VM-UNDERGROUND

Extreme Metal Fanzine est. 2012

Latest Updates

Filter by: band
[%] - [[0-9]] - [A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - [H] - [I] - [J] - [K] - [L] - [M] - [N] - [O] - [P] - [Q] - [R] - [S] - [T] - [U] - [V] - [W] - [X] - [Y] - [Z]
Filter by: label
[[0-9]] - [A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - [H] - [I] - [J] - [K] - [L] - [M] - [N] - [O] - [P] - [Q] - [R] - [S] - [T] - [U] - [V] - [W] - [X] - [Y] - [Z]
Filter by: style
[A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - [H] - [I] - [M] - [P] - [S] - [T] - [V]
Filter by: country
[A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - [I] - [L] - [M] - [N] - [P] - [R] - [S] - [T] - [U]
Filter by: vmu-author
[A] - [B] - [C] - [D] - [E] - [F] - [G] - [H] - [I] - [J] - [K] - [L] - [M] - [N] - [O] - [P] - [R] - [S] - [T] - [V] - [W] - [X] - [Y] - [Z]

Bloodthorn – Natteskyggen [Demo / Re-Release]

bloodthorn – natteskyggen [demo / re-release]

Info

While the current Black Metal scene from Trondheim is still drawing firm attention, the Norwegian city has an equally interesting and to some extent influential past. To commemorate that contribution to second wave Black Metal, 2024 saw the re-release of two demos that were fundamental to that scene: the ‘Trøndertun’ demo tape by Thorns, and the ‘Natteskyggen’ demo by Bloodthorn.

There should be no doubt of the influence of Thorns and main man Snorre Ruch on the development of Norwegian Black Metal. However, the influence of Bloodthorn might be a bit more modest. Formed in 1992, the band didn’t release anything until 1996. Their debut album ‘In the Shadows of Your Black Wings’ 1997, the ‘War Vol. I’ split with …and Oceans 1998 and ‘Onwards Into Battle’ 1999 (all released on Season of Mist) all gathered interest and are considered cherished treasure in the eyes of some, but the band rarely comes up in the conversation of most influential bands or classic albums from the movement. As the band developed, slowly their melodic and symphonic Black Metal sound made way for Death Metal, until ultimately the plug was pulled and the band ended in 2011.

With the re-release of ‘Natteskyggen’, GoatowaRex transports us back to 1996 to the very first release by Bloodthorn. At the time the band featured only vocalist Krell, these days better known as K.R. of Whoredom Rife, and Tom “Tommen” Johansen on guitars. The drums on the release are entirely programmed. On the demo we find back two tracks, the title track and ‘March to War’, which also found its way in a re-recorded version on the debut ‘In the Shadows of Your Black Wings’. It comes as no surprise that the demo version is largely the same as the recording that appeared on the album. At that time, Bloodthorn stood for midtempo Black Metal with strumming melodies and symphonic elements. What distinguishes the demo is mostly the production, giving the demo recordings quite a different character.

With the programmed drums and rawer guitar sound, the material on ‘Natteskyggen’ lacks the doomy and dreamy sound of the debut album and instead presents a more mechanic and darker version of the band. This is evident in ‘March to War’, where the guitars are grittier and thus the synthesizers become a little bit more obscured than on the album version, but even more so on the song ‘Natteskyggen’. With again that dragging midpaced approach of the monotonous sinister tremolo riffs and haunting keyboards, the sliding tonality of the riffs is splendidly skincrawling. As such, these earliest recordings lean closer towards the likes of early Burzum and Thorns than the more symphonic sound of the first two Bloodthorn records. With it, the atmosphere draws closer to what the Trondheim Black Metal bands of the mid 2000’s and beyond adhere to these days. Thus, this demo seems like one of those examples of a release that may not have greatly impacted Norwegian Black Metal as a whole, but in the end was part of the fuel that led local scenes to blossom into an international phenomenon. And if anything, it’s some deserved recognition for Bloodthorn, as ‘Natteskyggen’ more than deserves to be brought under the attention of those that weren’t there when it was originally released.