeben wir uns heute wieder in orientalischere Gefilde, denn das Ein-Mann-Projekt stammt ursprünglich aus dem Iran, ist aber später nach Norwegen umgesiedelt und hat sich eine Live-Crew gesucht, in der Mitglieder von Morbid Angel, 1349 oder Gorgoroth zu finden sind. In seiner bislang 9-jährigen Karriere hat es der Einzelkämpfer Sina auf 5 Alben und eine EP gebracht. Das neuste Machwerk hört auf den Titel „Daevayasna“ und erschien 2018.
Thematisch handelt das Album, so wie das restliche Schaffen der Band, von persischer und mesopotamischer Mythologie, musikalisch erinnert dagegen nichts an die orientalische Thematik und so klingt das Album nicht wie von mir vermutet nach AlNamrood, sondern nach melodischem Black Metal mit ordentlich Tempo und Präzision. Roh sägende Gitarren liefern treibende Melodien und schneidende Riffs, die sofort packend nach vorne pushen und mich dabei stark an tschechische Bands wie Naurrakar oder Sekhmet erinnern und zielgenau messerschafe Salven abfeuern. Dabei unterstützt wird der Reigen durch donnernde Drums, die mit Blasts verhindern, dass Ruhe einkehrt. Zumindest für den größten Teil des Albums, denn die Band versteht es auch okklut-rituelle Breaks einzubauen, die die Atmosphäre álà Mephorash verdichten ohne zu arg zu triefen, was wohl vor allem am Keyboard-Verzicht liegen dürfte. Dafür gibt es semi-cleane „Ritualgesänge“, die das Album in den ruhigen Momenten immer wieder durchziehen während dissonantes Gitarrenzupfen von seichten Riffs und gediegenem Drumming unterstützt wird. Abgesehen davon gibt es schnörkellosen Black Metal, der frostig und bestimmend, gleichsam aber auch ziemlich melodisch daher kommen kann. Wer was neues hören möchte, ist hier falsch, dafür wird altbekanntes sehr gut und fesselnd umgesetzt und so bleibt die dreiviertel Stunde ziemlich spannend und atmosphärisch gut ausgefüllt.
From the Vastland knüppelt klassischen, frostigen und sägenden Black Metal ein, der zwar nix neues zu bieten hat, aber sein Handwerk versteht und so mit kleineren ruhigen Momenten zwischen treibenden Riffs und Blasts für etwas Abwechslung sorgt, wobei auch das Songwriting sich dem Korsett angemessen um Freiräume bemüht. „Daevayasna“ klingt dabei typisch schwarzmetallisch, aber nicht altbacken und kann mit seiner kraftvollen Produktion auch den letzten Zweifler überzeugen.
https://metalviewer.wordpress.com/2019/02/10/from-the-vastland-daevayasna/
Und wieder ein Album, das schon ein paar Tage auf dem Markt ist. Im letzten Oktober veröffentlichten FROM THE VASTLAND ihr viertes Album DAEVAYASNA. Die norwegische Band mit iranischen Wurzeln ist in ihrer Heimat kein unbeschriebenes Blatt. 2014 wurden sie für den Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award nominiert. Und auch auf den dortigen großen Festivals konnte man Erfahrung sammeln.
Das aktuelle Album bietet klassischen, nordischen Black Metal alter Schule, wie ihn zu frühen Zeiten ‘Marduk’, ‘Darkthrone’ oder auch ‘Gorgoroth’ und ‘Dissection’ zu spielen pflegten. Das beginnt schon gut mit FALL INTO DUZAKH und findet den ersten Höhepunkt dann schon mit SINFUL OBLIVION. Zwei Spuren besser macht es der Titeltrack, der mit genialen Blast Beats, eiskalten Riffs und vielfachen Tempowechseln auftrumpft. Ein starker Song.
Der dämonische, variantenreiche Gesang kann ebenso überzeugen. Und die Songs werden auch nicht schlechter. Ob nun SICKLE OF MELMEDAS, THE CADAVERS TOWER oder das abschließende Epos AS THE GRAY CLOUDS RAIN. Eine hohe Hitdichte bietet das vierte Album von FROM THE VASTLAND.
Ich bin überrascht und entzückt zugleich. Warum der Band nicht mehr Aufmerksamkeit zuteil wird ist für mich ein Rätsel. Hier spielen drei Herren auf hohem Niveau und ohne Rücksicht auf Trends oder Moden im extremen Metal. Keine überbordenden Keyboards, dafür fiese Growls und geile, eisige Riffs und Platz für kurze Soli ist auch. Mir gefällt die Platte und ist die erste große Überraschung in diesem Jahr, wenn das Album auch aus 2018 stammt.
https://www.hellfire-magazin.de/from-the-vastland-daevayasna/
Algo tienen las tierras noruegas que siempre saben como sacar el mas oscuro Black Metal. From the Vastland” comenzó como un proyecto de una sola persona, un tal “Sina”que como otros músicos se dedico en los largos inviernos a sacar la oscuridad interna en modo de música sacrílega. A finales de 2010, “From the Vastland” surgió de las cenizas de la banda de black metal iraní “Sorg Innkallelse” (una banda con 10 lanzamientos de álbumes en 6 años). El primer álbum de “From The Vastland” fue lanzado en el año 2011, el cual se llamó “DARKNESS Vs. LIGHT, THE PERPETUAL BATTLE”.
El álbum, obviamente, fue influenciado por la historia y la mitología persas y esta imagen permanece con la banda hasta el día de hoy: historias antiguas, épicas del bien y el mal, mitos y leyendas combinados con el Black Metal de la vieja escuela, atmosférico, con golpes altos, con un ligero toque oriental. i
Ya en el 2013, “From the Vastland” firmó con el sello noruego “Indie Recordings” y lanzó el segundo álbum de larga duración “KAMARIKAN” en marzo, seguido de una presentación en vivo en el Festival Inferno en Oslo el mismo año.
Según nos cuentan en su biografía “El líder Sina se unió en el escenario a músicos conocidos como Vegar “Vyl” Larsen (Keep of Kalessin / Gorgoroth – live), André “Tjalve” Kvebek (1349 / Pantheon I / Den Saakaldte) y Thor Anders “Destruchtor” Myhren ( Ángel morboso / myrkskog)”.
El trabajo que nos hacen llegar, titulado “Daevayasna” se puede analizar por varios aspectos; uno, la crudeza del sonido. El grupo ha buscado el sonido mas crudo y poco artificial posible, propinando una producción mínima, y dotando al sonido del característico sonido underground que todos los grupos del estilo buscan repetir desde aquel álbum “Filosofem” de los míticos Burzum. Dos, el grupo no busca destacar o buscar un elemento distintivo, si no adecuarse al estilo clásico del genero.
En este aspecto el grupo lo tiene claro, poca linea atmosférica aunque no prescinde de ella, y muchísima caña en dosis brutales, sin dejar de lado un mínimo sonido melódico, lo cual le dota al disco de una atmósfera propia, y una fuerza inherente muy interesante.
