Seven harmonies of unknown truths

Artist: Ildjarn

Genre: Black Metal

Origin: Norway

Year: 1992 (2003)

Label: Independent (Eisenwald)

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This was another piece I got from the visit to Helsinki recently, among a couple of other things that I might write about later on. 

I own very few records by Ildjarn, since I don't have a large collection anyway due to lack of determinism. The other album being a split with Hate Forest from 2013, I figured out later on that it's Nidhogg tracks not even recorded by him, so this is what I have from actually Ildjarn. 

Seven Harmonies of Unknown Truths has the second best release title after the monumental Strength and Anger, and it's one of the very first demos by the artist. Of course, I have the reissue by Eisenwald, which was officially licenced by Ildjarn so it's not a bootleg or something. 

The liner notes inform the listener that this was "originally released as a demo tape in 1992 by Ildjarn and sold exclusively at Helvete record store". Metal Archives says there were only 25 tapes too.

The CD's package is one of the most beautiful ones I have ever bought, it has amazing designs by Tern, a great poster drawing by Marthe, it's minimalistic and pitch black as it should. There are extra vocals by Samoth, let's see if you can pick them up.

This version of the demo has the structure of eight tracks and not seven as in the original demo, because the first has been split into two parts. There are also names other than "-" for them, basically being the version that can be found here.

I don't want to talk about its music so much because it is very meaningful, to do a whole article around all of his music, with a playlist of the best and worst tracks. Ildjarn had moments of greatness and mediocrity, but I consider this project a genius like no other in the Norwegian scene. If someone is the embodiment of what the genre is all about, it's him. His attitude towards the music and life is the actual real meaning of a word that is ridiculed by fans and not fans alike today, "true".

The back cover here has a whole text split in seven parts, probably referring to each track, and a story is told all together. I don't want to write passages from this to urge you to find this release and buy it, but there is a bone-chilling message that gives life to cliche words like misanthropy and hate for mankind. 

There has been many different facets of music in his discography, I believe his first steps do not depict the glory of later material. Most of Seven Harmonies of Unknown Truths is middle-paced and based on repetitive riffs, and that's enough.

Remember that very few artists have managed to create such a powerful atmosphere with a handful of notes only. I'm thanking this German label for putting this together and I hope more black metal was like this. Away from the spotlight for real, not sharing, isolated, cold, noisy, mesmerizing. 

A bigger series of posts might come for Ildjarn. I have parts of his music that I consider unreal, and others that don't deliver. A small part of the black metal community considers this the best black metal artist ever, and while I don't completely agree, I love it how he isn't mentioned in any major listings, articles etc...

Track listing:

1. Harmony I

2. Harmony II

3. Harmony III

4. Harmony IV

5. Harmony V

6. Harmony VI

7. Harmony VII

8. Death Dynamics

9. Harmony I (Remix)

10. Harmony II (Remix)

11. Harmony III (Remix)

12. Harmony IV (Remix)

13. Harmony V (Remix)

14. Harmony VI (Remix)

15. Harmony VII (Remix)

16. Death Dynamics (Remix)

Aristocracy of twilight

Artist: Blood Tyrant

Genre: Raw Black Metal

Origin: Netherlands

Year: 2016

Label: Iron Bonehead Productions

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There has been an uprising of raw black metal the last decade, and while the genre has some of its body parts into the mainstream, there are still dark corners where small closed groups maintain a cathartic approach to their music, constituting to what actually is the underground. 

This branch usually has a very simplistic, second wave black metal variety, often fusing punk elements and a rather dirty production that can easily go too far. The bands that don't play raw black / punk, often have dark ambient or dungeon synth elements, and lately I've come across zero fame demos from newcomer unknown bands that tread into noise as well.

There are a bunch of such artists from the United States, but some activity can be found in Denmark / Holland too. From the Netherlands come Blood Tyrant, a wonderful example an anti-popular and kick ass band that focuses around a concept and a mystery.

Aristocracy of Twilight is the only full length of this duet, but they have a few more releases that are all notable. This album is truly beautiful, and the way they present their thematics of blood and vampires, worships in an almost romantic way, the stripped down and as honest as can be side of black metal.

If you get your fix of black metal from well known labels, then it's possible an album like that will sound bad, but the ideas in it are amazing and its atmosphere dreamy. The instrumental parts, interludes and intro / outro, are exactly the kind of minimal dungeon synth / dark ambient that would fit is such a pure album.

It was a thrill to listen to excellent black metal tracks like "Engulfed by Purifying Flames" or "Barbaric Wampyrism".

Recently, I received a package I ordered which had the debut demo of the band from 2016, Night of Blood Moon. Aesthetically speaking, it is 100% what I ask for in a black metal album that doesn't aim to impress the whole of the musical world (there is nothing wrong with that anyway).

It is hand numbered, based on black and red and the best thing is how the CD is made to look like a vinyl record, with the characteristic circle lines on it, SIDE A and SIDE B notes, and of course, a lot of old English.

Other than that, their most recent release is a split with Departure Chandelier, another band of the same material by members of Akitsa & Ash Pool. Their debut coming out this month has kept me waiting eagerly.

You should check out Blood Tyrant, especially their first demo and full length. It proves the big gap that exists between the two borders of black metal, emphasizing how wide the style is after all.

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Listen to Night of Blood Moon

Listen to Aristocracy of Twilight