Konsortium, The: Rogaland

It’s been seven years since The Konsortium first appeared as a masked and mysterious Norwegian metal band. With their latest album, the band members reveal their faces, but they are secretly hoping you won’t look too closely at them. Instead, they want to focus your attention on nature, particularly the ways we can learn to appreciate its cold, wild, and untamed qualities.

For those who love black metal, such an approach will not seem surprising. Dozens of black metal bands have drawn inspiration from the cold. What sets The Konsortium apart was the ways they explored Rogaland’s variety, its mountains, forests, and shores. These various qualities show up in surprising ways, including folk-inspired melodies, natural sounds, and noise that reflects the boundlessness of nature. It also means the bleak and grim soundscapes of black metal and the fierce, unrelenting, power of thrash. To capture their various inspirations, the band wrote the lyrics (and recorded the vocals) on site.

There’s no denying this is an ambitious album. It is framed by a short opening and closing track that suggest the mystery and majesty of what’s to come. Things really kick off with “Skogen,� one of the most urgent and surprising tracks on the album. Another highlight is “Stormen,� a powerhouse track that shows off the band’s interest in drama and strength. “Stormen� rages in all the right ways and leaves listeners running for cover. The rest of the album is not quite as relentless but there’s no denying this band’s punch and groove.

For those who are wondering, The Konsortium is F. G. Gugelli (vocals, guitars), Teloch (bass), and Dirge Rep (drums). Joining them on this album are T. Jacobsen and B. Waldejer, both of whom provide extra guitars.

Track Listing:
1. Innferd
2. Skogen
3. Fjella
4. Stormen
5. Hausten
6. Arv
7. Havet
8. Utferd

Added: July 5th 2018
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 973
Language: english

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