Los pros están claros, buena linea sonora, old school brutal, y una buena ejecución de los temas. La parte menos buena, que para mi gusto esta demasiado enfocado al old school y me cuesta ver referentes que los destaquen por sí solos de sonidos pretéritos.
Salvando que las influencias en el sonido son notorias, y que probablemente al grupo esto sea algo que le preocupe bastante poco, disfrutamos de un trabajo que sin volverme loco tiene ciertos puntos destacables, por ejemplo la buena atmósfera que genera un tema como “Sickle Of Melmedas” bastante logrado, la complejidad en el estribillo brutal de un corte como es “The Cadaver Tower” puro torbellino de Black Metal oscuro decrépito y pegajoso, perfecto para una tarde lluviosa y oscura como la que tengo ahora mismo. Así mismo el primer corte, “Fall Into Duzakh” es un muro sonoro descarnado y lleno de decadencia, intensamente séptico y de sonido rugoso, con un d¡fuerte Delay en las líricas guturales y buena cadencia oscura; no descubre nada pero se degusta con buena gana. Mas ambiental comienza “Sinful Oblivion” para coger fuerza en seguida y mostrar otro muro sonoro old school que, de nuevo, a pesar de no presentar nada no conocido tiene la suficiente garra para disfrutarlo sin problemas. En el siguiente corte, “Agas” el grupo accede a incorporar un tempo más diverso, mostrando una linea armónica más decadente oscura y rugosa, mas interesante para mi gusto, ya que le da un punto netamente oscuro y atrayente, sin prescindir de la base rítmica desbocada y unas guitarras sencillas pero efectivas. Un gran tema con su punto melódico mefistofélico central genial.
De nuevo el grupo incide en un entorno helador y profundo, casi diría que depresivo, en la entrada de “Daevayasna”, para de nuevo entrar en un muro sonoro que no da tregua, rompe cuellos, que simplemente dice que nos esta mas y de donde puedo destacar la linea ritmica del bajo.
Con el siguiente tema “Sickle Of Melmedas” el grupo vuelve a firmar un corte de medida esencia black clásica, pero samba portarle su sello melódico, y su personal aura, dejando un corte interesante y de buen grado. Cerramos el trabajo con “As The Gray Clouds Rain” otro corte más ambiental y atmosférico, donde el grupo busca la respuesta del oyente a través de un cambio melódico conrtinuo, sin perder de vista el equilibrio sonoro.
No es un disco que me haya levantado pasiones en mi, pero reconozco que me ha hecho pasar un buen rato de buen Black Metal de la vieja escuela, mostrando que su perfil mas inquietante y helador sigue presente en las huestes de grupos como From The Vastland.
http://zombiewarmanagement.com/from-the-vastland-daevayasna-satanath-records-grimm-distribution/
For sure being one of my favourite bands from the Middle-East, From The Vastland actually hail from Iran, although band leader Sina lives in Norway nowadays. The guy started this outfit in 2010 and throughout almost a decade of existence, he wrote and recorded some very nice stuff. From The Vastland debuted in 2011 with Darkness Vs. Light, The Perpetual Battle (Arx Productions), followed in 2013 by Kamarikan (Indie Recordings), Temple Of Daevas (Non Serviam Records, 2014), Blackhearts (Symbol Of Domination Productions, Hexenreich Records and Sphera Noctis Records, 2015), and Chamrosh (in 2016 via Immortal Frost Productions).
For his newest creation, Sina signed to Satanath Records and The Eastern Front, and once again he worked together with bassist Tjalve and drummer Spektre (both of them notorious musicians from Norwegian soil, as you know) (and I read somewhere that also Destructhor assisted this time). Sina wrote all music and lyrics, like usually, and took care of recording, mix and mastering himself. Even quite some of the artwork has been done by the guy himself. Daevayasna (a Zoroastrian definition that has to do with anti-religion or demonism, if I am not mistaken) comes in an edition of 500 copies, including a twelve-page booklet with the lyrics, and with mysterious and ominous front cover artwork. The seven tracks last all about six to seven minutes, clocking forty-seven minutes in totality.
Daevayasna continues the heroic path of the past. I can be quite short and to the point when reviewing this newest collection of epic hymns, for it stands for firm and melodic Nordic-styled Second Wave Black Metal. Voila, it’s that simple… Seriously, I am not kidding, for this album brings a pure form of what made Scandinavia in general, and Norway more specifically, that attractive during the first half of the Nineties (and before that era, and afterwards as well, of course; but that’s another story). There is a lot of variation in speed, with everything in between slow passages, faster excerpts, up to aggressive outbursts. And all this does happen within each single composition on Daevayasna. Take the opening track Fall Into Duzakh, for example, with all these different chapters when it comes to tempo, yet with much more to experience too. It goes for all pieces, this diversity in tempo, the variation in melodic structure, the additional elements (spoken words, acoustics etc.) (not always as inventive, yet pure and honest)
I do feel the honesty, the emotional identity of this album. It is a way to express himself, Sina, the guy behind From The Vastland, to deal with his feelings, ideas and memories. And that’s something that impresses me (once more), because, you know, it is fabulous to notice the combination of great writing skills + performance, and that expression of deep-true emotions, fused within the sonic part. Besides, the sound quality strengthens the whole concept. At the one hand, the production is like this was recorded in the Nineties (cf. that guitar sound, for instance), just more professional and less noisy. Great! On top of it, the mix is top-notch: a perfect balance for each element, never exaggerating, leaving room for all ingredients: both electric and acoustic guitars, the whole rhythm section (Tjalve and Spectre are great musicians, and they are not just ‘background musicians’ within this story, but full-fledged members for sure!), the vocal parts… The latter, by the way, the vocals, are quite diverse, mostly in a blackened tradition, yet also deeply grunting from time to time, spoken (also through different tongues) or whispered.
Anyway, fuck originality, and praise the greatness of the purity of Old! Do not expect anything renewing or progressive, for this album pays tribute to tradition. And hey, with such mighty quality (song writing, performance and sound), this isn’t but a recommendation in case you adore timeless (it surely is) old styled Black Metal with a Nordic twist!
Personal favourite, for what it’s worth: the monumental yet horrifying track The Cadavers Tower…
http://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/vastland-2
In Iran, arranging a metal concert is strictly forbidden by law and you may get the death penalty for not respecting these laws.
Sina is the name of the guy in this originally one-man project band, From the Vastland, who has pushed his luck many times while he still lived in Teheran, Iran. He relocated from his home country to Trondheim, Norway, obviously to save his head. It was a wise move from a guy who enjoys playing raw, savage and dark Norwegian/Swedish-tinged black metal.
