It was last March when Taake released the first of three projected special 10” vinyl split EP’s. This appeared via Terratur Possessions with Whoredom Rife on the B) side. Following that July saw the second edition via Edged Circle with Jaetergn. Both were very good and reviewed here. No real surprise with what is going on but it has been a longer wait for them to see the project come to fruition, delays on everything are inevitable right now. Finally, Taake are suitably at home, as it were, on their own label Dark Essence here and with labelmates Helheim to boot. With 333 copies on record available it is no surprise that this has sold out prior to release but I am sure you will be able to have a listen digitally via Bandcamp when the time comes.
The Taake tracks are completely new and the first is a tale of broken bones and goes out to shatter the listeners kneecaps with a hammer from the start. Its fast and Feudal, romping away with Hoest’s gargles chasing the galloping pace. There’s a vitriolic battle fervour about it as it triumphantly charges away and is everything one would expect until it slows midway and allows a melodic shiver to invade via the guitar. This quickly gets under the skin, the old- Norse lyrics written by Arne Garborg, the perfect match for the highly expressive vocals. Honour, tradition, prose it’s all here. Defying translation attempts ‘Ein Baat i Foss’ rings out with a bleak and near gothic guitar chord slowly unravelling into another fast and furious assault. The melodicism is striking and once the vocals attach themselves to it there is a real classic vibe to it all and there’s some odd sounds that are akin to a big beast raging through a forest. Long term fans should also be pleased to note a good old death belch amidst the flurrying and impeccably driven guitar weaving. A very atmospheric number.
Helheim tackle things differently with a cover of Emperor classic ‘Orkan’ which has already appeared on a tribute album ‘In Honour of Icon E.’ Compared to Taake its pensive and very harmonious vocally with clean verse from V’gandr. The guitar work is broody and trembles delicately and the croons hit the high spots with plenty of poise about them. Reverence is certainly played to the original. A huge blood-curdling scream sees them celebrating the Heksesabbat and it is a witchy song for cold nights around a cauldron. Vocals go from clean to vile near screeches and it has a really timeless feel of a long- lost classic song about it. It’s quite a sinister number in essence and any magic spilling from its roots are definitely black.
Of course, we would welcome both artists back on tour as soon as is possible, this chapter concludes things for Taake and hopefully both bands are thinking ahead to new material in the not too distant future.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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