Nifelheim

Nifelheim is one of the top bands when it comes to chaos, slaughter of harmony and rotten musicianship. What we've got here is some Old School Black Metal that is uncompromisingly aggressive, one of those works that forever remain in the imagination of the most extreme fans. Time passes for everyone but not for this album, and many of us remember it in a special way since it was definitely one of those albums that redefined the most extreme metal for the next two decades.

Almost three decades ago, a hitherto unknown Swedish band formed by the brothers Erick and Per Gustavsson, fervent followers of the sounds of early Bathory, Venom, Sodom, among others, gave life to one of the most blasphemous, dirty, and bestial entities of the scene, like Dr. Frankenstein doing a metallic experiment. Perhaps without noticing it, they were creating what for many is the first black/thrash metal album ever, so a subgenre was born, or at least was taking its first steps.

Nifelheim is more chaotic and rawer than Bathory's early material in both the musical and lyrical aspects, also much more primitive and militant. Though "Possessed By Evil" and "Sodomizer" show glimpses of some excellent thrash metal, the album in general is built up of old school noise that is bringing the Bathory legacy one more step down into chaos. They never drift into other approaches to music and maintain the noisy old school style from the very beginning right to the end.

This self-titled is the hatching of the union of two worlds, two very powerful movements within metal: the violence and viscerality of thrash metal combined with the darkness and blasphemy of black metal. Jon Nodtveidt helped on the guitars, so they demonstrated in just under half an hour how nine years after Slayer's Reign in Blood a little brother had emerged. This little brother resulted in a certain way a competitor as diabolical, irreverent, and sacrilegious because, at least to me and considering some distances, RIB was the album that came to mind when I heard this work for the first time.

Fast and grinding riffs are accompanied by powerful, insanely beating frenzied drums throughout the album. With the addition of screaming vocals, it stands as a monument of studio and concert hall demolition. Nifelheim is the 180 degrees opposite of Bewitched's refined sound and style and is there to satisfy more barbarian black metal tastes when they surface. This is a fundamental album from the nineties and one of the most important in extreme metal. It is the capital where many extreme bands come from. In the future they would consider these devilish Swedes their main influence, which would beat your ears with no mercy with other great stuff.

Originally written in October 2006. Rewritten in June 2022.

By 1995, black metal titans such as Mayhem, Burzum, and Dissection were making long, grandiose songs, trying to create deep, atmospheric sounds. So what road did a little Swedish band called Nifelheim take in the face of all this? They looked backwards, treading the path forged by '80s black metal pioneers like Bathory, Sarcofago, and Tormentor, as well as German thrash bands like Sodom, Kreator, and Destruction. Going by the example of their predecessors, Nifelheim honed their sound into a bludgeoning, no-frills chaotic attack.

This is ultimately an album that seems to pride itself on its simplicity. The guitar riffs tend to be frantic, almost punkish three chord thrashings, while the drums bash out drilling blast beats. Vocalist Pelle "Hellbutcher" Gustafsson shrieks like a rabid animal, making the lyrics completely indistinguishable, with the occasional exception of the title of the song being shouted during the chorus. And the band isn't shy about being a bit derivative, even of themselves! The chorus of "Storm of Satan's Fire" is the exact same as the chorus of "Satanic Sacrifice" (sensing a theme with the titles?) "Sodomizer" features a guitar lead swiped from "Black Curse." With any other band, this would seem lazy, but Nifelheim succeed in making it part of their charm.

Guitars on this record were contributed by Jon Nodtveidt and John Zwetsloot of Dissection, and while this album is certainly less intricate than any given Dissection album, they still get a chance to flex their guitar muscle, as it is the viciously simple riffs that form the backbone of the album, and are the primary focus. The riffs are front and center in the mix, and the guitar tone is sharp and biting, adding to the abrasive sound that the band aims for. The sense of melody that the guitarists demonstrated in Dissection is present here, as they layer dissonant single-note melodies over the top of their frantic riffing, that are both catchy and eerie at the same time. The guitar solos tend to be brief and chaotic, full of whammy dives and Slayer-esque shredding.

And in the midst of all the aggression, there are some moments that are just downright catchy and irresistible. The intro riff to "Satanic Sacrifice," sounding like a slightly sped up Candlemass riff, won't leave your head for days after listening. The chorus riff to "Sodomizer" is both driving and hooky, propelling the music along.

