Reviews: SAT167
< Обратно к релизу / Back to page
I would guess that most of us have favorite metal labels whose releases we check out, and maybe even buy, automatically. We’ve figured out over time that certain labels tend to sign quality bands whose music lines up well with our own tastes. Especially over the last year, and for precisely that reason, I’ve gotten into the habit of reflexively checking out new releases by Russia’s Satanath Records and its Belarusian affiliate, Symbol of Domination (e-mail alerts from Bandcamp make that easy). And so when I got a Bandcamp alert about two weeks ago concerning a new Satanath release by the UK’s Nordland, I visited the page without delay — and it wasn’t long before I included the song I found there in an NCS feature on new music.
That song, “Rites of Dawn”, is one of three on a Nordland album named European Paganism, which Satanath will be co-releasing with More Hate Productions on March 25. I’m happy to tell you that we’ve now been given the opportunity to premiere a second song from the album, “A Burning of Idols“.
Yesterday my friend Andy Synn introduced one of his reviews with some observations about the phenomenon of one-man black metal bands. He pointed out that “the relative ease with which anyone can put together their own ‘one-man Black Metal band’ has led to a glut of mediocre albums and EPs which do little more than recycle the same old sounds and the same old stories,” while also acknowledging that “there are some truly phenomenal examples out there of solitary artists who possess the necessary vision and distinctive voice to stand out from the pack”. Nordland is one of those phenomenal examples.
Like “Rites of Dawn”, “A Burning of Idols” reveals a distinctive voice. Nordland‘s creator Vorh has succeeded in maintaining connections to some of black metal’s most revered (and most copied) traditions, while also embellishing and changing the methods of expression in ways that stand out from the pack.
More in spirit than in in the precise configuration of the sounds, these songs bring to mind the kind of primal energy and mythic atmosphere that Bathory introduced on the trio of albums that began with Hammerheart. “A Burning of Idols” includes some absolutely gripping riffs, as well as an overarching atmosphere of unreality — a sense of pageantry and ancient grandeur as well as violence and loss.
But the music is so complex, so intricate, and so kaleidoscopic in its changes that it also merits adjectives like “progressive” and “avant garde”. Vorh is quite adept at creating electrifying savagery, not only through his ferocious snarls and demonic proclamations but also with bursts of seething riffs, blasting drums, and unsettling dissonance. The reek of sulphur and acid is in the air, and at times there’s also an air of delirium, as if we’re hearing the eruption of asylum inmates who’ve turned the tables on their keepers.
Yet the drum rhythms and patterns are in constant flux, and the prominent bass accompaniment is equally vibrant and mercurial. And when you least expect it, a somber and completely enthralling guitar melody surfaces and begins to flow like liquid through the blood-pumping tumult (it happens first at about the 3:00 mark, and again later).
As my comrade Andy also pointed out in yesterday’s review, one-man black metal bands do provide the opportunity for realizing a singular creative vision, since there is no need to balance the writing process among competing ideas. That’s obviously no guarantee of quality, but when imagination, spirit, performance skill, and powerful production come together, you can get something remarkable — something like what we’re hearing on European Paganism.
Although European Paganism includes only three songs, it is indeed an album-length work — the first song is more than 20 minutes long, and I can’t wait to hear it.
European Paganism will be released in a jewelbox CD edition limited to 500 copies, as well as digitally.
http://www.nocleansinging.com/2017/03/03/an-ncs-premiere-nordland-a-burning-of-idols/
Nordland is a one-man black metal project from the UK that I’ve written about before. The latest Nordland creation is European Paganism, which will be co-released on March 25 by two Russian labels, Satanath Records and More Hate Productions.
Yesterday I received a Bandcamp alert about this three-track release, and the link afforded the opportunity to listen to a song called “Rites At Dawn“. And not long after that I discovered that a video for the same song had become available; both are embedded below.
The bleak guitar melody in this mid-paced song’s opening seconds sinks its hooks in your head immediately, and as the music moves forward, elaborating on that theme, it becomes more and more compelling. Bursts of blasting and ripping explode in a fury, increasing the depth of unease that emanates from the song. The vocals are vibrantly savage, and the song is produced in a way that causes it to hit with the force of a sledgehammer. Blood-chilling music, and highly infectious as well.
http://www.nocleansinging.com/2017/02/20/palmer-pale-king-nordland/
New album "European Paganism" of UK pagan black metal band! Nordland crawled out of the earth in 2012 with the eponymous debut LP. Followed one year later by “The True Cult of the Earth”. After a short break Vorh returned in 2015 with "Songs of Regression" this time on Black Plague Records and Metallic Media in the USA. Now in 2017 “European Paganism” is about to be unleashed. European Paganism marks the triumphant return of Nordland. The 4th heathenistic opus from the fevered mind of one man act Vorh. European Paganism is a concept album, weaving its twisted allegory through a landscape of old souls long forgotten. It is the most ambitious album to date, with 27 minute album opener “The Mountain” echoing the epic progressive albums from which it was inspired. Nordland continues to push the writing of the material while staying true to the original intent. Come and take the first step onto the path towards the mountain!
http://morehate.com/release.php?id=225
Новый альбом британской pagan black metal группы Nordland! Проект NORDLAND заявил о себе в 2012 году одноимённым дебютником, годом позже вышел второй альбом “The True Cult of the Earth”. После небольшого перерыва Vorh вернулся с пластинкой “Songs of Regression”, вышедшей в США в 2015 году. И вот в начале 2017 NORDLAND триумфально возвращается под знаменами европейского язычества! European Paganism – четвёртый опус, рождённый в воспалённом сознании единственного участник проекта, – это концептуальный альбом, который предлагает слушателю пройти переплетающимися тропами древних душ. На сегодняшний день - это самый амбициозный альбом проекта. Открывающая композиция Mountain – это 27-минутный эпик, вдохновлённый богатым наследием прогрессив-рока 70-х. Несмотря на постоянное расширение творческих границ, проект NORDLAND остаётся верен своему первоначальному замыслу. Пришло и Ваше время сделать первый шаг к далёкой вершине!
http://morehate.com/ru/release.php?id=227
Σήμερα θα θίξουμε ένα ενδιαφέρον ζήτημα. Το πραγματικό νόημα πίσω από την black metal. Όπως πολλάκις έχει πει και ο ίδιος ο Vikernes, δεν αφορούσε τον σατανισμό, αλλά τον παγανισμό και δη τον Ευρωπαϊκό Αυτή είναι και η θεματολογία του νέου δίσκου του Βρετανού Vorh, ο οποίος τιτλοφορείται "European Paganism". Με ένα σερί 3 κυκλοφοριών, οι οποίες κυμαίνονται αρκετά πάνω του μετρίου και έναν ήχο που περικλείει μέσα του όλα τα παραδοσιακά black metal στοιχεία που εδραίωσαν το συγκεκριμένο είδος μουσικής, έρχεται να μας παρουσιάσει ίσως την πιο μελωδική του δουλειά έως σήμερα.
Για να μην μακρηγορώ, από τον τίτλο και μόνο καταλαβαίνει κανείς την θεματολογία του εν λόγω δίσκου. Στιχομυθίες γύρω από παγανιστικές δοξασίες, φυσιολατρία και αν καταλαβαίνω καλά από τα λόγια που άκουσα, για την καταστροφή του παγανιστικού κόσμου από τους χριστιανούς. Όλο αυτό πατάει τέλεια πάνω στον μισανθρωπισμό που παρουσίαζαν τα πρώτα σχήματα της black σκηνής. Στοχευμένος μεν, ερμηνευμένος με φοβερό τρόπο δε. Και πριν πιάσουμε πλήρως τα της μουσικής, θα ήθελα να θίξω το υπέροχο εξώφυλλο. Σε κάθε κυκλοφορία του Βρετανού το εξώφυλλο είναι η αρχή του ταξιδιού που έπεται. Δεν είναι απλά μία ζωγραφιά που πρέπει να μπει καταναγκαστικά στην εμπρόσθια όψη του δίσκου.
Στα της μουσικής τώρα. Όπως προειπώθηκε, δεν θα μπορούσε να πει κανείς ότι διεκδικεί δάφνες πρωτοτυπίας. Για έναν παλιό του είδους, οι εκπλήξεις είναι απειροελάχιστες. Οι εναλλαγές από τα γρήγορα blast beats, στα μακρόσυρτα περάσματα και στα ακουστικά σημεία, είναι τόσο γραφικές, όσο η φωτογραφία των Mayhem στην υπόγα του Euronymous. Από την άλλη όμως είναι καλοπαιγμένες και η παραγωγή κυμαίνεται μεταξύ της τότε μινιμαλιστικής και της σημερινής κρυστάλλινης. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι να διατηρείται το πνεύμα της εποχής, μέσα από έναν ήχο που αφήνει κάθε όργανο να αναπνεύσει. Αυτό που για εμένα ξεχωρίζει είναι το εναρκτήριο "The Mountain", το οποίο όντας περίπου 27 λεπτά, μπορεί να σταθεί από μόνο του επάξια ακόμη και σαν ένα single. Θα έλεγα ότι όλος ο δίσκος συμπυκνώνεται εκεί μέσα, χωρίς όμως να σημαίνει ότι και τα υπόλοιπα δύο κομμάτια, "A Burning Of Idols" και "Rites At Dawn" δεν είναι εξίσου καλά. Η ειδοποιός διαφορά έγκειται στον τρόπο που χτίζει ην ατμόσφαιρα έκαστο και στο πως εναλλάσσονται προαναφερθέντα μοτίβα. Η επανάληψη λοιπόν, οδηγεί το νου στην απομόνωση των ίσως περιττών στοιχείων που ακολουθούν.