Daevayasna is the title of his fifth studio album, and he basically continues playing the same black metal style where he left off on the previous album, Chamrosh. With Tjalve on bass and Spektre on drums, this trio attacks us with seven lengthy, cold and primitive sounding, and often fast-paced black metal savagery that is broken by a few occasional slower, calmer and more "tamed" sections. Overall the songs sound pretty good, but unfortunately, I cannot say there's one particular song here that catches my attention as the songs sound too similar to each other, which is kind of a pity. But I guess that's a common problem with a majority of "trve" underground black metal releases these days: they tend to sound too much the same.
But if you like your black metal fast, raw and primitive sounding, nothing should stop you from checking out this record.
https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=11131
Iran really is the last place you’d expect to find a metal scene, but you would be much mistaken.
Granted, the music is not allowed to be played by their governments, the underground is swelling, and several bands have made their way out into international recognition, given that they have had to leave their homeland but have not abandoned the concepts and influences of said country.
One such band is From the Vastland, and what a vast album they have delivered with their fourth studio outing: ‘Daevayasna’. Themed around the history and ancient mythologies of Persia, the band appear to be telling us how epic and awesome their homeland is when it comes to mythologies like those of Greece and Egypt, and their current religious/political situation should not erase such mythology.
‘Daevayasna’ is composed with all the right elements you’d expect from a typical Norwegian outfit, and their relocation to Trondheim is reflected in the blast beats and screamed roars that rasp across the ongoing buzz of the guitars.
Like the satanic or esoteric themes of the bands who’ve influenced them, there are niche mythological stories told over some of the best music ever concocted through these seven tracks.
Overall, I think this album is telling us that nations like Iran have as big a story to tell as their Scandinavian and European counterparts, so the middle east is somewhere to look for epic and angry extreme metal. The only downside I find to this album is that it goes on a little too long and drags sometimes – but that is of no dismay, merely an act of taste.
Check these boys out if you want to know what Iran has to offer the metal universe.
https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2019/01/29/from-the-vastland-daevayasna/
Ainda nesta edição falei da questão das localizações exóticas no metal, como hoje em dia se tornaram banais e aqui temos, directamente do Irão, de todos os sítios, From The Vastland. Ok, em abono da verdade, já não se encontra sediado no Irão e sim na Noruega. Trata-se de uma one-man band que com “Daevayasna” chega ao quinto álbum. Apesar de alguma rudeza do som – equalização desequilibrada e o som no áximo nem sempre é garantia de qualidade e neste caso não o é mesmo. A produção acaba por ser o maior obstáculo de temas que nos surgem sem grande surpresa ou impacto, que recorrem aos lugares comuns do black/death metal.
"Он ведает место, где Древние пробили дорогу себе в прошлые времена, ведает, где Они пройдут в будущее. Ведает их следы на Земле, которые они оставляют, невидимые".
The Necronomicon.
Норвежская в итоге группа с пятым полноформатом в стиле Black Metal. В буклет указаны музыканты - три человека. Это основной участник Sina (который переехал в Норвегию из Ирана) - composer, guitars, vocals + местные - Tjalve - bass (Horizon Ablaze, ex-Den Saakaldte, ex-1349) и Spektre - drums (Horizon Ablaze, Harm, Gaahlswyrd). Как видим - довольно основательный коллектив был собран для записи этого альбома. В прессухе указан еще один занятный участник - Destructhor - session/live guitars (Myrkskog, Zyklon, ex-Morbid Angel).
Под 50 минут мрачного, жесткого и трендового звучания с добротной мелодической вшнурованной линией. Композер From The Vastland отлично знает природу блэкового музыкального прессинга и потому у него без проблем получаются настоящие черные эпики. Даже и в самом прямом смысле этого слова. Например, в первом трэке после средины заложены мелодические мосты - медленные и дымящиеся. Как у Горгорот среднего периода.
Но основной материал звучания - это пулеметные атаки, заряженные ненавистью и мощью эзотерического заряда. Впрочем, надо сказать, что Сина затрагивает в своих текстах зороастризм, мифологию Персии и Месопотамии. Автор бестрепетно обращается к древнейшим временам человеческой цивилизации, когда отношение к человеческой жизни было попроще, а боги — они всегда боги...
Композер отлично переходит на куски мидтемпо, где может протестировать на слушателе более медленные куски, подключить мелодические жернова. И здесь он безупречен, среди глыб блэк-металла автор вводит поляны отдохновения и просто дает пространство для солирующих инструментов. Для восприятия это вполне комфортные трэки, контрастные по своим составляющим, одновременно реально экстремальные.
Как мы видим, мастермайнд Сина - он же и вокалист, и отметим его хорошие - как минимум, данные, по большей части он работает в гримовом ключе, заправляя каждый трэк From The Vastland мизантропическими нотами. Кое-где он для впечатления проговаривает тексты, для создания как я понял, наиболее оккультного впечатления. А оно появляется не раз и не два, по большей части оттого что композер - мастер создавать атмосферное звучание, где с объемами прет древнейшая энергетика.
Композиция The Cadavers Tower среди иных не стоит особняком (и не надо), да это и было бы противопоказано ввиду очень ровного и мощного альбома. Но в ней поболее творческих замедления темпа, которые задают ритмику дыхания диска. Обязательно музыканты дадут ускорение, дабы рассеять флюиды мрака и опустошения, которые в любом случае проходят в этот мир, когда играет компакт. А вокалист From The Vastland впрямую переходит к гимновому режиму, который вовсе здесь не смотрится чужеродным.
Совместный релиз с The Eastern Front (Израиль). 12-страничный буклет с текстами. Набит пит-арт..., по моему, сейчас все диски Satanath Records выходят с таким крутым украшением.
https://vk.com/wall216331265_3872
The Band FROM THE VASTLAND is an allstar formation of members from more known bands like 1349, Pantheon, Horizon Ablaze, Myrkskog, Gorgoroth and the mastermind Sina. Comming mainly out of Trondheim in Norway and Tehran in Iran. I received this album called "Daevayasna" from the label SATANATH Records from Russia which is one the world wide distributors.
The band itself delivers oldschool 90s norwegian Black Metal in the so called TRVU Way as it was called. This is already the 4th album of the formation and the material is pretty strong. I haven't been listening to a lot of Black Metal the last years but I had fun with this tunes. Reminded me to a lot of stuff I was listening back in the day. Dark Throne, Thy Serpant, Immortal, Carpathian Forest, Gorgoroth, Mayhem and so on. If you like those bands you will for sure have some fun with FROM THE VASTLAND.
The music is very atmospheric, dark and depressive. Also the rawness within the sound is very well produced and makes the record much heavier. All trademarks of this kind of music are there and the songs will soak you into its dark soul like a black hole. Even some really cool melodies are built in but never in an unpleasant way. Everything fits perfectly together.
The band is still pretty unknown which I cannot understand because they really deliver everything you can request from this kind of music. There is no song on the album which let you down. The 7 tracks run through smoothly and keep up the tightness from start until the end. You are not ripped out of the dark atmosphere by a single pause so you can enjoy it in its entirety.
The band was even nominated for the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards back in 2014. So all of you looking for some oldschool Black Metal or those who want the become a fan of, check this band out. You will not be dissapointed!
