Although Swedes Stilla are a new proposition as a band, their members most certainly aren’t new to the scene. This is a new black metal project featuring members of Armagedda, Deranged and Bergraven, which embraces a fairly unique sound in this day of 4th rate Darkthrone and Burzum clones. In fact, these guys sound to be a lot more in debt to the likes of Isvind and Kvist than Darkthrone, with the essence of black metal still held rigidly in place by the genuine vibe that they exude. Like two flickering candles either side of an open frosted tomb, laid sparsely with only a silver platter of black hearts and accompanying cutlery – these guys certainly know how to set the scene for a black metal feast.
There are plenty of nods to very early Old Man’s Child (i.e, before they turned into a super polished extreme machine, and still had that unmistakable aura) as well as some of the decrepitude of old school Manes, this crew can set an amazing atmosphere. I particularly like the vocal work of A. Pettersen of the late, great Armagedda – his evil rolling of R’s and spiteful delivery always manages to lower my blood temperature, and when accompanied with the Germanic rasp of the Swedish language, you can’t go far wrong in my book (he does occasionally slip into clean vocals too, which are just as great in my opinion). The guitar work is as usual waspish and crisp, which when accompanied with the excellent keyboards creates quite diverse moods (yes – there are keyboards, and no we’re not talking any of those film-score/Dimmu synths, these are perfect for accentuating the atmospheres they create, reminding me of the great keyboard work in early Troll material which only served to add to their visceral edge). The drumming is well refined, steering clear of full on blasturbation or regular and predictable patterns. Instead, they continuously help to build drama and create tension, working well with the bass guitar to create an interesting and varied rhythm section that always keeps you guessing.
In summary, I can’t really fault this too much. I’ve given it a fair few spins now, and it’s really starting to get under my skin. It’s got originality, epically long sections with dreamy mountainous soundscapes, not to mention shovelfuls of ice to drop down the back of your shirt for the traditional crew amongst us. Definitely one to pick up if you’re a fan of early Hot Records luminaries such as Tulus or Enthral – seek and enjoy, you won’t regret it.
(8/10 Lars Christiansen)
https://soundcloud.com/nordvis/stilla-till-stilla-falla-album
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