Εν κατακλείδι, μπορεί η μουσική να είναι χιλιακουσμένη, αλλά στην τελική πόσες άλλες κυκλοφορίες έχουν πάει τη μουσική μπροστά. Είναι ένας δίσκος για να σε ταξιδέψει, να περάσεις καλά μαζί του για ορισμένες μέρες. Στη συνέχεια θα τον λησμονήσεις και μετά από καιρό θα τον ακούσεις και θα σου δημιουργήσει πάλι τα ίδια συναισθήματα. Δεν ξέρω πολλούς δίσκους με αυτού του είδους την αντοχή στον χρόνο και ίσως τους προτιμώ από αυτούς με τους οποίους καίγεσαι για λίγες μέρες και δεν ξανακουμπάς ποτέ μετά.
https://rockoverdose.gr/portfolio-view/nordland-european-paganism/
Nordland è il progetto solista di Vohr, musicista inglese dedito ad un black metal dai tratti epici ed atmosferici.
European Paganism è il quarto full length in un quinquennio di attività e giunge a riaffermare le posizioni critiche dell’autore rispetto all’egemonia del cristianesimo e delle religioni monoteiste in genere, quali cause dell’azzeramento pressoché totale del paganesimo visto quale tratto distintivo e peculiare dell’identità di ciascun popolo europeo.
Niente di nuovo, forse, dal punto di vista concettuale (per quanto interessante e tutt’altro che banale nella maniera in cui l’argomento viene trattato), e neppure da quello musicale, dato che il black di Nordland accoglie e rielabora tutte le fonti di ispirazioni conosciute, però la differenza viene fatta dalla profondità con la quale la materia viene affrontata sotto entrambi gli aspetti.
Per descrivere l’operazione di azzeramento delle tradizioni e dei costumi che hanno mantenuto coese nel passato diverse comunità, Vohr utilizza con sapienza quanto gli ultimi vent’anni di musica estrema gli hanno messo a disposizione, prendendone le parti più pregiate dando così vita ad un prodotto di assoluto livello.
Lo stesso azzardo di partire con una traccia di oltre ventisette minuti di durata, appare emblematico di quanto abbia da dire il musicista britannico, il quale preferisce non indugiare più di tanto sugli stilemi del genere inserendo passaggi ora acustici, ora epici e folkeggianti, ora progressivi grazie anche ad un utilizzo molto personale della chitarra solista: The Mountain tiene costantemente desta l’attenzione dell’ascoltatore in virtù di una varietà che non sconfina mai nel farraginoso ma che, piuttosto, rende meno monolitico e più avvincente lo scorrere dell’album.
Inutile rimarcare come il fulcro di European Paganism sia proprio la lunghissima The Mountain, perfetto manifesto del sentire musicale di Vohr, ma anche le altre due tracce non sfigurano, benché appaiano in qualche modo più canoniche nel loro incedere, in particolare la conclusiva Rites At Dawn, decisamente radicata nel black tradizionale.
Una bella prova, intensa, competente e genuina nelle sue risultanze.
http://metaleyes.iyezine.com/nordland-european-paganism/
C'est encore une production de chez Satanath Records, du moins une co-production avec More Hate Productions qui vient s'ajouter à nos pages et cette fois c'est en Angleterre que nous nous dirigeons avec le one man band Nordland qui sévit depuis 2010 dans un black metal pagan.
« European Paganism » est le 4ème album dudit projet et il nous propose trois titres dont le premier, relativement long, avoisine les 28 minutes.
Le pagan black auquel nous avons à faire s'avère très progressif et joue sur nombreuses atmosphères et passages bien ficelés.
Prenons le titre d'ouverture « The Mountain » qui dès le début propose un tableau posé, flottant sous l'emprise du vent toutefois nuancé de breaks plus lourds aux rythmes lancinants.
L'ampleur arrive au fur et à mesure lorsque les vocaux bien éraillés s'en mêlent et que la double se met à dérouler.
On reste sur quelque chose de lancinant avant qu'un passage purement black métal s'en mêle.
Du blast, des mélodies tranchantes et une puissance vocale bien rageuse.
La suite repart sur quelque chose progressif avec des breaks fort efficaces, des rythmiques plus décalés et des attaques plus violentes ici et là.
Les structures sont riches et permettent d'éviter toute redondance.
Le morceau passe tout naturellement et les amateurs de Bathory par exemple y trouveront leur compte. D'une part pour le nom du groupe et d'autre pour ce côté qui sait allier côté épique à une progression plus brute.
On se laisse embarquer et diriger dans ce vaillant et imposant drakkar voguant sur plusieurs nœuds.
La double pédale apporte une force massive et entraînante, les riffs alternent cet aspect épique évoqué précédemment et l'autre plus belliqueux.
« A Burning Of Idols » prend toute son ampleur sur une ambiance bien lourde et sombre.
Les blasts alternent des rythmiques littéralement assommantes.
Le ton ici se fait beaucoup plus brut mais sait néanmoins préserver ce côté épique notamment au niveau des soli des gratte proposés.
Les nostalgiques des 90's seront ravis par la formule proposée alternant mélodies excellentes, rythmiques qui hument bon l'esprit de l'époque, puis cette voix sombre et grinçante.
« Rites At Dawn » vient clore l'opus avec cette atmosphère glaciale.
Le tempo est entraînant au même niveau que les mélodies répétitives. Le chant rappellera les norvégiens de Gehenna.
Les mélodies sont piquantes, les breaks injectent une certaine folie cinglante et les idées sont de bon aloi.
Un bien bon album qui parvient à faire voyager l'auditeur sur trois titres aussi épiques que lourds et sombres.
Le pagan black metal de Nordland ravira tant les nostalgiques des 90's que les amateurs de metal extrême plus progressif.
http://yargla.over-blog.com/2017/06/nordland-european-paganism.html
From The United Kingdom come the one man band'' Vorh '' Nordland with his new release, an Album of Pagan Black Metal . Formed in 2011. Well, the sound of this one man band is at the edge between Pagan and Black Metal, melodic death metal and Thrash Metal, playing a little of each genre, and mixing as he like it. Vorh have good fundaments and rudiments, good player of hisinstruments, with solid rhythmic skills, vocals have variety, with several voices, aggressive, guttural and blacky.
The musicianship is cool as is the production. Taking in a darker and blackened approach with the vocals, '' The Mountain '' is harsh and favourable, then you have '' A Burning Of Idols '' which amplifies a scenario of you being trapped in a dark dank forst surrounded by evil and horror, a good sense of atmospherics I’ve found. Well, a good release for a good Vorh you are stuck in the mire and pretty much screwed and the pace generally matches the daily struggle of Paganism to the letter. Overall, the album is solid for what it is, and I feel that much excitement, you can come to expect such music through various sources in today’s market. That said, based on spinning earlier efforts, Vorh is developed and positioned where he is in the world, he have a complete different approach to extreme music . I do feel it’s an album the purists will enjoy, certainly not as a casual afternoons entertainment for the general Metal fan.that maybe have to get their style and define it a little. However we will spect for more releases and see his progression.
Dynamic, aggressive and frightening to the uninitiated, Norland and '' European Paganism '' gives a strong showing. Whilst the mix may not be to everyone’s liking, it’s enough to capture to mood and strong rooted classic Black Metal stance that this one man band clearly find a fond influence. With less emphasis on a cleaner production, the album feels dirty, you won’t be able to wash away this blood curdling release in one sitting that’s for sure.
http://acierdouxtngma.blogspot.ru/2017/06/review-nordland-european-paganism-album.html
Английский one-man проект представляет нам свой второй альбом. В отличие от дебютника, который был выдержан в жанре викинг-металла, сейчас перед нами настоящий паган-метал в духе Graveland. Три трека на 42 минуты, но это вам отнюдь не Moonsorrow! Музыка намного трушнее и злее, хотя и не менее мрачна и задумчива.
Неспешное начало первой композиции под названием “The Mointain” с побрякиванием расстроенной гитары лично меня как в бочку с холодной водой окунуло в атмосферу махрового язычества, где щиты, горы, козлиные черепа, волки, вороны, камни, кости, запах крови от сожжённых курганов, да молчаливые капища под проливным дождём. Если включать отдельные фрагменты из этой вещи, то может неслабо повеять депрессивом, однако депрессив тут специфический, и его направленность идеально иллюстрирует название альбома.
По сути блэка как такового тут и не так много. Эта музыка больше напоминает предельно сырой паганизм в его самой экстремальной и бескомпромиссно форме. Блэковые скорости включаются тут не так часто, а по большому счёту присутствуют среднетемповые атмосферные эпики с угрюмым скримом и эпизодическими быстрыми вставками. Именно такова двадцатисемиминутная “The Mountain” с величественным тремоло и неожиданными переходами, немного напомнившая мне по своим габаритным очертаниям наших соотечественников из Scald.