Strong nice trip back to my teens when I was listening to Northern Black Metal all day long!
https://danized.jimdofree.com/review-fromthevastland-daevayasna/
Bygone are days in the Arabian Peninsula when science, art, culture, literature were fundamental part of the society and led the foundation of European renaissance by preserving and translating literature and scripts in the periods of ‘Dark Age’.
Sadly, once enlightened generation now turned into astray and in modern period they lost their tradition of embracing art and cultures and freedom to practice it, especially from western civilizations and now, it’s not really unknown fact that, Arab or Middle Eastern countries have tremendous negative attitude toward music, especially Rock and Metal music. As here, any opposition to religion or government through music means social isolation, considerable life threats and can push someone in jail, including physical tortures. Iran is no exception. They have banned metal music at the state level, and consequently, groups in this genre are very few and they are stay in deep underground. However, most of the these musicians were always discouraged by their family to give up devils music, Sina Winter, founder of one of the first Black Metal band, Sorg Innkallelse, back in 2003 in Iran, have always been supported by his family and raised in a music enthusiast family who were influenced by 60’s and 70’s progressive and heavy metal movement.
With Sorg Innkallelse, he have released 10 albums until 2009 and in 2010, he single handedly started his new band, From The Vastland. With this one-man project band, Sina has pushed his luck many times while he still lived in Teheran, Iran and relocated from his home country to Trondheim, Norway, obviously to save his head! From here began an epic journey of a musician from once might and prosperous Persia to mighty north, thy Scandinavia. Christian Falch, one of the directors of the ‘Blackhearts’ documentary, did this epic discovery, when they were looking for musicians from countries like Iran, Columbia, and Greece. Sina stated that, ‘When I started my first band——there were only two metal bands in Iran, but they were really small and never released their albums outside the country. In 2007, I released an album with that band and it was really successful and got a lot of attention’. Without any doubt this release, “Into the Dark Tower” was one of their finest. The album is full of depression, anguish, rancor and fear, which are transmitted by the unique sound of the guitars. This buzzing, special distortion like from little east, which is not surprising, since such groups are often subjected to harassment by the authorities and this, leaves a significant mark in creativity.
Since the beginning of From The Vastland, as one man band project in 2010, their first album “darkness vs. light, the perpetual battle” was released by “Arx Production” and “A5 Prod” the Ukrainian label companies in 2011 but after 2 years their second album “Kamarikan” was released by great Norwegian label company “Indie Recordings” and after that exposure they began to work with professional and great musicians like , Thor “Destructhor” Anders Myhren (ex-Myrkskog/Zyklon/Morbid Angel), Vegar “Vyl” Larsen (ex-Gorgoroth/Keep of Kalessin), and André “Tjalve” Kvebek (ex-1349/Den Saakaldte). Keeping up the tradition of releasing full length without long gaps, they released their fifth studio album titled ‘Daevayasna’, which was composed, recorded, mixed and mastered in Norway, winter 2018, by Sina and released worldwide in co-operation with Satanath Records. Here, they basically continues playing the same black metal style where he left off on the previous album, ‘Chamrosh’, with Tjalve on bass and Spektre on drums, but obviously easy to understand the progression in sound and production, the overall song structures. Here, this trio encapsulated seven lengthy, cold and primitive sounding, and often fast-paced black metal savagery that themed around the history and ancient mythologies of Persia; the band appear to be telling us how epic, enchanting and engrossing was their homeland is when it comes to mythologies like those of Greece and Egypt, and mythological stories told. ‘Daevayasna’, as the word itself means “prayers of the demons,” almost all the songs are about the demons and their stories in Persian history. And here they are telling the bloody stories of different demons and their dark world.
Here, the mythology of Persia and Mesopotamia and the correlations between the texts of Prose Edda (the source of Norse Mythology) and Avesta (the sacred texts of Zoroastrian) presented over some of the best music ever concocted through these seven tracks. While checking out this fascinating history, it’s interesting to share the root as stated – In the Younger Avesta, the daevas are noxious creatures that promote chaos and disorder. In later tradition and folklore, the dēws (Zoroastrian Middle Persian; New Persian divs) are personifications of every imaginable evil. When the prophet Zoroaster was born, the daevas went into hiding beneath the earth. They lurk about, ready to attack the vulnerable. They are attracted to unclean places and like to spend time in locations where corpses are exposed. The daevas are a class of beings mentioned repeatedly throughout the Avesta and the later Zoroastrian texts. The word daeva and its derivatives – including the Old Iranian daiva, Pahlavi dew, and later Persian div – always carries a negative connotation, meaning false god or, in later texts especially, demon . Such beings are always cast in the adversarial role, as the opposition to human heroes and kings and, in Zoroastrian depictions, where they are the minions and in some cases creations of the Evil Spirit.
Now, considering the depth of this tale, it’s understandable why Sina worked on this album for almost two years to craft the atmosphere of the album exactly he want to reflected, dark and mysterious but at the same time so wild and wrathful. Compositions here are all between five and seven minutes long and are full of malice. Barking down quickly and frostily, remind old Satyricon, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Urgehal, 1349, Tsjuder, Marduk, Darkthrone (Old), Dissection; like the old spirit continues here. The Iranian has a knack for making the well-played music seem simple. The plate works like a piece, sounds evil and frosty, but also dark and atmospheric. The clean production skillfully puts all facets of music in the foreground and still does not sound polished, like the feeling of listening to a previously unreleased black metal album from Norway. It starts well with “Fall Into Duzakh” and finds its first climax with “Sinful Oblivion”. Two tracks better makes it the title track, which trumps with ingenious blast beats, icy riffs and multiple tempo changes. Whether “Sickle of Melmedas”, “The Cadavars Tower” or the final epic “As The Grey Clouds Rain”; there aren’t any overflowing keyboards, but nasty growls and icy riffs and room for short solos as bridges.
Sina, approaches his art from two directions, one that points to the past masters of Scandinavian black metal, and another that leads straight to the myths and stories of his Persian homeland. On songs like “Fall Into Duzakh” and “Sickle Of Melmedas,” combines all the best elements of the style – cold and memorable riffs, rhythms that drive the drama of the song, and in-your-face shrieking vocals – into an endlessly satisfying and cohesive listening experience. The melodic aspect of From the Vastland is an important one, and this is delivered by a mixture of cold frostiness and energetic vibrancy. Some Middle Eastern touches can be heard here and there, although these are relatively subtle in nature most of the time.
