Kostogher

Perhaps Archanum are not as famous as they deserve, while the instruments and vocals are done by a guy called Shamaatae and he's still creepily cool. In some songs he gives very interesting arrangements, with some folk touches as we can hear in the first or sixth song. Just because the album is riddled with distortion doesn't mean there isn't some melody here, like the one which starts off in the third song, though then those distorted screams come and fuck everything up. Don't get me wrong, for a black metal album, it isn't a little thing.

Some may present arguments against it. Some may say it's too long or maybe synthetic. The musician/group defines itself as absolutely chaotic, and for some fans of this style, under no circumstances can that be a good thing. But people like me understand this crazy style because you only have to spend a very uncaring childhood to imagine such calf slaughter on these notes and scales. On this album what is intended is to achieve darkness, but others will say this is a fucking nonsense as it's possible to be dark without putting those gibberish-like vocal lines, but to hell with that.

Meaningless and absurdly fast drums, far from totally detracting from any credibility, have the opposite effect. The reason why I do not give it 100% is that the drums would improve a lot. How? With decent blast beats that may accompany the tempo that the song asks for. The voice is another obvious thing that should be discussed here: that's not how to sing, that is UNRAVELING the viscera with a spork. I'm not going into the technical, because I'm totally unable to analyze how this guy managed to do the guttural lines, the only thing I could assume is that he hit his little toe.

The guitar riffs remind me not of the genre but of style. I have the impression of having heard those guitars several times, and the first name that comes to mind is Katatonia, yet I could be totally wrong. The disc lasts an hour distributed in twelve tracks, and with some exceptions (for the melodies or arrangements), it seems like a single divided track. I suppose the gentleman with the unpronounceable name will feel great about writing in old Swedish, a language that is on the decline already, so to speak. Singing in weird languages may not be something to write home about, but that doesn't add or detract from the album. Without going any further, Helloween have a song in Latin, and not to mention Therion as well.

Wonderful titles like “Oþer trulhøyghda” had to be a revelation, as well as a revelation in this endlessly explored genre. The truth is that the titles are in line with the technical complexity, and in this cut (in both senses) the thing is about surgical precision with all instruments working like scalpels. Probably the most technical song on the whole album. The stop-start games come with “Þæn sum fran griften gangar” and “Græmelse ok væ” which are summed up in rage and speed, sounding dirtier than technical this time. On the first one they connect with their past a bit, but they add technical pieces as we go along.

The length of the tracks shouldn't detract from their appeal, nor should repel you, but in technical terms I can see a beacon that will illuminate several later black metal bands. Instrumentals as good as “Gamall uvermark” have their grace, and I love the little detail of leaving those brutal moments to the appearance of clean guitars between the prevailing chaos of downbeats and gutturals. There are times when everything sounds like the guitars are looking for a way out of the dark labyrinth in an impossible way. The really brilliant thing about this work is treating it as if it were an anatomy class with the teachers detailing the sharp incisions that have to be made. Just as this work delves into the conceptual, we must also look for examples of how we can get rid of corpses or use leftover pieces properly in this particular genre.

“Kostogher” marked the return of the Shaman with the strange weapon who had made his first step with the pretty strong “Fran Marder” in 1995. The album with a playtime of more than 57 minutes did not reveal significant changes in style. Shamaatae left no doubt that he had already found his preferred approach on the debut and so “Kostogher” appears as the logical follow-up. Moreover, it scores with many positive details, not only its slightly harsher approach.

The drums are just a dull thumb, nut otherwise the production is powerful, direct and despite its clear aggressiveness also atmospheric. Therefore, "Gamall uvermark", a non-metallic intermezzo with plaintive female vocals, would not have been necessary. Positioned in the middle of the compositions, this piece robs the record of a few percent of its coherent flow and musically it is also a flop. (Incidentally, the track before the closer is also out of style, a relatively lame instrumental.) But I actually wanted to talk about the positive facets of this sophomore album. The guitars create an enormous density, the pace is often rough and the voice reflects pain, contempt for humanity and idiosyncrasy. Sometimes the one or other wonky vocal line appears, but that seems to be intentional and gives the work its own touch. From time to time, melodic guitar sounds emerge and transport a Scandinavian melancholy that is familiar to each of us who has ever survived in the forest far away from civilisation for at least three years at a stretch (so probably everyone of us...).

Shamaatae remains true to himself in every respect. Consequently, "Kostogher" is also less captivating with outstanding individual tracks, although of course more or less every song is absolutely worth listening to. What is decisive, however, is once anew the overall impression of the album, which again offers a rather personal form of Black Metal. Occasionally, influences from outside shimmer through: "Bedrøvelse" could also come from very early Darkthrone with a black coating. However, the endless, restless and massive guitar lines sound independent, pure and clearly defined. Sometimes, in the particularly unbridled moments, it seems as if the guitars want to overtake themselves. No doubt, this album has nothing in common with depressive, suicidal or any other form of rather defensive black metal.