Вторая и третья вещь имеют более скромную продолжительность, но следуют в том же ключе, что и “открывашка”. “A Burning Of Idols” отличается чуть более резвым темпом и общей воинственностью, а “Rites Of Dawn” звучит не столько злобно и мрачно, сколь по-шамански ритуально. Кстати, если вам нравится классический “Hammerheart” от Bathory, но есть ощущение, что он мог бы быть помрачнее и позлее раз в триста, то Nordland, определённо, для вас.
Стоит упомянуть особенности звучания ударных, а, точнее, тарелок. Они у Nordland словно угри на сковородке — жирные, шипящие и довольно неповоротливые. Возможно, сделаны они именно такими, чтобы ещё более подчеркнуть принципиальную трушность и непопсовость проекта, треки которого смогут выдержать и понять только самые стойкие и проверенные в боях язычники. Не сказать, что композиции группы напоминают симфонии, но по сложности звуковых нагромождений они действительно недалеки от какого-нибудь Шнитке, хотя явных дисгармоний и атональностей мной тут обнаружено не было.
Альбом имеет суровую окраску и неповторимый северный шарм. Тут действительно нет и намёка на коммерцию. Мелодий крайне мало, а на их месте удобно располагаются жужжание, тремоло, сбивки ударных и шипящие угри-тарелки. Тексты в лаконичном, но стильном 4-х страничном буклете напоминают поэмы Пушкина и Лермонтова про Мцыри и его соратников, и да — “European Paganism” действительно смахивает на тру-паган-оперу, но с одной только оговоркой: партии всех участников исполняет один человек, и они как две капли эля похожи друг на друга и изъясняются скорбными пропитыми голосами.
Думаю, если бы классический Immortal вдруг забросил свой сатанизм и чёрный метал вместе с ним куда-нибудь в тундру, да и стал бы нарезать языческую музыку, то “Blashyrhk” зазвучала бы примерно как второй альбом Nordland. Кто знает, возможно, это было бы и не так плохо. Ну а в целом альбом тянет на твёрдую “четвёрку”, чему в немалой степени способствует красочное и вообще в высшей степени приятное оформление. Не будучи большим поклонником подобного стаффа, я, тем не менее, с большим удовольствием слушаю и переслушиваю “European Paganism”, который для меня стал своего рода саундтреком для медитации и размышлений о суетности всего в нашем сером мире.
http://astartaview.ru/nordland-european-paganism/
Britain has a long and fruitful history of many changing cultures and ways of life. Ways of life lots of people today try their hardest to make us forget and make us believe this country has always been under the control of an Abrahamic religion just over 2,000 years old.
But thankfully the boldest and biggest misfits of said society are quick and eager to remind us about the nation’s Pagan past through the means of the finest music ever concocted. Nordland, all the way from the North of the country is just one of these people.
This one man project has released its fourth studio outing: European Paganism, which as the title suggests is a tale of how the past has been stolen from a place like this. It opens with a 27 minute symphony that starts with a fire crackling and an owl hooting in the mountains symbolising the ways of life held by our forefathers, and then the music kicks in like a vast battle, symbolising the impending doom of Christianity and how it crushed peaceful people. The song goes from being atmospheric in places quite similar to Skalmold if you took out the folk and Panopticon. Then it turns to a more brutal but not quite raw take. Something which is brutal only in the way Black Metal can be. Intense an oozing talent, this is one side of the record you won’t forget in a hurry.
The next half begins with ‘Burning of Idols,’ and another fire can be heard, making me think of burning churches or places being torched by oppressors. It reminded me of Winterfylleth and is delivered with much aplomb and has an above average level of production which suited the band’s arrangement beautifully.
Finally we end on the third instalment ‘Rites at Dawn,’ which uses a scream at the beginning and has a raw edge that had me thinking of pain and suffering felt by those who are oppressed every day by an evil force intent on enslaving those they see as inferior. This album has made me feel just how hard it must feel to have a despot march in and take away the life held by peaceful people for generations. Nordland want to remind the world Britain was a pagan land and the current myths of Christianity being dominant are to be done away with at once. Very good work.
http://www.theindependentvoice.org/2017/05/04/nordland-european-paganism/
As someone who’s always been fascinated by realms of high fantasy that are rich with lore and atmosphere to no end, I’ve always been partial to folk metal of several forms, yet I’m extremely picky about it. Mix it with black metal to form up some pagan metal and we get into something that I tend to agree with much more. But it takes the right band to do such, and the UK would not have been the first place I looked, but it’s given me Nordland who’s set of pagan metal is nothing short of delectable.
There’s always some sort of appeal to a band that tends to lean towards lengthy songs that stretch over five minutes at the bare minimum; they seem to go all in with their music and really challenge their skills as musicians as well as entice the listener to a more cinematic experience. However, a band that has the balls to go for a song that’s not only longer than 10 minutes, or even 20, but almost fucking 30 minutes long has an allure that I can’t deny. It’s simply too intriguing for me, and that’s what drew me to “European Paganism” as the first of the album’s three tracks stretches for over 27 fucking minutes long! And thankfully, Nordland has the knowledge to pull it off splendidly as well as have it serve as a fantastic prelude to two shorter epic pieces of pagan metal that are simply immaculate. “European Paganism” from start to finish is a harsh, unrelenting, and immensely entrancing album that really grips the listener and then takes them to the darkest reaches of nature for a ride like few others. But it’s not all chaos and fury within this record, Nordland also manages to incorporate a magnificent sense of rhythm and melody that’s no less than stunning, to say the least, as it works phenomenally well with everything else that goes on within the contents of “European Paganism”. I’ve heard plenty of pagan metal albums in my days, but few have been able to be so splendidly balanced and remain true to the very roots of the style to the extent of Nordland, and with plenty of efforts before this album I’m more than positive in saying that the years have been kind to this British band, and I can only see them going up in the future.
I’ve heard plenty of pagan metal albums in my days, but few have been able to be so splendidly balanced and remain true to the very roots of the style to the extent of Nordland, and with plenty of efforts before this album I’m more than positive in saying that the years have been kind to this British band, and I can only see them going up in the future. Is “European Paganism” the most unique or wondrously spectacular piece of its style in my eyes? Not quite, but it’s close because it’s got loads of taste, enough to talent to satisfy anyone willing to listen, and the proof that Nordland has the guts to do what few others will do musically. And if that’s not amazing to you, then maybe the flavorful trip that is “European Paganism” will grasp you instead.
https://headbangerreviews.wordpress.com/2017/05/25/nordland-european-paganism/
«Архетипы походят на ложа рек, высохших, потому что их покинула вода, которая может вернуться в любое время. Архетип иногда, как старое русло, по которому в какое-то время текла вода жизни, прорезая для себя глубокую протоку. Дольше она текла – глубже протока и больше вероятность того, что раньше или позже вода вернется».
Карл Густав Юнг, «Вотан».
Ну знаете ли,... здесь три трака, один под 30 минут, второй — девять, а третий около шести. И еще, - некоторые называют Nordland группой. А ведь это совершенно не так, это проект одного британского человека. Его никнэйм Vorh, и он много занят тем, что строгает мизантропический блак металл. В какие это отлилось формулы, мы и посмотрим в этом обзоре.
Надо сказать, что это далеко не первый релиз формации, с 11 года этот музыкант исполняет на всех инструментах, дабы всколыхнуть в душах слушателей интерес к европейскому паганизму. Сабж - это четвертый полноформат Nordland, была еще эпишка, (так когда это было — в 12-ом году). Уже и можно предполагать, что на полном серьезе работает Vorh... да собственно так оно и слышится с серебристых дорожек этого компакта.
Нежным полу-акустическим ) перебором начинает музыкант свое повествование, завыванием ветра и зимним вьюжным настроением продолжает Nordland, вгоняя в структуру морозные гитарные партии, атмосферно сконструированные, поначалу легковесные, а далее уже и потяжелее, с самой настоящей блэковой скачкой коней апокалипсиса.
Важно. Композер реально управляет ситуацией, и очень уверенно меняет темпы, эмоции, но чаще - ритмику … предпочитая брейки, сломы, взорванные мосты и счастливые переправы. Другой бы посмотрел на часы — «у нас есть еще 20 минут» и пошел бы пыхать гитарным жужжанием. Не так здесь. Vorh предпочитает рисовать картину, а не диаграмму добычи каменного угля. И это очень положительно воспринимает слушатель.
Многие поинтересуются, а где тема «европейский паганизм»? Отвечаю, он есть, но в лирике Nordland. (К слову наш композер еще и автор лирики, и буклета). В лирике, НО и в настроении музыкального произведения. Как бы мизантропично не выглядели снаружи эти черные гимны язычеству, вслушиваясь в мелодику, просматривая тексты, начинаешь понимать, что настоящий паганизм он зачастую не в яркой фолковой оболочке, явственно слышимой, забойной и приязненно воспринимаемой массовым слушателем. Реальный паганизм содержит внутренний архетипический строй, который согласуется с музыкальным дестрактом, создаваемым блэк металлической группой. Например, в ритуале асгардрайд, оскорей, в германской традиции, (соответствует славянской Коляде) — 21-22 декабря — истинному Новому году — зимнему солнцестоянию. Об этом еще заметил один камрад, статья которого опубликована в приложении к Князьям Хаоса… хотя тут не место все это рассказывать. Но замечу, например, что внимательно вслушиваясь в «музыкальное воспоминание о прошлом», можно погрузиться достаточно глубоко, чтобы начать улавливать запах древности.