While describing Daevayasna, Sina stated in an interview that “The structure of the songs are always like old school Norwegian/Scandinavian black metal but with a small Persian/oriental touch on it, especially on the melodies that I write – which comes naturally from my background, you know. I would say this album is the darkest of From The Vastland, both when it comes to the music and the lyrics, where the ancient Persian myths, gods and demons meet the old school black metal of 90s. That’s how I can describe Daevayasna”. And, like his words, his evocative and proactive effortlessly fuses old school black metal with Eastern influences to create an epic sound-scape of isolation, freedom, and ancient Zoroastrian tales of light versus darkness. A great, dark artwork by Victoria Pelejero completes this work skillfully. Daevayasna, a timeless and engrossing old school black metal album, which can reveal the darkest mysteries of through music and will lead those who listen to the music into the world, back to the ancient times, through of ashes of history to the legendary past.
http://www.vm-underground.com/review/from-the-vastland-daevayasna/
From The Vastland ist das Soloprojekt eines nach Norwegen ausgewanderten Iraners, der zwar Sina heißt, aber dem Foto nach nachweislich männlich ist. Dieses Black Metal-Projekt wurde zwar erst 2010 ins Leben gerufen, kann aber schon eine EP und fünf Alben vorweisen. Respekt! Die Auswanderung nach Norwegen macht Sinn, wenn man den Klängen dieses Tonträgers lauscht. Die sieben hier enthaltenen Songs sind alle zwischen fünf und sieben Minuten lang und stecken voller Bosheit. Schnell und frostig runtergeballert, fühle ich mich an alte Satyricon, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Urgehal, 1349 oder auch Tsjuder erinnert. Der alte Spirit währt hier fort. In den Songs passiert relativ viel. Dennoch klingt hier nichts überladen. Der Iraner hat ein Händchen dafür, die gut gespielte Musik simpel erscheinen zu lassen. Die Platte funktioniert wie aus einem Guss, klingt böse und frostig, aber dennoch auch düster und atmosphärisch. Die saubere Produktion stellt alle Facetten der Musik gekonnt in den Vordergrund und klingt dennoch nicht glattpoliert. Man hat tatsächlich das Gefühl, einem bislang unveröffentlichten Black Metal-Album aus Norwegen zu lauschen. Alles klingt völlig authentisch. Ein tolles, düsteres Artwork rundet dieses Machwerk gekonnt ab. Ein zeitloses, sehr gutes Old School Black Metal-Album!
http://www.crossfire-metal.de/20364-0-FROM-THE-VASTLAND--DAEVAYASNA.html
Former one man bedroom black metal band out of Iran, now situated in Norway and expanded to a full band. The sound is solid, production is strong, vocals are nasty but very much in the right range for the genre.
What I found most likeable and interesting about this one was their propensity to start songs off blazing away in the usual manner, only to shift gears and drop into something more paced, pensive and introspective in the second half. And it happens track after track.
Y’all know that’s where my BM loyalties lie: primarily first wave and very early second wave, all atmosphere and quirky post-thrash, but after that, it’s still all about mood and feel. Pacing is important, vibe moreso (hence all the positive coverage for the more introspective, depressive and expansive sounding/”Cascadian” acts).
And while these start off somewhat typical, even sub-Norsecore in approach…those more thoughtful zones the band keeps dropping into are what make this one worthwhile.
Yeah, I was good with this.
If you are in any way interested in black metal on a more underground level you will know about FROM THE VASTLAND and the journey this guy has done from his native land to Norway and the struggle he has gone through to play the style of metal he loves. His journey resounds with a great thunder how great democracy really is. And thankfully his music is great too. Because it would have sucked majorly if the music was a bad as the living conditions for the opposition in his country is. This is black metal. I think you have guessed it by now. I am not at all familiar with middle eastern music, unless it is blasted out a car window but I get the feeling that the music on this album has the spirit in common with his native lands musical treasure. It is at least that feeling I get. I could be reading too much into it though. But no matter what this is some really heavy, emotional black metal that gets played on this album. And it is some seriously cool stuff too.
http://battlehelm.com/reviews/from-the-vastland-daevayasna/
VERDIKT: Relativně zajímavé album, které své silné momenty má. Trochu nestačí s dechem vedle konkurence, ale přesto dokáže zaujmout. Svérázný black metal, který přinejmenším stojí za poslech.
Že by Írán byl metalu zemí zaslíbenou, se říct úplně nedá. Přesto zde existuje několik hudebníků, kteří skrze tvrdou muziku ventilují své potřeby. V podobném duchu je to i s projektem From The Vastland, jenže tady musíme trochu narovnat okolnosti. Jediný člen kapely Sina sice původem je z Teheránu, nicméně aktuálně žije v Norsku, odkud vesele zásobuje svět svými nápady. Nejnovějším počinem tak je již páté album Daevayasna.
Tenhle imigrant zjevně není tolik agresivní, když si ho v tom Trondheimu nechali a dokonce mu vypomáhají i nějací místní s živou prezentací kapely. Ačkoliv on trochu agresivní je, hlavně co se hudby týče. Ta totiž koření v čistokrevném black metalu, do kterého tenhle jedinec vkládá svou představu o černém žánru. Výsledkem je surový black s přímočarou strukturou a nenáročnou kompozicí. Na metalovém archivu jsem našel v sekci similar artist jména Gorgoroth a Al-Namrood. Mno, neslyším tu ani jedno z nich. Gorgoroth jsou přeci jen mnohem více neurvalí a zlí hoši. Na jejich tvorbu Sina jednoduše nestačí, ačkoliv pár souznění a propojených bodů bychom najít mohli, jenže jen a pouze díky faktu, že se hraje black metal. No a co se týče Al-Namrood, tak ti jsou úplně někde jinde. Jednak jsou více melodičtí, jednak mají velice charakteristický zvuk a především z jejich tvorby díky silnému závanu orientu poznáte jejich původ. Ten bohužel u From The Vastland chybí, což je svým způsobem škoda, protože by to mohlo kapelu vytrhnout z šedi a příjemně by to osvěžilo nejeden song.
Album Daevayasna má název, který asi správně nevyslovuji, nicméně to nechme stranou. Jeho hlavním smyslem bylo předání sedmera skladeb do uší fanouškům černého kovu. Ti v něm najdou vskutku osobitý a celkem i důstojný kus poctivého řemesla, který tenhle žánr nabízí. Naopak v něm nenajdou nic, co by dokázalo projekt odlišit a v nějakém random playlistu si ty písničky cestu prostě těžko prorazí. Na druhou stranu to není škvára a smetený prach ze stolu. Má to svůj šmrnc a jasný tah za vytouženým cílem. Je to prostě další blackmetalová nahrávka s poměrně snadnou strukturou, která přesto je poměrně zajímavá a během poslechu nabídne základní pojmy, kterými hudební směr disponuje. Je to svižné tempo, typické riffování a tak dále. Na tvorbě je znát, že je ovlivněna lokální produkcí, přesto do ní jednoduše nezapadne. Něco tomu prostě chybí. Možná to bude větší dravost, řekl bych, že by písničkám slušel i nějaký živelnější vokál, trochu víc přidat na síle a rychlosti a takové ty drobné detaily, které by dodaly liniím na ojedinělosti.
