Fortapt fra verden i vakkert selvmord

Before releasing his debut album of the same title in 2006, the mastermind behind Sorgsvart, the aptly named Sorg, released this gem of a demo. The release simply consists of what would end up constituting the Fortapt Fra Verden I Vakkert Selvmord LP with three additional and rather fun (albeit in a somewhat fatuous manner) songs tacked on, so it is not exactly what you would consider an ‘essential’ addition to your no doubt pristine metal collection, but it is still interesting to hear nonetheless.


The music found here is raw and ripping (oh yes, here be alliteration) black metal, fused with an at times not-so-subtle blend of folk and Viking metal. Melodic riffs, duelling guitar harmonies, cheesy synths and at times bouncy folk themes are the driving force behind the music, creating a strange mingled soundscape of beautiful Norwegian woodlands and a pissed off, yet incredibly proud, Viking marching through said woodlands. The combination of instruments and styles which Sorg uses manages to create a rather odd atmosphere, which is at times incredibly dark, hateful and menacing, while at others upbeat and hearty. Sorg also incorporates the constant use of simple palm-muted chords which pervade every song, sitting in the background and giving the music a powerful crunchiness which almost seems to prop up and propel the soaring melodies he seems so capable of creating.


With there being so many one man ‘bands’ infesting black metal today, in which many cases the sole member often lacks any semblance of talent, song-writing skills or the good sense to objectively view their work and realise their flaws, it comes as a pleasant surprise to find that Sorg is actually quite a talented musician in all departments. His guitar playing, while not top-notch, is extremely competent, and also quite creative, employing clever harmonies and changes which keep the music interesting. Also, the incorporation of well-crafted acoustic sections provides a great contrast from the raw, synth-heavy black metal; especially the outro to the absolutely gorgeous and towering 9:00 masterpiece Hagland (Mitt Land). The bass is basically inaudible for most of the album, but when it does peek its meagre head up from its smothered hide-out at the back of the production (case in point, the brilliant bass line from 7:30 to 8:30 in Skog Og Mark, En Frelse Fra Falskhet), it actually adds to the music by contributing yet another layer to the already thick texture drifting out of the speakers rather than just hovering in the background in a useless drone.


His drum work is nothing amazing, but is quite good, with the occasional creative flourish to keep the listener’s interest. Sorg’s vocals on the other hand, are an absolute standout. From his truly stirring clean vocals (which can honestly be described by that much maligned and overused word ‘epic’) to his chilling shrieks, Sorg is able to convey his feelings for his homeland and life-situation (around which his lyrics are written) brilliantly. The only aspect of the musicianship which could use some improvement is the synth work, which sometimes seems a little out of place and/or clumsy. However, this would be remedied on his recently released sophomore effort, Vikingtid og Anarki, along with a much improved drum performance.


The three songs which were excluded from the final version of this album are quite good in their own right; however it is quite easy to see why Sorg chose to drop them from what would end up being the debut. Entertainment is exactly what its name suggests. A fun, upbeat, punk-influenced entertainment extravaganza. Very bouncy guitars and a pervading overall sense of just celebrating the greatness of metal saturate this song, creating one of the highlights of the album for me. This song is just, plainly put, great fun to listen to, with an excellent solo of sorts towards the end. However, it just would not fit the overall feel of the album and it’s understandable that the man from Hagland felt the need to drop it. Kill the King is actually the most ‘Fortapt’ of these discarded songs, in that it does actually seem as if it could fit quite nicely into the end product. It has a similar feel to the other songs, and is actually an extremely good song in its own right. En Nasjon Står Ilag is the weakest out of these songs, simply for the fact that it takes the cheesiness of this album just a tad too far, what with the sounds of machineguns, explosions and whatnot sporadically sampled throughout.


Overall, this is an album that you need only get if you’re either a huge Sorgsvart fanboy (like me) or you’re interested in seeing Sorg’s earliest visions for his debut effort. I still prefer his unbelievably brilliant debut over this, but it is a fun listen occasionally, just to hear some of his earlier experiments. Really, this album is worth getting just for Entertainment, which is just so much fun you can’t help but enjoy yourself. Highly recommended.