Необходимо начать с этого места - 16,17 первого трака, когда риффовая струнная выварка достигает очередного кипения, то можно заметить, что архетипическое начало прорывает наконец подсознание нашего автора и тот выдает на гора жесткий риффаж, знакомый по лучшим произведениям европейского блэкового наследия. И когда вы это зафиксируете, то пройденная точка инициации позволит вам воспринимать и дальнейший паганский уголь (а он простым не будет до конца этого труда), как послание из тысячелетнего прошлого.
Нордик тру блак гитарный металл, как будто скупой, но на самом деле - промерзший до кишок. Северная мелодика? - ловите эпические слои на траке 2. Малоэмоциональный? Надо видеть черное на черном, тогда восприятие приобретет новое измерение. Это всё слова, конечно. Тем не менее гигантская фэн-база, абсолютно готовая к восприятию такого рода посылок, существует на просторах этой планеты.
https://vk.com/wall216331265_2528
Russian based record label Satanath Records has been spewing out several solid metal releases from the proverbial hellmouth since their formation back in 2012, and Nordland’s latest effort, entitled European Paganism, is no exception. Upon first listen, I was ready to chalk this release up to sub par to above average Graveland worship. But European Paganism is a slow burn effort that requires patience from its listeners. Ten minutes into the first track, Mountain, the intensity begins to brew and the rest of the track continues on an upward trajectory of frostbitten beauty. In an epic 27 minutes, Mountain projects listeners into an ice capped, Northern journey, paying homage to everyone from Bathory to Immortal to Dissection along to way.
Nordland hails from Northern England and is the ambitious solo endeavour of multi-instrumentalist, Vohr. Despite being a one man project, Nordland maintains a full and atmospheric ambiance, expansive in nature. The production on European Paganism is clear and devoid of lo-fi pretentiousness, which creates a more grandiose aura signature to folk and pagan metal.
Since releasing his self titled debut in 2012, Vorh has incorporated more and more Viking elements into his writing and European Paganism is an embodiment of this stylistic progression. The straightforward album title and artwork show Vorh makes no apologies for his gradual immersion into the Viking genre. That’s not to say his prior works didn’t have Viking elements. But Vorh’s earlier releases had an ambiance similar to Drudkh or Ygg and weaved depressive elements into the sound. Every album since his debut has gotten more folky and European Paganism reaches its climax.
Is the latest release an impovement on prior releases? I wouldn’t necessarily say so. European Paganism simply harnesses a different creative energy; more epic and alive. There were, notably, parts on the album that dragged a bit, but the progressions throughout were, on the whole, masterfully executed, which helped me keep interest. “A Burning of Idols” is arguably the most emotionally captivating song on the album with its frequents bursts into atmospheric bliss.
This is truly guitar driven black metal, stripped to its bones while remaining burly. Nordland doesn’t play orthodox black metal in a predictable way, he adds a heroic kind of power to the feel. As I said earlier, this album is extremely remiscent of Immortal “At the Heart of Winter” era, or even Graveland. Overall, I would say that Vorh is putting England on the map for Viking inspired black metal. This is a solid release.
https://underworldzine.blog/2017/05/10/nordland-european-paganism/
Nordland are a solo project from the United Kingdom that has been featured before in this zine and plays a raw form of pagan black metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "European Paganism" which was released as a joint effort between Satanath Records and More Hate Productions.
Thunder and rain sounds start off the album along with some clean yet distorted guitars a few seconds later and after awhile the music gets heavier along with some grim black metal screams and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to t hem while the faster sections of the songs use a decent amount of blast beats.
During the faster sections of the songs a decent amount of tremolo picking can be heard which also gives the music a more raw black metal feeling along with the songs also bringing in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and the first song is almost 30 minutes in length while the riffs also use a decent amount of melody and clean pagan vocals are also used briefly along with a small amount of spoken word parts and the last track also adds in a small amount of movie samples.
Nordland creates another recording that remains true to t he raw style of pagan black metal from previous releases, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Paganism and Misanthropy themes.
In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Nordland and if you are a fan of pagan black metal, you should check out this album.
http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.ru/2017/05/nordlandeuropean-paganismsatanath.html
So, the EP vs. LP debate will begin anew with the newest release from Nordland entitled “European Paganism”. With 3 tracks totaling just over 42 minutes, is this a full length? Well the last Arstidir Lifsins 2 track, 40-minute behemoth was called an EP so who knows at this point? Whatever “European Paganism” is, it is epic. Hailing from England, Nordland is a one-man project with 4 other releases to date going back to 2012 so a lot of material in a relatively short time, all being quality. This newest release is by far the most ambitious and well-rounded with the first track (“The Mountain”) clocking in at over 27 minutes. Nordland straddles a fine line between Viking, pagan and black metal and I think depending on what you hear, you could be right on any one of these as a description. I think I could hear some Enslaved, Bathory, SIG:AR:TYR and Satyricon (the old classic stuff) in the Nordland sound with an amazing arsenal of riffs, tempo changes and a brutal but accessible sound. “The Mountain” is the crowning achievement by Nordland up to this point with a steady pounding pace with moments of blast beats and no filler. Most longer tracks do have that feel of things somewhat slapped together with riff after riff not really tying into each other….”The Mountain” certainly does not have that sound with everything seeming to be very thought out and put in for a reason. Nordland’s primary member Vorh is equally adept at everything on here from vocals to guitar and percussion….. there is no weak point in his arsenal as what you sometimes find with one man projects where some aspects definitely outshine others. The other two tracks on this release (“A Burning Of Idols” and “Rites At Dawn”) are more in tune with the rest of the catalog in terms of song length but there seems to be a more finished or polished and complete feel to them this time around. I found the overall song structure and riffs/percussion/vocals here to be more “progressive” and pushing the envelope with an equally fulfilling mix which has equal parts of detail and heaviness.
Nordland has made great music for years now and now with “European Paganism” maybe will get some finely deserved recognition….. great new release (no I’m not calling it an EP or full length….)
http://www.folk-metal.nl/2017/04/nordland-european-paganism-2017/
Le one man band mi hanno sempre affascinato sotto molti aspetti. C'è la forza di volonta del singolo che riesce a combattere la penuria di musicisti in una determinata zona, oppure la sua testardaggine nel non voler condividere le sue idee con altri reputati magari di livello inferiore, o ancora una visione etica della propria missione musicale che va oltre l'ideale di gruppo, o anche la convinzione di avere una capacità di creazione dalla grandezza sconfinata. Certo, poi la realtà non è sempre corrispondente a questo quadro mitico e ci si scontra con dei caproni dilettanti, emeriti presuntuosi, bulimici che tirano fuori album a ripetizione senza essere minimamente consapevoli dei propri limiti. Eppure è esaltante sapere che capolavori come quelli di Burzum, Mare Cognitum e Panopticon, per esempio, sono stati forgiati dalle capacità di una sola persona. Nella ricerca di lavori del genere è naturale imbattersi in cazzatelle, che qui però eviterò di citare perché la vita è troppo breve per ascoltare musica insipida. Se uno dice "il mio progetto si chiama Nordland", il 90% di chi recepisce queste parole andrà ad accendere idealmente un cero sotto la figura di Quorthon, che di dischi chiamati così ne ha fatti due. Ed è strano constatare che invece tra i quattro album scritti da tale Vorh, il suo 'Nordland' del 2012 è anche il meno prossimo al Bathory-sound. Al contrario, con gli anni e l'esperienza, l'ottimo musicista inglese, se inizialmente mostrava un personale spaccato di black tradizionale e pagan metal, oggi ha definitivamente spiccato il volo. Lo scream si è trasformato diventando più espressivo ed epico, così come il tessuto musicale: e non poteva essere altrimenti perché 'European Paganism' (Satanath Records) è il manifesto di una one man band evoluta, fiera del proprio appassionato amore verso questo metal tanto battagliero quanto suscettibile di cadere nel ridicolo per un dettaglio sbagliato. Cosa che fortunatamente non avviene perché il sound molto chitarristico e tecnicamente ineccepibile sembra fondere in modo compiuto e non banale Bathory e gli Enslaved più ariosi, un'esaltazione magistrale che regge per tutti i ventisette minuti del brano iniziale. Il resto, come reazione alla grandeur del brano iniziale, è roccioso, semplice, pulito black a metà tra Satyricon e altri Enslaved, quelli più chiusi e criptici dei primi anni Duemila, all'incirca. Non violenza, ma ragionate architetture pagane.
http://www.hardsounds.it/speciali/metal-bricolage-le-migliori-one-man-band-di-questo-periodo
This here is an album with what I call a “barrier-to-entry”. The first minutes of the album feel like they pointlessly thrust in every direction, but at some point you get what they try (and ultimately manage) to do. The album is exactly what the title says: they pick threads from pagan black all over Europe, and join them in a unique piece of art. You will hear Enslaved (both early and late), Ancient Rites, Fen and a bunch of other influences beautifully married in unity. A really interesting as well as demanding listen.
https://againstthefragmentaire.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/noteworthy-report-march-2017/
Two years on from ‘Songs of Regression’, UK pagan metallers Nordland really upped the stakes for their forth album ‘European Paganism’. Not only does the album boast a better production value than before, but the band have taken their love of extended tracks to their very logical extreme. Whereas their previous few records offered at least two ten minute workouts, ‘European Paganism’ outdoes them all by presenting just three tracks within a near forty five minute span, with the opening number taking up the best part of half an hour.