Ačkoliv mě to během poslechu vlastně baví a nemám vůbec problém s tím si desku užít, když dohraje, nehledám něco tomu podobného. Nehledám ani další album od stejného interpreta, prostě to v tu chvíli stačilo. Po čase pak z hlavy člověk snadno vytřepe, či přepíše poznatky nabyté z tohoto poslechu a celá práce se zasune kamsi do pozadí. Docela škoda, protože ten potenciál tam někde dříme. Když si tady pustíte ukázku, tak možná budete láteřit, co to povídám, že je to skvělé. Ale zkuste si pak na to album po čase vzpomenout, hádám, že nebude moc styčných bodů, o které se opřete. To album zkrátka funguje teď a tady, třeba koncerty mohou fungovat výtečně, ale ta životnost je smutná. Takhle si stačí zapamatovat, že From The Vastland je dobrá kapela s určitými kvalitami. Jen se ta produkce nesmí konfrontovat s podobně znějící kapelou, v tu chvíli celek ztrácí na sytosti.
http://www.echoes-zine.cz/recenze/from-the-vastland-daevayasna
From the Vastland is a black metal unit spawned by Sina (vocals/guitars) in 2010. Formerly it was based in Tehran (Iran), but later on Sina relocated to Oslo (Norway) and started to work with guest musicians over there. The booklet says Tjalve plays on bass and Spektre fills in the post of the drummer. "Daevayasna" is the fifth full-length album in the row. It includes seven straightforward black metal pieces with a special oriental touch. The 47-minute long material is influenced by the Persian history and mythology. So content-wise you will bump into ancient, epic stories about good and evil, i.e. Zoroastrianism. The overall material sounds very raw and savage, the way the early 90s Norwegian black metal hordes were used to sound. You can literally feel the boreal coldness coming out of the speakers. Also no need to say, the blast beats were executed in a storm-like manner, on the highest possible speeds Spektre could afford to play. To all this, you should add the bloodthirsty screams of Sina and the grim and frostbitten sounds of his guitar parts. Terrific sonic devastation is featured there and that's for sure!!!
http://castrum.com.ua/encomium/6albums2.htm
When do Persians start Black Metal, what do they say? Persian stories? Not wrong! In any case, the Iranians of From The Vastland will not disprove this adage. Carried by an orientalized Black Metal and endowed with sumptuous melodies, the group, refugee in Norway (probably in order to get closer to the telluric roots of the genre) unites the best of its original Orient with the Nordic contribution of the Black from Norway, with guests like, please, Destructhor de Nordjevel on guitar, Kevin Kvale of Gaahl's Wyrd on drums, it seems normal that Sina, the group's thinking entity, succeeds here in making a faultless journey, interspersed with the phrasing of the antedilluvian orient and the rigorous and tyrannical cold of the great north of Trondheim. This album, released by Satanath Records in 2018, will not revolutionize Black Metal, but its goal seems more the perpetuation of the genre than its reinvention. In these terms, the company is a total success, epic and majestic, worthy of the greats of "classic" Black Metal. A very beautiful work.
Quand les perses se mettent au Black Metal que racontent-ils ? Des histoires perses ? Pas faux ! En tous cas les iraniens de From The Vastland ne feront pas mentir cet adage. Portés par un Black Metal orientalisé et doté de mélodies somptueuses, le groupe, réfugié en Norvège (sans doute afin de se rapprocher des racines telluriques du genre) réunit le meilleur de son Orient originel avec l'apport nordique du Black de Norvège, avec des guests comme, s'il vous plait, Destructhor de Nordjevel à la guitare, Kevin Kvale de Gaahl's Wyrd à la batterie, il semble normal que Sina, entité pensante du groupe, réussisse ici un parcours sans faute, entre phrasés de l'orient antédilluvien et froideur rigoureuse et tyrannique du grand nord de Trondheim. Cet album, sorti par Satanath Records en 2018, ne révolutionnera pas le Black Metal, mais son but semble davantage la perpétuation du genre que sa réinvantion. Dans ces termes, l'entreprise est une totale réussite, épique et majestueuse, digne des tous grands du Black Metal "classique". Un fort bel ouvrage.
https://www.webzinelescribedurock.com/2019/09/les-crocs-du-scribe-reviews-blut-aus-nord.html
FROM THE VASTLAND est un groupe qui sort d'ores et déjà de l'ordinaire de par la seule origine de son membre fondateur : Sina Winter est en effet Iranien, chose peu courante dans le milieu du Metal extrême en général, et à fortiori dans celui du Black Metal.
Tout commença donc en Iran, où il lança en l'an 2003 son premier projet SORG INNKALLELSE. Il réalisa sous ce nom pas moins de 10 albums jusqu'en 2008, date à laquelle il fut obligé de mettre un terme à l'aventure sous la pression menaçante des autorités locales... Qu'à cela ne tienne, il prit le risque de braver l'interdiction larvée moins de deux ans plus tard en créant FROM THE VASTLAND, one-man band alors confiné dans une quasi-clandestinité sous la dictature des mollahs. En 2012, Sina fut contacté par le réalisateur du film documentaire Blackhearts, dans lequel il apparait, et en 2013, l'obtention d'un visa d'une semaine lui permit de se rendre en Norvège pour se produire dans le cadre du festival de Metal Inferno. Il dut ensuite revenir au pays, en dépit du risque accru de représailles dû à sa participation au film, aux concerts et à l'attention que lui avaient accordé les médias occidentaux.
En janvier 2014, une nouvelle opportunité inespérée de retourner en Norvège se présenta à lui. Il la saisit alors, et fit le choix... de ne plus rentrer dans son pays d'origine (comme ça se comprend...) ! Après deux premiers albums sortis respectivement en 2011 et 2013 alors qu'il vivait encore en Iran, une nouvelle phase d'existence commençait donc pour le projet dorénavant basé à Trondheim, inaugurée par la sortie du troisième album Temple of Daevas en octobre 2014, suivi de l'excellent Chamrosh en septembre 2016. Avec ce dernier s'ouvrait encore une ère nouvelle, Sina ayant su s'entourer d'autres membres talentueux et expérimentés. Et non des moindres, puisque ceux-ci, Tjalve (basse) et Spekte (batterie), ont également officié au sein de formations aussi prestigieuses que GORGOROTH, ZYKLON, MORBID ANGEL, 1349, MYRKSKOG, HORIZON ABLAZE et autre PANTHEON. De projet solo, FROM THE VASTLAND devenait donc dès lors un groupe à part entière.
Surgi des enfers fin octobre 2018, Daevayasna, cinquième opus longue durée du combo irano-norvégien, reprend le même line up que son prédécesseur, pour un résultat qui s'avère tout à fait à la hauteur de ce dernier. Rappelant à la fois IMMORTAL, DARKTHRONE, GORGOROTH voire même par moments DARK FUNERAL, il se compose de sept titres dévastateurs d'un Black Metal old school foudroyant et d'une profonde noirceur, dont la puissance et le gros son réussissent l'exploit de concilier brutalité et atmosphères très sombres, sur fond de mythologie perse. Comme sur toutes ses réalisations précédentes, FROM THE VASTLAND se singularise en effet par le concept très spécifique qui imprègne la totalité de ses titres et de ses textes. Ceux-ci, épiques et mystiques, développent le thème dualiste zoroastrien du combat perpétuel entre forces de la lumière et des ténèbres, évoquant diverses légendes, de grandioses batailles, maints démons et autres créatures maléfiques (les Daevas), ou encore l'au-delà et d'étranges rites funéraires, tel celui des fameuses Tours du Silence (The Cadavers Tower)...