It can be said that Nifelheim as a band succeeds because they aren't afraid to be shamelessly primitive and derivative of bands that they admire. It works in their favor, and somehow they synthesized all of these influences to create something that is both a love letter to other bands, and a great, worthy document of black metal in its own right.

Who do you think of when you think of Swedish black metal? Many answers could be given to that question anywhere from Bathory, Dissection, or even Watain or Marduk. The year 1994, the release year of this beast of an album saw such legendary releases as De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas and Transylvanian Hunger. Nifelheim, a five piece black metal outfit hailing from Sweden were busy crafting some of the most high octane, entertaining and evil black metal in the underground at the time of such releases. Headed by the twin brothers, Tyrant and Hellbutcher, no one would think that these old guys with receding hairlines would be in such a vicious and ugly black metal act, were it not for their chains and leather, and over the top stage attire.

Despite their efforts, Nifelheim, a band rather highly respected deep in the black metal underground still never really got in the high ranks of many of the heavyweights of the time and still remain relatively unknown among many. Nifilheim, the self tiled debut of this incredible band shows the sheer strength and prowess of this mighty band and makes you scratch your head as to why they never quite made it to such ranks. The opening track The Devastation begins with gritty guitar feedback opening to raging blast beats over Hellbutcher's powerful and angry shrieks with vicious black metal melodies complimenting the mayhem. The remainder of the album continues in similar fashion and never lets up for a single minute. Most the other songs, while sounding similar are packed to the brim with haunting black metal melodies, vicious blasts and catchy but effective choruses. The vocals are some of the best and most vicious black metal vocals I've heard.

One thing that really separates this band from the pack though is the large range of influences present in the music. Although they belong to the second wave of black metal, lots of first wave influences can be heard, notably Venom and Bathory, particularly in the beginning drum rolls of Black Curse and Possessed By Evil and much of the drumming on the album. The band even notes Iron Maiden as a primary influence, especially in many of the melodies present. The band manages to mold these influences into their own craft flawlessly and manage to create a very engaging, chaotic, and devastating listen. Sodomizer, another highlight grabs for the throat right away, being one that will get stuck in your head for days and force you into a headbanging fury. The way the band molds melody with brutality and chaos proves that these underdogs deserve far more credit than they've been given and can easily hold their own or even surpass many of their more successful peers. Anyone looking for some old school, refreshing, and bad ass black metal should look no further. This beast of an album will satisfy even the deepest of black metal purists.

One of Sweden's most uncompromising necrocults, Nifelheim basically begin where Quorthon left off with his early Bathory albums, and then proceed to channel Hell directly into your lobes. Unconcerned with progression or technicalities, the brothers Tyrant and Hellbutcher write ugly, ghastly, beautiful anthems of Satanic aggression, loaded with more impaling hooks and spikes than even the band can fit on their lethal stage attire.

If you're looking for a perfect bridge between the raw, 80s speed of Bathory, Slayer, Venom, Destruction and Possessed and the new blackened consciousness of the Norse and Swedish scenes emerging in the 90s, look no further. In addition to Tyrant, Hellbutcher, and Demon, the lineup for this album also includes the two Jons from Dissection. The entire sound of this record is scratchy, fuzzy and grating...supremely hostile. Any of the 8 tracks would make a perfect soundtrack to a stabbing or grisly cult activity, from the grinding frenzy of "The Devastation" to the all out blitzkrieg of "Witchfuck". I can't vouch for ever song's fluid quality, there are 1-2 which take a backseat to the rest, but standouts include the lascivious pounding of "Storm of Satan's Fire", the charging "Black Curse", and the rocking, rollicking melodies of the devil driving "Sodomizer".

This is sadistic fare, a must for fans of the early Satanic Slaughter work or the first three records of Bathory, as the three share a similar dismissal for the more complex work that their peers like At the Gates were producing. Though persistent in its occult, violent vision, not every song on this debut is equally memorable. "Witchfuck" is cool, but not as memorable as the rest, and I only liked one part of "Unholy Death". As for the rest, sheer insanity.

Highlights: The Devastation, Storm of Satan's Fire, Black Curse, Sodomizer

-autothrall
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