With some twenty seven minutes at their disposal, the appropriately titled ‘The Mountain’ offers massive – almost endless – scope for Nordland, and it’s time they fill with all manner of riffs, drones and noise. At first, cold electric guitar throws out thin shapes, clanging more in the manner of a post rock band, presenting a simple musical motif that will recur throughout the piece. The introduction of a huge power chord driven riff signifies something closer to the Nordland norm, while the vocal joins with a throat scratcher of a noise that only serves to make everything more stand-offish. By the time that main riff takes a definite stance, the guitars lend a necessary sense of metallic melody as the band push forth. If they were to fill the track with this slow and moody style, the lengthy piece would certainly have plenty of atmosphere, but Nordland have other ideas. Shifting into a purer black metal vein for a while, the drums explode into fury while the twin guitars work some great riffs, but there’s better to come. At the six minute mark, the pagan and black metal roots are disturbed by sharper and deeper riffs of the progressive metal school – riffs which fight the black for dominance and ultimately lose – before everything falls away to reveal the atmospheric opening riff once more. Moving into what feels like the second movement of this black metal opus, slow and hard black metal riffs blend with a post-rock artiness; the stomping quality of both is admirable, especially when backing a pneumatic guitar solo around the nine minute mark. A lengthy instrumental break allows the guitarists to show off their skills with something more melodic, before the third movement ushers in quiet and cold riffs before plenty of slower and heavy sounds dominate. Lyrically, there’s something between an old folk tale and an incantation unfolding, but the words themselves are all but indistinguishable from a world of snarls, so it’s much better to concentrate on what’s going on around the voice. Between the slow riffs, there’s a brief sidestep into something that sounds more like a throwback from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal of yore, before the seventeen minute barrier returns to the prog/black hybrid with great results. Filling the last ten minutes with a solid mix of black and thrash metal styles, with the odd nods to angular post rock sounds, a cheeky doom riff, as well as a couple of surprisingly melodic touches, these guys certainly have a clear vision of their art…and this is something that becomes far more obvious when the song ends, and you actually realise the full twenty seven minutes has neither sagged or dragged, or else felt padded out in any way.
The rest of the release is literally dwarfed by such an epic opener. What little remains of the album is represented by just two more tracks, both of easily digestible lengths. ‘A Burning of Idols’ makes a more obvious play for the pagan side of the band’s art, by beginning with the sounds of fire and various chanting voices, their deeper sounds rooted in the past, as if culled from an old Hammer movie. Once things get going, there’s a full compliment of shredding black metal guitars, which would be quite harsh had this record not had a resonably good production budget. With these bolstered by some furious drumming, you’ll kind of know what to expect if you’re familiar with any black metal – pagan or otherwise. Of greatest interest within this full to bursting number are the instrumental breaks which fuse the black with thrash – a couple of absolutely killer riffs dare to break through the wall of sound at times – as well as a smidgeon of groove metal solidarity. As is so often the case, the vocals can be obtrusive, but there’s so much to enjoy from a musical perspective within these near nine minutes, it is one of ‘European Pagan’s more obvious highlights. As a cold and shredding solo leads everything to a big finish where black and thrash metal occasionally become dangerously close to a folk/battle metal stomp, Nordland take no prisoners.
Having bombarded their listeners with as many black metal styles as possible, the closing statement – for these feel more like musical statements than songs – ‘Rites at Dawn’ firstly concerns itself with a solid but very slow riff, where a funereal drum dictates a slow pace intercut with classic sounding black metal passages. It’s quite run of the mill if directly compared to what’s gone before, working far better if approached as a standalone listen. The six minutes constantly show the band to be good players, even if the much straighter style doesn’t open itself up so much to those with no interest in black metal.
This album is vocally quite tough, but musically seems to be both rather brave and very progressive (that’s progressive in boundary pushing and not “prog” as in Dream Theater wankery). It’s fair to say that ‘European Paganism’ is unlikely to gain an audience far beyond those who like the more epic and indulgent end of extreme/black metal, but what it does, it does excellently. For Nordland, it’s the culmination of their previous experiments, resulting in an album that leaves most of their previous works in the shade.
http://www.realgonerocks.com/2017/08/nordland-european-paganism/
I first came across North-East England's Nordland thanks to local black metal label Glorious North Productions. That was a few years ago now but the one-man black metal band seems like a good starting place for this spotlight. "European Paganism", the band's fourth full length, was released in March of this year by Satanath Records and fellow Russian label More Hate Productions. This new album features three songs and has been released on CD, as well as digitally.
The opening song on “European Paganism” is The Mountain, a sprawling near-thirty minute piece encompassing ambience as well as cold black metal. There are fierce passages filled with angry and expressive riffs, fast percussion and typically blackened shrieks; however, Vorh’s music also contains a great deal of musical maturity. That’s not a surprise given that this is his fourth full-length. The mid-section is a good example of that maturity, with quieter more sensitive instrumentation at time alongside a nice twin-guitar harmony/solo work. There are progressive elements afoot too with changing tempos and nods to doom. Following the lengthy opener is A Burning Of Idols, which contains a condensed version of Nordland’s expansive song-writing. It carries forth the atmosphere from The Mountain and it does so with more urgency. There’s certainly an element of bestial rage on show within the music, but it’s used in a controlled fashion and doesn’t detract from the atmosphere at all. Vorh’s instrumental layers are majestic and way more advanced than you’d expect from the casual solo-black metaller. Album closer Rites At Dawn is the briefest of the three songs on “European Paganism” but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment you get from it. The way Vorh moves between the more extreme black metal sound to that of a melodic and ambient one is impressive and sums up the quality of this release. It’s not a conventional album by any means but it’s an impressive one. Nordland will continue to grow on the strength of it though and that growth it truly deserved.
http://www.thisnoiseisours.com/2017/07/the-unholy-trinity-satanath.html
Curiosa uscita targata Satanath. Per molti fattori. Il principale è la scaletta: tre canzoni ma dal minutaggio davvero molto lungo. Poi, nonostante copertina, titoli e testi siano decisamente ispirati al mondo dei vichinghi, ho trovato arduo pensare a tale tematica ascoltando la musica contenuta nel disco. A scanso di equivoci, non ci troviamo di fronte a del cattivo materiale, abbiamo tre buoni brani di death black dal suono chiaramente europeo e dal marcato stile epico ma nulla a che vedere con produzioni evocative tipo Bathory. Insomma, una musica viking che si rispetti deve evocare quanto narrato con il suono prima di tutto, cosa che qui a mio modesto parere non avviene minimamente. Abbiamo quindi tre pezzi di death europeo dal suono crudo con tematiche pagane, ma nulla di più. E con mostri sacri come Quorthon che riecheggiano con i loro capolavori a distanza di decenni, la bocca resta fin troppo asciutta.
http://www.metalhead.it/?p=105954
Não escondemos de ninguém como admiramos as one-man-bands, mesmo que admitamos que o rácio qualidade/quantidade é um pouco desequilibrado. Ainda assim, não deixamos de sentir uma certa curiosidade a cada novo projecto que nos surge à frente. Nesse aspecto, o projecto britânico Nordland, não é propriamente novo e este é já o seu quarto álbum. Composto por apenas três músicas, ficamos logo surpreendidos pela primeira ter quase trinta minutos, algo incomum entre propostas do género. É o sinal da ambição de Vorth, responsável por tudo que se pode ouvir aqui. Essa ambição não é desmedida já que o tempo passa sem que se dê conta. As duas faixas seguintes são trazidas na mesma fórmula com resultados idênticos. É verdade que o facto de termos apenas três faixas torna o álbum muito mais difícil de digerir, mas é também verdade que o gozo de o fazer é bem superior. Uma excelente surpresa e mais uma demonstração de como o black metal pode surpreender sem afastar-se (nada ) das suas raízes.