Depuis son exil scandinave, l'Art noir de FROM THE VASTLAND constitue en cela une ode à l'Iran ancestral, à la Perse ancienne, berceau de spiritualités antiques aryennes telles que le mazdéisme puis le zoroastrime, bien antérieurs à l'islam chiite importé sur ces terres ancestrales par l'envahisseur mahométan, à partir du VIIème siècle de l'ère vulgaire. Il est ainsi l'expression d'une insoumission totale à l'aliénation culturelle et spirituelle qui enchaîne aujourd'hui ce qui fut naguère un grand peuple, et d'un refus intégral du régime théocratique de terreur institué depuis 1979 à Téhéran par la prétendue "république islamique". Né d'une initiative fort courageuse, véritable défi jeté à la face des barbus, hymne à la liberté et à la rébellion face à la tyrannie obscurantiste, c'est là un Black Metal à la saveur toute particulière qui, en sus d'être techniquement et musicalement très bon, mérite véritablement soutien et reconnaissance internationale.
Pressé à seulement 500 exemplaires, doté d'un bel artwork et accompagné d'un livret de 12 pages retranscrivant les paroles de toutes les chansons, ce CD vaut vraiment le coup. Je vous en recommande donc chaudement l'acquisition, pendant qu'il reste possible de l'acquérir facilement à prix décent.
https://requiemwebzine.blogspot.com/2020/01/from-vastland-daevayasna-chronique.html
Iranilaislähtöinen, mutta sittemmin norjalaistunut From the Vastland tuli taatusti monelle ensi kertaa tutuksi Ylenkin esittämän Blackhearts: Mustan metallin maailma -dokumentin (2017) kautta. Iranissa black metal ei nimittäin ole mikään kovin trendikäs juttu - varsinkaan, kun hommasta saattaa napasahtaa tuntuva vankilatuomio.
Norjaan black metalin perässä matkanneen projektin isä ja ainoa vakijäsen Sina näyttäytyi elokuvassa määrätietoisena, mutta jalat maassa olevana tekijämiehenä. Monelle saattaakin tulla yllätyksenä kuinka aktiivinen tapaus vuonna 2010 perustettu From the Vastland on läpi uransa ollut. Levyjä on vuoteen 2020 mennessä julkaistu seitsemän kappaletta, sisältäen vuoden 2015 Blackhearts-pienlevytyksen.
Viides kokopitkä, Daevayasna, tarjoaa kolme varttia melodista ja usein nopeatempoista black metalia varsin perinteiseen malliin. Musikaalisia yhtymäkohtia löytyy vaikkapa Mardukiin ja Dark Funeraliin, joskaan nyt kumpaakaan täysin muistuttamatta. Viimeksi mainittu tulee mieleen etenkin From the Vastlandin tavasta yhdistellä pahaenteisyyttä ja melodisuutta nopeaan tempoon.
Edeltävään Chamrosh-levyyn (2016) nähden verraten Daevayasna ei iske kuitenkaan aivan samalla tavalla. Vaikka osatekijät ovat hyvin paikoillaan ja tyylitaju hallussa, paketti tuntuu hieman turhan tasapaksulta ja parhaan teränsä menettäneeltä. Biiseissä tai tuotannossa itsessään ei ole suurta vikaa ja laulupuolen perusvarma kärinäkin toimii asiallisesti. Ainoastaan parit naristut puhekohdat hieman vaivaannuttavat.
From the Vastland on eittämättä paras vastaan tullut persialaisbändi, joskin vertailukohtia on olemattoman vähän. Vaikkei Daevayasna edustakaan sooloprojektin parhaimmistoa, levy on silti kuuntelunsa ansainnut.
https://www.impe.fi/reviews/1/21294
From The Vastlands is Iranian band formed by Sina, who plays guitars and sings on this album. For some time now, the band has been existing in Norway, which can be recognized by very Scandinavian sound of this album. The songs don't have Iranian metal surroundings which I consider as negativity because without it, Daevayasna sounds like many other black metal bands.
It`s well produced album, it needs to be admitted, but I would rather hear a lot of Iranian cultural music influences played by this band, than just well engineered album. The only references to the culture of that region in Daevayasna are song lyrics, based on the mythologies of Persia and Mesopotamia. It`s just not the same as being able to hear characteristic sounds, tunes that could make a difference for the album, let`s say, something with Iranian twist. Unfortunately, it not happens here.
From The Vastland is not one-man band. Sina was supported by other musicians Tjalve (bass) and Spektre (drums) who participated in the recording session for this album. With them on board, the album has some ferocious and fast black metal moments with typical drum blast beats when they are needed to be. And there are interesting arrangements on drums in those slower minutes of the album which feels as importance that refreshing the black metal I already know. However, the structure of the songs often turns into a raging storm; like all those evil-sounding guitar riffs. There are also some epic passages where the band`s music becomes majestic, melodic in its own way but still very cold. I like various pacing of music tracks. They try to build a certain atmosphere to songs, so even if it`s harsh sounding album, there is some craft to music that make super sense to their dismal songs that are also very aggressive at times. Vocals are not much of a surprise, you know - raspy, high-pitched vocal tones are all very well done, music also. So, what I have here is a good Scandinavian black metal album. Little let down is that there is nothing of Iranian black metal, a music flavour that could make an impact.
Spoiler alert: Daevayasna has admirably powerful and pure metal running through it. More on that further down.
Somewhere along the lines metal was perverted from being a global unifier helping and allowing its fans, adherers and producers to come together in support and unanimity against tradition and weakness to mainstream and conventional thinking. In lieu of fighting the power and pushing back against elitism metal was subverted to be what mainstream art forms often are, which is perpetuating divisions, ethnicities, creeds and embracing pre-existing divisions. This wholly betrayed for what heavy metal stood.
Metal fans started identifying by their nationalities instead of as a united force (Anatolian metal! Cascadian black metal!! Suomi metal!!) and even made a good buck out of something called ‘folk metal.’ Think cold fire, jumbo shrimp, dark light or Christian black metal. It may have been the rubbish that is Amorphis’ Tales Of A Thousand who cares? that did it or Skyclad adding a fiddle to its routine to announce publicly the main member has wimped out. Whatever it was metal, and its sub-genres, became as mainstream as Big Mac by following conventions of the fat by taking their place in the drive-thru of the proverbial McDonald. Having yielded the moral high ground and its soul, things like a ‘metal god’ openly brandishing a platinum record in a metal video or clamouring for a Grammy or lust for inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall Of barf, etc. became normal. Whether leading or following the pack’s mentality, miscellaneous ‘fans’ dominated the press and Internet singing the praises of bad joke bands like Ensiferum and sell-out records like Roots Bloody Roots and did not even, for example, notice the irony of a Brazilian band breaking out of its environment to worldwide acclaim and then going back to its ‘roots.’