A handful of guest vocalists and the occasional appearance of a violin support the artistic expressiveness of Arckanum which culminates in songs like the ardent “Yvir min diupe marder”. A rumbling thunder sounds sweet in comparison. And it can be stated, as with so many records, that the first half of the album (nostalgics speak of the A side) has the edge over the second section. Nevertheless, the whole album is fascinating, because it lives the spirit of its genre in every single second. The creative potential of the lone artist still had a lot to offer in 1997 and the journey that began with "Fran Marder" became increasingly exciting.

With Kostogher, Shamaatae decided to trade some of the fine tuned production values of his debut Fran Marder to create a primitive, caustic and aggressive atmosphere. The differences between the two albums are more of aesthetics than actual stylistic deviation, with a razor edged sheen to the guitars that hangs just below the constant, thundering double bass work, and vocals that feel more spastic and I daresay 'bratty', even if they use the same level of echo. From what I've read, this album was intentionally under-mixed, but having heard so many poorer sounds coming from the genre, it still remains level with the 90s works of bands like Marduk or Lord Belial.

What I don't actually appreciate so much upon the sophomore are the guitar riffs, which seem admittedly basic and predictable for the day. Fast and versatile enough to endure the rigors of boredom, but almost entirely incapable of hurling a surprise in the listener's direction. Very standard stuff, common to the Scandinavian third wave. There's more of a mournful melodic integration than the debut, especially in tunes like "Oþer Trulhøyghda" where a simple, sad line is cast over the rhythmic subtext, but neither are these moments any more memorable. The most compelling aspect of the album is in the contrast between the straight on raging black metal sequences and then the folksy, ambient departures like the intro, or "Gamall Uvermark"; or the surge of melancholic violin strings in several of the bridges. Overall, though, I think that it is perhaps "Bedrøvelse", the most melodic track on the album, which is the catchiest, though it does suffer from a sore thumb complex against the more meandering, aggressive environs.

Shamaatae's Burzum-like howlings are infused with more guest cleans this time around, as in the opener "Skoghens Minnen Vækks", but once again they don't add much other than the illusion of versatility. The riffs below the mesh are still methodical and bland, and they remain so for nearly the full hour of the record. The duration itself (almost an hour) also serves to work against it. In the end, Kostogher was a marginal letdown after the debut, but it's still a decent effort if you can forgive its lack of much subtlety for savagery. The debut was not only superior due to its Abyss Studio production, but the songs themselves seemed a better measure of the lyrical, Swedish mysticism and meditation that the creator is indulged with. There is just not that much interesting going on here, and the riffing patterns aren't evil or engaging enough on their own to fuel the fires of its velocity alone.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I was really blown away after listening to this one. I’ve been interested in Arckanum for quite a while so I’d been really looking forward to listen to Kosthoger!

So what can I say after listening to this masterpiece…
For starters, you’re not going to remember every track on the album after listening to it just once. There’s not really any standout track and the sound doesn’t change much throughout the album. However this is of little relevance since the production is excellent and all the instruments are played with great skill. The guitars have a sharp tone that blends well with the vocals.
Something I also appreciate is the violin, flirting with Swedish folk music. The fact that it’s not been programmed makes it even more interesting!

Instead of listening randomly to the tracks on Kostogher one should take the time to sit down and listen to it from the first track to the last. One of the best things with Kosthoger is that Shamaatae has managed to create a unity throughout the whole album! Shamaatae’s later creation Kampen takes the unity matter to another level, where the tracks are combined into four songs.

When speaking of Arckanum there’s one thing you can’t leave unspoken! The lyrics are among the best! Shamaatae writes the lyrics in “ancient Swedish”. Now I’m from Sweden and it took me more time to figure out the meaning of the lyrics than it took to listen to them.
If you do figure them out, then you’ve got some really interesting stuff to reflect over. The lyrical themes are really amazing!

After listening to this album a couple of times, I found these to be my favourite tracks:
Skoghens Minnen Vækks, Gamall Uvermark, Krii Til Dødha Doghi

This, Arckanum's second release, was the first one I really got into, and the one which convinced me to look further into Shaamatae's discography and eventually purchase the Full Moon Prod.-issued re-releases of his work! So, attempting to avoid all bias caused by this album's ability to make me further interested in his music, on with the review...

We start with some quiet sounds and chants before getting hit with some rather lo-fi and epic sounding black metal riffs. The album is noticeably quiet, but doesn't lack force because everything is mixed correctly in a relative sense. The idea of "space" is extremely well utilized in this recording; everything from Shaamatae's ice-cold vocals to odd nature/organic sounds, chants, and his excellent drumming (well, he WAS at one time Grotesque's drummer!) are all very much present.