http://radiowom.blogspot.com/2017/07/world-of-metal-magazine-6-out-now-ja.html
Британский музыкант, называющий себя Ворх, совершенно не стесняется своего главного источника вдохновения; более того, ссылка на этот источник вынесена в заглавие его проекта. “Nordland”, как вы наверняка помните – это финальная дилогия Куортона Сета, и проект с таким названием просто не имеет играть что-либо иное, кроме эпического викинг-блэка. “European Paganism” в этом плане оправдывает все ожидания – он действительно содержит немало музыкальных параллелей с Bathory, да и не только музыкальных: Ворх, как и Куортон, сам играет на всех инструментах. Впрочем, на альбоме (кстати, уже четвертом у Nordland) нетрудно услышать влияния и норвежского блэка первой волны, а именно, Emperor и Isengard, вот только чистого голоса здесь нет совсем. Зато есть прямо-таки неслыханная масштабность: на 42-минутном “European Paganism” всего три трека, и первый из них идет целых 27 минут! Данное обстоятельство позволило издателям провести параллели аж с Van Der Graaf Generator, хотя, по большому счету, роднят две эти группы всего два обстоятельства – английское происхождение и нежелание четко структурировать свои эпики. Впрочем, именно благодаря ссылкам на прогрессив-рок 70-х в пресс-релизе я и обратил внимание на Nordland, о чем впоследствии совершенно не пожалел. Несмотря на довольно узкое «поле для маневра», выбранное для себя Ворхом, ему удается избегать монотонности материала, грамотно «играя» темпами и настроениями, а знание английского как родного языка позволяет писать о язычестве грамотно, красиво и во внушающих уважение объемах, на что способны себе мало кто из «не-нэйтивов». Кроме того, все в порядке здесь и с качеством записи – пусть это не продукт профессиональной студии, но и не совершеннейшая сырость и сумбур, как у еще одного недавно отрецензированного мной единоличного викинг-блэкового проекта Annulond. Даже весьма скромный буклет в два листочка не смотрится убого – в него поместились и все тексты песен, и тематические картинки, и мрачный лик самого Ворха (запечатленный, естественно, на фоне леса). Можно, конечно, посетовать на нехватку оригинальности, но, насколько я понял, она у Nordland и не планировалась. “European Paganism” - это просто очередной способ на 40 минут сбежать от реальности в тот прекрасный мир, где верность своим идеалам не кажется мифом, а взаимопонимание с живой природой – дело простое и естественное. Суровая, но не лишенная атмосферы и красоты музыка. Максимум язычества при минимуме фольклора.
http://headbanger.ru/reviews/album-4250
В начале второй декады 21-го века, на северо - востоке Англии, был зарождён проект, носящий гордое название Nordland. Сей one man band, под руководством мистера Ворха, за столь непродолжительный промежуток времени уже успел обзавестись одним мини альбомом и четырьмя полноформатными, последний из которых и попал ко мне на обозрение.
Всецело соответствуя своему названию, Nordland исполняет холодный языческий блэк метал в лучших традициях скандинавской школы. И это в принципе не удивительно, ведь в своё время территории северо - восточной Англии часто подвергались нападению викингов и даже некоторое время принадлежали Датскому королевству, ввиду чего население переняло часть культуры норманнов. Возможно, этот фактор, а, возможно, и схожие суровые климатические условия располагают автора к написанию такого рода блэк метала, и скажу я вам, что у него это получается чертовски здорово!
Альбом содержит всего три трека, но на целых 42 минуты, за которые успеваешь попасть и полностью погрузиться в атмосферу древней Англии, в те времена, когда на территории современной Европы началась насильственная христианизация. Так вот, все три композиции связаны этой концепцией, и в моем сознании я четко себе представил, как группа угнетаемых и гонимых язычников под покровом ночи тайно совершает восхождение в гору (первый трек The Mountain), рассуждая о величии своих предков, об их доблести и о силе своих богов. Вспоминая о том, как были разрушены их святилища и сожжены идолы (второй трек A Burning of Idols), и все это восхождение проделано ими, чтоб совершить свой свяшенный обряд на заре (третий трек Rites at Dawn). Музыкально же все это заключено в по большей части среднетемповый блэк метал, местами переходящий в галоп для большего акцентирования моментов воспоминаний о яростных сражениях, и зверствах "добрых" христиан. Причем большим плюсом считаю довольно не тривиальное построение композиций, полностью вовлекающее слушателя в происходящее, добавьте сюда по-северному холодный мелодизм и плотное звучание, и вы получите примерное представление об альбоме. И да, те, кто надеются услышать в этом pagan black metal традиционные для pagan стиля какие-либо свистоперделки или какие-либо хороводные песнопения, можете сразу проходить мимо, здесь ничего такого и в помине нет, исключительно суровый блэк, весь паганизм здесь заключается в лирике и идеологии автора.
http://metalheads.by/en/review/nordland-european-paganism.html
...Lifeless, still, dead ... - A Burning Of Idols
It`s already fourth album from this North East England project of Vorh who deals with music from the scratch. European Paganism is a 3 songs full length album but total time is over 40 minutes long and includes The Mountain song which is even 27 minutes long. However I do not get bored by that and can easily sleep at night after dose of such great black metal music which this album has opened for me. I would never know that it was one man band if I did not check album details because this one sound surprisingly good. Almost as regular as band with more members in. With all due respect to the sound of Nordland which is really good, even beyond expectation, the music follows the trails of European black metal, but in possibly best manner.
...Wrapped In Skin From Beast Of Woid, Given Knowledge, Sacred, Old... - Rites At Dawn
Vorh pumped this album with rivers of evil riffs and hateful sounding vocals but lyrically he sticks to nature, fantasy and paganism. He tunes a sound in tradition of Norwegian or Swedish black metal. However, I do not even know if nowadays there is a talk about specific Scandinavian sound anymore, since the entire world has been doing it for decades now. It`s not that important I guess...If you like Immortal albums from era of Pure Holocaust and Battles In The North then Nordland is a band for you. Maybe European Paganism is not as catchy as music of Norwegians but has more elements of epic glory, instead.
Vorh, once he explores one music idea with no rush to change, jumps onto another one so the songs are diverse and he always strikes with some sharp, new riffs. Vocals have this triumphant black metal rasp and since thousands of people die for it in black metal, I have no reason to think otherwise about Vorh`s memorable vocal performances in the album. I do not know previous releases of Nordland yet but European Paganism has all signs of maturity in every aspect. I am glad I have met this band`s black metal music ferocity and few calmer, epic moments in my way.
When you name your album “European Paganism” I expect it to be a really magnificent and epic metal journey. I wouldn’t mind of this UK band carried on the torch that Bathory left burning when Quorthon passed on. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like NORDLAND does that. Oh well, perhaps the next pagan/black metal band I encounter will do so. Musically this reminds me of… I don’t really know. Somehow I expected this to be more epic and grander than it is. In a way it does remind of Satyricon of today playing the black metal of yesteryears. It has that groove to it. I am not gonna say that this sucks because it doesn’t. it was just not what I had hoped for. Listening to it after I have reset my mind frame I find myself enjoying it. This a really good album.
http://battlehelm.com/reviews/nordland-european-paganism/
Engelsman Vorh is er weer met Nordland. IJskoude Noorse fjorden black metal maar dan vanaf de grauwe regenachtige Engelse moors. ‘European Paganism’ begint meteen ambitieus met ‘The Mountain’ dat zomaar 27 minuten duurt. Hier laat Vorh horen dat hij de kunst verstaat een nummer op te bouwen en over de volle lengte interessant te houden. Voorwaar een prestatie met dit soort black metal. Het navolgende ‘A Burning Of Idols’ en ‘Rites Of Dawn’ hebben normalere speelduren met respectievelijk negen en zes minuten. Het luistert allemaal lekker weg en klinkt allemaal vrij helder. De rustige passages komen daardoor goed uit de verf. Niets wereldschokkends, maar wel goed gedaan.
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/reviews/view/id/35927
Nordland aus dem schönen Nordosten Englands legte kürzlich das 4. Album in seiner 6-jährigen Karriere vor. Dabei setzte das Ein-Mann-Projekt seit jeher auf Songs in Überlänge, die auch gerne mal die 10-Minuten-Marke knacken. Diesmal setzt Vorh allerdings noch einen drauf, denn der erste der 3 Songs („The Mountain„) belegt fast 3/4 der Albumlänge und damit stattliche 27 Minuten.
Was Nordland seit jeher auszeichnet ist kühle, fast frostige Herangehensweise und der kantige, aber nicht übertrieben rohe Sound, sowie der nichtsdestotrotz epische Charakter der Songs. So gelingt es dann auch mit viel Variation den 27-minüter über die ganze Länge hinweg spannend und abwechslungsreich zu halten ohne auf ewige Ambient-Parts oder sonstige Lückenfüller zurückgreifen zu müssen. Pause gönnt sich Vorh nur selten und wenn, dann erholt er sich kurz in gediegener Härte mit seichten Gitarrenmelodien und sanftem Drumming, dass dem Ganzen etwas Melancholie mit auf den Weg gibt ohne das Album zu wohlig klingen zu lassen. Ansonsten gibt es fast durchgängig großartigen Black Metal an der Grenze zum Viking Metal und einigen Pagan-Versatzstücken. Roh und kühl, dabei episch und aggressiv zugleich setzt Nordland immer wieder Akzente und hält das Ganze durch immer wieder ins Progressive abdriftende Songwriting spannend und interessant. Das wirkt immer organisch und fügt sich alles nahtlos zusammen wodurch das Album mit seinen furiosen Riffs, den steten Tempo-Wechseln und Blast-Attacken rund und durchdacht wirkt. Dazu gesellen sich noch frostiges Keifen, das auch mal Mehrstimmig sein kann und nährt so den kühlen und harschen Charakter der Songs.