Enter From The Vastland. The band helmed by an Iranian national residing in Norway has this writer ironically often reliving Swedish bands like Dawn, Marduk and Dissection. Jon Of Dissection coincidentally had called me years ago and spoke of Norwegian bands singing of “Norwegian weather reports.” Fascism and homophobia aside for a moment and, sticking strictly to music for a second, being compared to Dawn, Marduk and Dissection is a badge of honour and as glorious as any association. From The Vastland and its Daevayasna is an almost impeccable album played with speed and fury by the sole member and collaborators Tjalve formerly of 1349 and Spektre of Horizon Ablaze who to their credit set the speakers on fire delivering high precision extreme metal. The man/band does slow down on occasion – as say Dissection did – like on the closing track As The Gray Clouds Rain, but it is difficult to find a major problem on the album a less than clear production aside. The main man Sina’s vocals are harsh and steadfast. Perhaps the main melody on Sinful Oblivion and the crushing assault of the title track are points to recall here as well. This latter track borrows heavily from Storm Of The Light’s Bane. Luckily, this is a top favourite album here at Metallian Towers.
Coming back to From The Vastland, which according to its website is “influenced by Persian history and mythology” and whose main man wears a ‘farvahar’ Zoroastrian pendant, which is a religious and nationalistic symbol, while incorporating the tendency in its titles and lyrics, this website can only impart one advice to the band and metal fans in general. You have already broken free once by adopting the music of the superlative. It is time now to leave the rest of it behind and reject the past you were born into.
http://metallian.com/fromthevastland.php
Przedostatnią płytę irańskiej formacji From the Vastland (jej twórca mieszka obecnie w Norwegii, ale to nie zmienia postaci rzeczy) miałem okazję recenzować tuż po jej premierze w roku 2016. Już wtedy zafascynował mnie klimat i egzotyka tego jednoosobowego projektu. Ale wówczas jeszcze nie wiedziałem tak naprawdę, co to jest irański black metal.
Na początek pewna dygresja. W zeszłym roku podczas festiwalu Brutal Assault poznałem irankę Ranę, która dzięki organizatorom festu miała okazję opowiedzieć nieco o black metalowej scenie w jej rodzimym kraju – słuchanie tego gatunku muzyki jest w Iranie zakazane, a jej tworzenie karane jest w ekstremalnych przypadkach nawet śmiercią. Ta prelekcja wpłynęła na mnie bardziej, niż przypuszczałem.
Aż tu nagle w moje ręce wpada kolejna, ostatnia płyta irańskiego uchodźcy Siny, wydana dwa lata temu przez Satanath Records Daevayasna. Najnowsza odsłona tego projektu to znów nieco ponad trzy kwadranse muzyki, na którą składa się siedem równych utworów. Wszystkie z nich to bezkompromisowe kompozycje, surowe i ostre. Mimo to trzymają klimat, a wrażenie obcowania z muzyką jest niemal namacalne. Surowy i ciężki black metal wypełza z głośników i wydaje się wypełniać całe pomieszczenie, w którym słucham tej płyty. Muzyka jest tak sugestywna, że chwilowe braki w konsekwencji melodycznej czy fragmenty zbyt ostrej jak dla mnie połajanki w ogóle nie zakłócają ogólnego wrażenia. Może dlatego, że zarówno partie gitarowe, basowe, perkusyjne i wokalne są tak czytelne i wyraźne, że wydaje się jakbym sam umiałbym je powtórzyć.
Utwory może i są do siebie nieco podobne, głównie w kontekście klimatu struktury kawałków, a zwłaszcza z uwagi na bardzo specyficzną, przejawiającą się tu i ówdzie manierę skrzeczących fragmentów deklamowanego szeptu. Wszystko to powoduje w tym przypadku skutek odwrotny do tego, czego sam bym się po swojej reakcji spodziewał. Zamiast utyskiwać nad konstrukcyjnymi wypełniaczami, momentami pozbawionymi polotu, ja w szoku i z fascynacją wymalowaną na twarzy wsłuchuję się w kolejne dźwięki tego wydawnictwa.
Tę, jak i każdą inną płytę From the Vastland trzeba mieć nie tylko ze względu na wsparcie, jakie każdy powinien pokazać irańskiemu podziemiu metalowemu. Daevayasna to przede wszystkim kawał dobrej, sugestywnej muzyki, w którą można wsłuchiwać się długimi godzinami. I wcale się Wam ta płyta nie znudzi. Poświęćcie więc Sinie kilka chwil swojego życia, bo naprawdę warto. Nie pożałujecie.
https://kvlt.pl/recenzje/from-the-vastland-daevayasna-2018/
Video review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtvD-0RWJ8c
From the Vastland is a fairly consistent, albeit rare quest. The Iranian one-man band has come into a rhythm of late where he releases a new Full-length release roughly every two years. The latest of these is entitled Daevayasna, which refers to the practice of worshipping the Daevas, chaotic or even malignant god-like entities from Zoroastrian beliefs. As such, it is very clear that From the Vastland’s lyrical themes revolving around Zoroastrianism and Persian mythology is still front and centre, in as clear focus as it can possibly get.
Now, I sadly never got around to listening to the bands former album, but I did review the album before that one for my brethren here at Metal Revolution – And I must say that the four years inbetween the two albums have worked wonders.
For starters, the sound has become more dirty, more rough – Not quite the level of old-fashioned tape recorders, but I certainly sense a nod to that part of Black Metal history all throughout Daevayasna. Aside from that, the additional four years worth of experience is showing, most noticeably in the simplistic, yet very catchy guitar riffs that have been mudded down like all other instruments, but placed squarely at the fore-front of the record; That is, when the guttural growls do not take over in their praise old creatures mostly unknown outside of ancient Persia and Arabia.
At its core, From the Vastland is a one-man Black Metal act from Iran. Most, if not all, of his albums have been mixed and cleaned in Norway which most definitely seems to have influenced his musical approach – As mentioned before, the music is somewhat distorted in a manner similar to one might expect from nineties Black Metal bands of the same location. That being said, however, the musicians Persian roots are strongly felt throughout, mostly through the lyrical source material, but through some musical choices as well – ”Agas” for instance, has a slowly paced passage for instance with a strong emphasis on guitar, high-pitched and simple. And it works.
Overall, Daevayasna is a seven track long Black Metal album with a running total of forty-seven minutes; It is everything I have come to expect from one-man Black Metal bands, given the sheer talent many of them seem to possess these days – But with the added twist of opening my eyes (yet again) to the right cultural heritage of Persian mythology.
Recommended for fans of Gorgoroth (Ghaal-era).
https://www.metal-revolution.com/reviews/from-the-vastland-daevayasna