To me, a lot of the tracks blend together, but this is a complement here. On other Arckanum works we see a definite feeling of singularity among tracks, where the end of one track will very seamlessly meld into the next one on the album, perhaps without the listener even noticing. This works well for Arckanum and I have no qualms with it; it's just that if you are looking for songs which stand out, it's hard for me to recommend them. Then again, some of the best albums in black metal have no real "standout" tracks, but rather the entire album is a phenomenal work which needs to be listened to on the whole as an artistic piece; THIS is one of those I hold in high regard.

Also, it's very impressive the amount of people who do guest vocals and other instruments on this. Shaamatae clearly has many connections in this kind of music and underground art, and the fact that despite this and his popularity in the underground, he can create such cascading works of winter solitude and forest-wandering ambiance is truly a phenomenon. His dedication to occult ritualistic music will never be erased. Long live Arckanum! I eagerly await LP 4!

I can not believe that this record is yet to be reviewed for the first time. This is one of the upmost perfected pieces of black metal to come out of Sweden. In my shy collection of some 300 CD's, this would be the one of extremely few I would give a 100% rating. Accually, I would like to give it 666%. This is not only one of my top 5 ever musical art, it's also one of the most important ones on many levels. Getting hold of this release in a time when the core my personality was in the act of taking it's final shape it changed and determined the entire state of my being.


Starting up with a rather short intro (compared to the seemingly endless intros of "Fran Marder" and "Kampen") it is declared in medival swedish that you are about to embark on a journey into the deep forgotten crypts of the primal forest kingdom, and that is exactly what you will do. Then it starts off with "Skoghens Minnen Vækks" ("The Memory of the Forest are Awakened"). Now it has begun, this midnight journey into the darkest, misty heart of the swedish primal forest. The atmosphere is so thick you could touch it. This release is not only heard with your ears, it's absorbed by your entire body, mind and soul. This record is so much black metal it's extreme, bordering to insane. You can accually smell the spruce and moss, and feel the night wind blow through your hair.


Shamaatae performes all instruments (except for some session strings and vocals) and he does it all with great skill, especially the drums which is his main instrument. ("I've played the drums since I learned how to walk" he told me in an interview I did many years ago). Being a one man act adds much to the value. This is one man and his vision and he will carry it out the way he wants to. Even mixing and mastering is more or less carried out by himself too.


Tempo is greatly varied throughout this album. Ranging from insane, destructive grind, to mid-paced classic black metal to slow, dead-ahead sessions that makes you fall into a near katatonic state of being, drifting into the consuming black vortex of sorrow. There is almost no rest for the double-pedal that keeps grinding all resistance to dust. Riffs are simple but genious in it's simplicity, staying close to the roots of black metal, much like DarkThrone's "Transylvanian Hunger". Vocals are just extreme. It's among the most inhuman and out of this world I have ever heard. It sounds sick, twisted and more like beast than man. Ever heard the barking of a roe deer? That is what it sounds like. Clean vocals, both male and female (performed by his stepmother!) comes in every now and performes a pretty odd (and at times totally off, almost false) type of singing that adds an even more strange feeling to it all. Strings are used at times to intensify the over-all massive atmosphere. Some samples and spoken lines also contributes to the epic feel of this trip into the unknown. Mixing is on an extremely low level wich might seem unnessecary, but it has it's point. It also makes the music sound more clandestine and mysterious. Lyrics are beautiful, all written in very old swedish (12th-13th century if I am not mistaken) and it takes time to figure out the meaning of it (I did my attemps to translate but it's a hard process and language and grammar becomes more and more cryptic for each release making "Fran Marder" somewhat easy to understand and "Kampen" and "Kaos Svarta Mar" almost impossible to understand without the proper universty education that Shamaatae possess.) This gives this release an unique presentation unheard of both before and after. Booklet and artwork is phenomenal, beautiful and perfectly fitting the concept of the music. Nothing synthetical such as synthesizers appears on this album which is brilliant but still pretty obvious (nothing would be more terrible).


Top moments of this record is up to one and each to identify, but to me "Gangar For Raþan Vinder" (I have no idea how to translate that) is the best piece, feturing three different vocalists all perforning with such intense, inhumane fury I've never heard anything like it. This track is just such absolute insanity it's impossible not to love it. Other outstanding tracks are "Bedrøvelse" ("Distress"), "Kri Til Dødha Daghi" ("A Cry to Kill the Day") and "Yvir Min Diupe Marder" ("Over My Deep Marder", "Marder" being the name of Shamaatae's forest kingdom). Also the utro sample is wonderful with distant thunder and what seems to be the breathing and silent moaning of some beast or forest creature.


This is black metal in it's most refined, genuine form. This is how all those poser-bands wish they could sound like, but they don't. I accually think that this is the way Burzum (no intentions label that act "poser") was supposed to sound like if only he had the same musical capabilities as Shamaatae.
I could go on forever telling you how perfect this recording is, but I have to draw the line at some point. If you still don't own this album, go get it. If you can't afford it, sell all your other albums, this is accually the only one you need. If this is not 100% pure black metal, nothing is.