Mit „European Paganism“ dürfte Nordland das bisher ausgereifteste Machwerk seiner Karriere vorgelegt haben, denn mit seinem gleichsam kühlen, harschen, komplexen und doch zugänglichen Sound bietet das Werk ein rundum stimmiges Gesamtwerk irgendwo zwischen Black und Viking Metal, das in so ziemlich allen Belangen überzeugen kann.
https://metalviewer.wordpress.com/2017/12/13/nordland-european-paganism/
This is already the fourth long play by NORDLAND, a one-man Black Metal horde, which hails from North East England. "European Paganism" divides into three parts. The twenty seven and half minutes long "The Mountain" opens the album. This song is by far the most varied and versatile on the CD. You can find there almost everything that made the Black Metal genre great. I mean all the traditional components and even a big dose of ambientish atmosphere. The generally calmly acting riffs weren't bothered even with the here and there appearing blast-beat parts. Vorh (all instruments & vocals) precisely structured this song and if I had to go into details then I would say he excellently spices some kind of ENSLAVED, SATYRICON, IMMORTAL blend with the atmospheric vibe of HYPOCRISY. The second tune lasts almost 9 minutes and it has the title of "A Burning of Idols". Musically, it comes with the same Nordic key as its predecessor; the feel of SATYRICON is pretty evident there. The lyrics are filled with passion to paganism and hate to christianity. The album ends with the epic "Rites at Dawn". It mostly builds upon marching middle tempos with rather harsh vocalizing, although some blasts are also presented there. Still it's a pretty calm song. As a whole this album is amazing and I only can recommend it for checking out
http://castrum.com.ua/encomium/5albums1.htm
Pochodzący z północnej Anglii Nordland (geneza nazwy chyba nasuwa się sama) jest kolejnym jednoosobowym projektem, jaki miałem przyjemność poznać ostatnimi czasy. Nie jest to twór nowy, gdyż powstał w 2010 roku, a w swojej dyskografii ma już cztery duże wydawnictwa, z których ostatnim jest European Paganism. Album ukazał się 25 marca tego roku nakładem niezmordowanej Satanath Records w kooperacji z More Hate Production.
European Paganism jest na swój sposób wyjątkowym wydawnictwem. Album trwa 42 minuty i składa się z zaledwie trzech utworów. Otwierający płytę The Mountain trwa aż 27 minut. Jest to monumentalna kompozycja, w której black metal przeplata się z dźwiękami inspirowanymi rockiem progresywnym z lat 70. Majestatyczny obraz tytułowej góry i mistyczny klimat kawałka budowany jest wyłącznie poprzez umiejętnie zaaranżowane gitary i partie perkusji. Chłodne black metalowe riffy poprzeplatane są melodyjnymi, epickimi solówkami. Zmienne tempo buduje w wyobraźni zarówno sceny mozolnej pielgrzymki na jakiś szczyt, jak i gwałtownego załamania pogody – prawie da się odczuć wiejący w oczy wiatr czy zacinający deszcz, by potem znaleźć się na w trakcie odbywającego się rytuału na rzeczonej górze. Kolejny utwór A Burning Idols jest muzyczną kontynuacją poprzedniego, chociaż trwa „zaledwie” 9 minut. Ponownie szybsze partie przerywane są wolniejszymi fragmentami i wplecionymi pomiędzy nie nastrojowymi solówkami. Na podobnych patentach opiera się zamykający płytę Rites At Dawn. To podobieństwo w konstrukcji utworów nie dziwi, ponieważ ten album jest tworem koncepcyjnym, obracającym się wokół pogańskich tradycji Europy, i mającym przypomnieć o zapomnianych duchach kontynentu.
Przyznam się, że widząc adnotacje pod tytułem pogański black metal, podchodziłem do European Paganism z pewną rezerwą. Tymczasem propozycja Nordland pozytywnie mnie zaskoczyła. W dobry nastrój wprowadził mnie już początek The Mountain, w którym słychać wpływy Bathory. Podobają mi się harmonijne, dźwięczne riffy skomponowane przez Vorha oraz fakt, że cały klimat jest zbudowany bez zagrania ani jednego dźwięku na klawiszach.
http://kvlt.pl/recenzje/nordland-european-paganism-2017/
I Nordland si formano in Inghilterra del 2011 ed a capo di questa one man band troviamo il polistrumentista “Vorh”. Nel 2012 debutta con album omonimo e nello stesso anno esce un ep “Bones of Ash”. Nel 2013 esce un secondo album: “The True Cult of the Earth”, due anni dopo esce “Songs of Regression”. Nel 2017 esce il loro ultimo album “European Paganism” dove fra le tematiche del progetto vi è addirittura la misantropia. Decente album di “modern black metal” con qualche sfumatura “atmospheric ambient” le sonorità e la velocità sono medio basse e lo “screaming” molto pulito e raffinato. L’album è composto da solo tre tracce e la durata è di 42 minuti e 5 secondi L’artwork è a sfumature di blu e nero ed in alto centrale in nero troviamo il logo in alto su delle cime di montagne innevate mentre in primo piano vediamo dei teschi. L’Album si apre con la canzone più lunga dell’album con durata 27 minuti e 22 secondi: “The Mountain”. L’ intro è un arpeggio di chitarra con un sottofondo di pioggia durante un temporale, mentre poco dopo entra la voce del cantante con il resto degli strumenti ed il temporale di dirada. Per poco sentiamo solo la chitarra e poi di nuovo tutti insieme gli strumenti. L’ ascoltatore viene trasportato in un in un’atmosfera lugubre. La voce del cantante è registrata in un modo che passi in primo piano. Presenta poi un aumento sostanziale di velocità e la voce, anche se ben mixata, si sente molto meglio ad un volume molto presente, mentre gli altri strumenti presentano un rallentamento appena accennato e poi un aumento sostanziale che portano a chi ascolta a confusione e poi all’ immagginarsi un’ambientazione di una montagna dove si nascondono dei segreti. Un bridge appena accennato ed i cambi di tempo da “mid time“ da un ritmo veloce a dei rallentamenti eccessivi non fanno capire nulla chi ascolta. Un assolo ben suonato e tecnicamente ben eseguito alla perfezione, quasi a chitarra pulita. Un rallentamento repentino che porta all’arpeggio iniziale; sembra la sensazione di quiete dopo una tempesta, ma la pace dura solo un attimo e la batteria con gli altri strumenti entrano a una velocità media per poi aumentare. Infine troviamo un altro assolo di chitarra mentre la batteria martella. La canzone prosegue lineare con rallentamenti ed accelerazioni. A lungo andare la canzone risulta monotona e sempre uguale a sé stessa; nemmeno l’assolo finale fa aumentare l’interesse; la canzone non riesce più ad uscire dalle atmosfere che richiamavano la montagna e i suoi paesaggi; si prosegue con “A Burning of Idols”. L’intro come di cantilena, quasi una preghiera, muore subito ed entrano subito tutti gli strumenti con la voce a un ritmo medio alto, un’ accelerazione improvvisa aumenta le atmosfere lugubri e la batteria martella ad un ritmo medio alto. Un assolo spezza il ritmo monotono fatto di rallentamenti ed accelerazioni, ma l’ ascoltatore è annoiato dalla canzone e non riesce più a percepire l’epicità che la canzone vorrebbe trasmettere. La canzone prosegue quindi con il solito schema. Un aumento sostanziale di velocità lo troviamo solo verso il finale.
L’album si chiude con “Rites at Dawn”, la canzone più corta, che con il suoi 5 minuti e 57 secondi (con intro cortissima con il campionamento della pioggia mentre entrano tutti insieme gli strumenti e voce in “scream”) potente e mixato benissimo con stesso songwriting delle tracce precedenti, con rallentamenti ed accelerazioni presenti qui come in tutte le canzoni dell’album. La canzone che risulta più scorrevole rispetto alle tracce precedenti,con l’ascoltatore che viene trasportato delle atmosfere della band in un finale lineare e semplice. Album con alcune idee interessanti ma, purtroppo, quello che rimane dopo averlo ascoltato è solo monotonia e noia. Le poche idee che ci sono vengono spazzate via dal minutaggio troppo lungo dell’ opener e le atmosfere vengono soppiantate dalla noia. Le registrazioni sono perfette e personalmente troppo pulite per il genere che propongono. Se fossero state ideate ed arrangiate differentemente sarebbe stato meglio.
Lo consiglio agli amanti del genere ed a chi si vuole avvicinare a questo genere estremo.
https://www.insane-voices-labirynth.it/satanath-records/recensioni/nordland/
Se seguite da tempo Aristocrazia, posso supporre che il nome Nordland vi sia quanto meno familiare, del resto il progetto dell'inglese Vorh è già apparso per ben tre volte sulle nostre pagine. "Nordland", "The True Cult Of The Earth" e "Songs Of Regression" erano buonissimi lavori di black metal dalla natura pagana, essenza che contraddistingue anche l'ultima opera "European Paganism", pubblicata nel 2017.
Rispetto al passato non è cambiato nulla di particolare. Se da un lato la scaletta ha assunto dimensioni ridotte per numero di tracce e minutaggio (tre canzoni per poco più di quaranta minuti), dall'altro le influenze, le sonorità, le atmosfere e le tematiche affrontate continuano a battere il sentiero che le precedenti uscite avevano modellato e reso sicuro.
