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Tragediens Trone > The Cold Depths of Solitude > Reviews
Tragediens Trone - The Cold Depths of Solitude

Are You Sure This Isn't Shining? - 80%

Perplexed_Sjel, April 10th, 2009

I’ve noticed, with the arrival of Beherit’s return to the black metal scene with ‘Engram’, that a minority of opinionated people are claiming that black metal is back from the dead. Forgive me for my ignorance, but when did it die? If I’m not mistaken, black metal has increased in stature over the past decade, even without bands like Beherit. Although I’ve said it before, I firmly believe its true. If you don’t adapt and change with the scene, the scene will change without you. Excommunication of sorts, if you will. Since the first and second waves, black metal has been like a less economically developed country transforming, over a long period of time, into a more economically developed country with elements like experimentation and accessibility becoming factors in the race for black metal supremacy. Funnily enough, geographical restraints are no longer an issue with the immergence of the internet, which has changed the face of metal, especially in regards to black metal with its endless sea of unprofessional bands being acquired into the circle. However, as long as you’ve sifted through these seemingly endless oceans of shit, you’ll come to a point where the bad is washed away and only the good is left to prosper. Bands like Tragediens Trone, who’s influence from bands like Shining is apparent from the get-go, are still flying the flag high and proud, particularly so since the band are Norwegian. There is an evident Scandinavian vibe running through the soul of this record, which I assume will please many people since there is still a love for this scene and its glorified sound. A lot of the praise must be heaped on Skard, the bands leading man. He controls the majority of the bands output, taking control of the instrumentation (aside from the drumming and programming) and the slick vocals. His song writing abilities are comparable, once again, to that of Shining’s members, which is a huge compliment to him.

I’ve heard his other band before, Slagmaur, and although they didn’t grab me as much as Tragediens Trone, I never exhibited any apprehension towards hearing this. The masterful musicianship, particularly on bass and vocals, is stylish and simply down-right cool. The Norwegian scene has undergone a massive turn-around. From supremacy, to being the bitch of black metal countries like France, or Germany (mostly the latter, which has excelled at black metal). Although this might be the case for 90% of the modern day Norwegian bands, acts like Tragediens Trone are still capable of maintaining a high level of standards, one that competes rigorously with the scenes of France, Germany and anyone else who wishes to compete. This band, and this debut, ‘The Cold Depths of Solitude’ are not afraid to take on new comers. Given the title of this record, one could be forgiven for assuming this was your average depressive black metal debut, but its not. Although the lyrical themes clearly indicate that the bands sound and style is influenced by depression and negativity, the band isn’t a depressive black metal band. They’re far more interesting and experimental than your average depressive band, so their withdrawal from such a scene should be highlighted on several occasions just to add distinction between this and other records of a seemingly similar nature. There are a number of interesting ideas imposed on the listener by Tragediens Trone throughout the record, such as an obvious Shining influence. Even the samples are Shining-like. That is, if they are samples. For all I can tell, they could merely be spoken words by the vocalist himself.

The bands sound, including instrumentation and vocals, are clearly inspired by that of Shining. The vocals are high pitched wails, as opposed to the regular rasps black metal vocalists inflict upon their audience. The screams are close to being as good as Niklas Olsson’s. They’re moulded into a similar style as his, depicting more aggressive imagery, as opposed to the depression and negativity that the lyrical themes suggests the band concentrate their ideas around. The style of the instrumentation is also similar to Shining. No one song particularly sticks out as being ‘Shining worship’, as all of it contains elements of the aforementioned Swedish legends sound. The bass, in particular, has qualities that the Shining bassist has. The stand-out influence, merging with the guitars and keyboard in order to enhance the already effective soundscapes of desolation. The apt title describes the music as perfectly as you could imagine doing so yourself. The cold atmosphere is strong throughout, but displayed in many different ways. From melodic piano interludes (see the truly inspirational ‘Parasite Paradise’ for examples of the beautiful melodies), to a crushing bass that signifies all the sorrowful emotion that stresses itself below the surface of the cruel hearted soundscapes. Alongside the painfully expressive piano, the sombre bass lines and aggressive riffs seem right at home. The production, like everything else, is comparable to Shining’s older material, though there are occasions when a ‘Halmstad’ vibe comes through in the cleaner sections (like the light electric-acoustic passages on ‘A Shattered Reflection’), and although they’re relatively sparse, they’re still imperative to the cohesion of the record. If I didn’t know what this band were called beforehand, I would have assumed this was another top notch Shining release that I somehow managed to miss. Definitely worth your time.