A new name but an old friend as far as the record label is concerned as Udåd is a project helmed by none other than Mork’s Thomas Eriksen. The Norwegian multi-instrumentalist has with his day job captured the very essence of black metal from his homeland and gained a respectable following in recent years as well as being involved in other projects such as The Deathtrip and October Moon. That’s not the reason that I grabbed this album and simply had to cover it but it was due to the fact that we are informed that Thomas, like many others has been inspired by the work of German film director Jorg Buttgereit and more namely his and everyone’s favourite death-trip film Der Todesking. A harsh and uncomfortable viewing experience it is a chapter-based compendium revolving around a week of violent deaths and suicides and has pretty much led to something of a cult following from those similarly affected by it. Bleak, nihilistic and pessimistically challenging, it is a film where the narrative is simply presented in stark terms and one that not everyone will get to grips with. Once viewed though it is likely to never be forgotten and its harrowing sentiments have challenged many a cineaste and driven them into the world of anti-culture. Many have indelibly branded the central motif, ‘the death king’ on themselves as a tattoo, one such renowned devotee being Taake’s Hoest so it has already essentially installed itself in the world of Norwegian black metal.
This is exactly what Thomas has done with it here. This is no repetition of the original and incredibly fitting soundtrack by Lorenz, Kopp and Walton but it is perhaps thematically congruent. There are no clues in the simple art-work trying things together but the track titles once translated to the likes of the weeping, morose instrumental opener ‘The Eternal End’ ‘Bloody Night’ and ‘The Triumph Of Evil’ could well be derived from certain chapters of the film. I suspect there is plenty more in the lyrics too although they are not available. Somewhat different from the vocals found in Mork, Thomas has really pushed himself here conveying them with wretched, antagonistic, shrill sounds of disgust and contempt. Production is similarly raw and “Nekro” but there is a romantik vibe as well to it which perhaps captures the relief of embracing death and the end of suffering. With this don’t be surprised at being occasionally buoyed by the bounce and delirium which Buttgereit fans may associate with scenes of skipping with entrails in delight.
With tracks such as ‘Bakenfor Urskogens Utkant’ listeners will no doubt pick up on the fact that the melody has a very folkish (rather than folky) flow to it. Repeated guitar refrains really do get under the skin as things worm their way in and have you humming along hours later, when you least expect it. The transgressive art-form of the film is, as far as I am concerned, realised via the meditative effect of the music but one may not have to suffer to succumbing to the cold hands of death and could avoid the film quite easily, applying this to the isolationist themes straight out of the second-wave of black metal itself. Whichever way you approach things there is no denying that ‘Blodnatten’ embraces with thorny coldness and has a real deadbeat and sombre flow about it guaranteed to deliver you into the dirt of the grave. I have not yet watched the film combined with the music but think this track would correspond with Thursday’s “bridge” segment very well. By comparison it is violence and mania that is at the heart of ‘Den Virkelige Apokryf.’ Hammering drums fire like bullets and bloodshed is splattered all over the place. If this was played live over Saturday’s rock concert scene from the film, count me running to the exit as fast as possible.
A couple of tracks such as ‘Vondskapens Triumf’ have a haunting sound that is reminiscent of a harmonica within them, mordantly hypnotic. Truly bleak and foreboding ‘Antropofagens Hunger’ is a fitting end to not just the album but everything including life itself…. This really is a work of ‘Norwegian Angst’ and those that venture through its depressive veil of tears should only do so with caution.
But…. “That’s the death king. He makes people want to stop living”
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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