L'astio millenario riversato nei confronti delle religioni monoteiste, Cristianesimo su tutte, muove i passi di un lavoro che affonda le proprie radici nell'espressione atavica dell'Uomo che ne rifiuta la corruzione e non vuole essere vittima dell'imposizione del credo, che si ribella e non vuole piegarsi, affidandosi alla Natura. Tale pensiero viene esplicato in maniera passionale, scura e novantiana nell'episodio maestro intitolato "The Mountain": ventidue minuti di black metal nei quali si alternano frangenti grezzi e primordiali con altri incentrati su atmosfere folk ed epiche, non venendo mai a mancare un tratto ancestrale genuino. Il pezzo in sé rappresenta in pratica l'unico vero e proprio scoglio da affrontare, data la sua lunghezza e la non originalità della proposta — che poi cercare originalità a ogni costo mi sembra decisamente stupido e senza senso, specialmente nei riguardi di certe pubblicazioni — le quali potrebbero incidere su un ascolto che per il resto si rivela invece decisamente fluido.
La bravura di Vorh risiede nell'evitare la staticità e di cadere nella trappola della ripetitività. Le più brevi canzoni successive, "A Burning Of Idols" e "Rites At Dawn", infondono e accrescono infine la solidità di una prova certamente rispettosa dei canoni del genere ma dal vissuto e dalle pulsioni genuine.
A parere del sottoscritto, "European Paganism" non è né il disco più ispirato né il più affascinante fra quelli rilasciati da Nordland, ma è sicuramente un tassello che va a consolidare la buona discografia del gruppo, cui possiamo recrimininare poco o nulla. Ormai Vorh non è più una sorpresa ma una conclamata realtà, perciò dovreste prestargli la dovuta attenzione.
http://www.aristocraziawebzine.com/recensioni/9056-nordland-european-paganism
Jak przystało na koniec marca, mamy za oknem zimny, szary i brudny listopad. Poczerniały od dymu z węglowych pieców śnieg rozpuszcza się z pomocą deszczu zmieszanego z takim samym dymem. Aura taka nie sprzyja ogólnie dobremu samopoczuciu, jednak kiedy słyszę album który swoim brzmieniem budzi w człowieku podobne emocje, pozwala odczuć chłód, niechęć do otaczającego świata, podkreśla i wydobywa jego brzydotę, to wiem, że mam do czynienia z dobrą muzyką. Te kilka zdań wstępu, mogłoby sugerować, że chodzi o Odrazę, ale nie, chodzi o zespół, a dokładniej o solowy projekt o nazwie Nordland, wywodzący się z Anglii.
Album pt. „European Paganism” został wydany w tamtym roku, sam projekt do momentu wysłuchania tej płyty był dla mnie kompletnie nieznany, no i muszę przyznać, że jestem bardzo pozytywnie zaskoczony tym wydawnictwem. Na płycie mamy do czynienia z black metalem, do którego można doczepić łatkę pt. ”pagan”, ale na szczęście nie w znaczeniu grania na jakichś fujarkach i klawiszach przy ognisku w lesie, tylko o chłodnym, surowym brzmieniu, spod znaku Bathory czy też starszych albumów Enslaved. Płyta trwa trochę ponad 40 minut, w jej skład wchodzą zaledwie trzy utwory, przy czym pierwszy z nich ma aż 27 minut, ale mimo swojego czasu trwania nie nudzi. Osobiście nie przepadam za kawałkami dłuższymi niż 10 min, są oczywiście takie, które bardzo lubię, ale w wielu przypadkach takie rozciąganie muzyki w czasie wiążę się z przekombinowaniem, które prowadzi do znużenia. „The Mountain” o którym mowa, zmienia w trakcie wielokrotnie swoje tempo, zaczynając od spokojnego wstępu, dodając stopniowo kolejne elementy, gitarę, perkusję aż do przejścia we wściekły black metal, po czym następuje ponowne zwolnienie, gdzie pojawiają się progresywne elementy, które mogą się kojarzyć ze wspomnianym wcześniej Enslaved. Dwa pozostałe utwory „A Burning of Idols” i „Rites of Dawn”, podtrzymują klimat zaprezentowany nam przez pierwszy utwór, mając jednak bardziej jednolitą kompozycję, różniącą się jedynie wprowadzeniem prostych sampli w celu podkreślenia „pogańskiej” atmosfery. Słuchając ostatniego dzieła „Nordland” nie usłyszymy nic nowego, bardziej prawdopodobne, że będziemy non stop mieli skojarzenia z czymś co już wcześniej słyszeliśmy, ale w tym wypadku nie jest to nic złego. Nie twierdzę, ze Vorh, czyli koleś odpowiedzialny za „European Paganism”, oddaje tym albumem hołd klasykom gatunku, jednak swoją muzyką jasno pokazuje, jakie są jego muzyczne korzenie i inspiracje, ale też, że autentycznie „czuje” tę muzykę, a nie po prostu wybiera jaki gatunek ma prezentować, dzięki czemu zawdzięczamy naturalne i niewymuszone brzmienie. Podsumowując, jeśli ktoś chce posłuchać klimatycznego i klasycznego brzmienia black metalu na pogańską nutę z lat 90-tych, nie oczekując, że usłyszy coś nowego i zaskakującego, to powinien ten album sprawdzić, bo za tym projektem stoi gość, który ma masę talentu i zasługuję na większą uwagę.
http://limiter.com.pl/nordland-european-paganism-2017/
Angielski black metal. Czwarty długograj jednoosobowego projektu z Wysp. Trzy utwory, przy czym pierwszy liczy sobie dwadzieścia siedem minut (cały materiał trwa czterdzieści dwie). Muzycznie na bardzo przyzwoitym poziomie, ciekawe melodie, zmiany tempa, sporo mocy i wyraźne, dość klarowne brzmienie. Lirycznie wszystko poświęcone jest pogaństwu, na co wskazuje już sam tytuł płyty. Nie znajdziecie tu wojny, zniszczenia i nienawiści dźwiękowej, jest to raczej rzecz utrzymana w średnich prędkościach i nastawiona na czytelny przekaz. Trochę niepotrzebnie tak długi jest pierwszy utwór, bo dwa następne wydają się być tylko i wyłącznie jego uzupełnieniem lub dwoma odciętymi w studio częściami. Konkludując - warto się zapoznać, bo Nordland to kolejny twór z Wysp, który udowadnia, że black metal jest tam obecny i trzyma poziom.
https://www.facebook.com/przyszloscprzeszlosci/posts/1982847651931130
Nuevamente una banda de un solo integrante haciendo black metal. En este caso es el inglés Vohr el encargado de todo lo que fluye por los parlantes, en su quinto trabajo desde su formación en 2011.
“European Paganism” es un álbum de solo tres canciones pero que redunda en más de 40 minutos, pues “The Mountain” supera los 27 minutos de duración. Curiosamente, semejante extensión no aburre sino todo lo contrario, pues conforme a las letras orientadas a la naturaleza, la fantasía y el paganismo, Nordland evoca el sonido de la tradición del black metal escandinavo, sumándole un aura viking que lo hace sonar más épico aun.
Riffs gélidos, atmósferas de raíces idólatras y una saludable idea de rendir homenaje a los grandes del estilo. El maestro Quorthon duerme tranquilo que su legado está bien representado.
https://rockarollazine.blogspot.com/2018/08/nordland-european-paganism-2017.html
This release contains only three tracks but it can catche you and throw into vortex of Past and Heathendom. The first track “The Mountain” lasts for almost half of an hour. Starting from the light semi-acoustic guitar it becomes heavier and more fierce until becomes a Black metal blasting. But it doesn’t mean that you will listen only blasting. The track and the whole release are very variable, with interesting and unexpected melodic and rhythmic changes. So all three tracks hold you till the end and make to push “repeat” again. Awesome release, recommended to all fans of Pagan Art and simply good metal.
https://thelegionoftchortzine.blogspot.com/2018/08/nordland-uk.html
...Lifeless, still, dead ... - A Burning Of Idols
It`s already fourth album from this North East England project of Vorh who deals with music from the scratch. European Paganism is a 3 songs full length album but total time is over 40 minutes long and includes The Mountain song which is even 27 minutes long. However I do not get bored by that and can easily sleep at night after dose of such great black metal music which this album has opened for me. I would never know that it was one man band if I did not check album details because this one sound surprisingly good. Almost as regular as band with more members in. With all due respect to the sound of Nordland which is really good, even beyond expectation, the music follows the trails of European black metal, but in possibly best manner.
...Wrapped In Skin From Beast Of Woid, Given Knowledge, Sacred, Old... - Rites At Dawn
Vorh pumped this album with rivers of evil riffs and hateful sounding vocals but lyrically he sticks to nature, fantasy and paganism. He tunes a sound in tradition of Norwegian or Swedish black metal. However, I do not even know if nowadays there is a talk about specific Scandinavian sound anymore, since the entire world has been doing it for decades now. It`s not that important I guess...If you like Immortal albums from era of Pure Holocaust and Battles In The North then Nordland is a band for you. Maybe European Paganism is not as catchy as music of Norwegians but has more elements of epic glory, instead.
Vorh, once he explores one music idea with no rush to change, jumps onto another one so the songs are diverse and he always strikes with some sharp, new riffs. Vocals have this triumphant black metal rasp and since thousands of people die for it in black metal, I have no reason to think otherwise about Vorh`s memorable vocal performances in the album. I do not know previous releases of Nordland yet but European Paganism has all signs of maturity in every aspect. I am glad I have met this band`s black metal music ferocity and few calmer, epic moments in my way.