Skumring - De Glemte Tider

Very emotional Norwegian funeral doom metal with beautiful female vocals. I don't know why more bands of this genre don't employ gals to empty their lungs all over the slow plodding riffs, it sounds fucking fantastic! Leave the death grunts at home cuz this is where it's at I'm tellin' ya...De Glemte Tider is one any self-respecting doom fanatic needs to hear.

De Glemte Tider

Snowfall

been enjoying this after not having listened to it for a long time, and you know what? It's still the best thing Darkthrone have ever done.

Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike

This one right here. One of the top 5 black metal albums of all time. I shit you not. RIP Trondr Nefas.

For Kunsten Maa

Detritivore - Pakt

Unique Norwegian forest drone noize with epic metal influences. Listen to this late at night when you're out of your mind and in a strange way.

Pakt

Enslaved - Monumension

My 2nd fav Enslaved album featuring the indomitable Dirge Rep on skins.  Can you spot the 8 items?

Monumenskin

Organ - Apoplexy In Six Parts

Norway's mysterious Organ were an incredibly gifted group that presaged the sound that Ved Buens Ende would morph into with Virus. 2003's Apoplexy In Six Parts is sort of a missing link between those two bands (sonically at least, not personnel wise). Very cool instrumentation...there'll be a convoluted clean guitar passage going on and just some incessant blasting underneath. This is actually really similar to what DHG did on Supervillain Outcast. No vox really, but occasionally some disturbed samples will make an appearance (fellatio, Donald Duck?) Definitely one of the forgotten gems of weirdo Norwegian black metal, and an important step forward for the post black metal genre.

Apoplexy In Six Parts

Taake - Noregs Vaapen

A new Taake out boys and girls, and I for one couldn't be more thrilled! I've been a fan of all the Taake albums, but their last one left me a little bit cold...it had some great moments (Motpol is just an outrageously good song), but overall it wasn't as captivating compared to earlier work. Well, that is fixed in spades on this new one! Mainman Hoest must've went back under that Bodhi tree cuz there are some delicious riffs flying about; Myr even features a good old fashioned hootenanny hoedown!! The whole album is filled with a kind of "down on the farm" atmosphere...I don't know quite how else to put it. Noregs Vaapen has certainly redeemed Taake in my eyes, even if Herr Hoest is responsible for one of the most shameful moments in heavy metal history.

Of course I speak of his very literal interpretation of "to rock out with your cock out". I for one do not wish to propogate this nasty stereotype of the pencil-dicked black metal musician, but one cannot whitewash over such events. We can only hope that Hoest spends his Taake "f-you" money on a sturdier set of denims.

Noregs Vaapen

Spiral Architect - A Sceptic's Universe

How many metal albums can you name where the bass is the lead fucking instrument?  Norberg absolutely KILLS on this one!!
The absolute be all and end all of tech metal!!!

A Sceptic's Universe

Conception - In Your Multitude

Bombastic Norwegian power metal that used to have Mr. Roy Kahn in it's ranks.  Don't expect any cheese on this one...just awesomeness.

In Your Multitude

Sort Vokter - Folkloric Necro Metal

"Recorded under the influence of THC"... and listened to under the influence of THC!

Folkloric Necro Metal

Virus - Live in London 3/22/11

LIVE VIRUS!! WOOHOOOO!!!

Live in London

Virus - The Agent That Shapes the Desert

My dreams have come true a new Virus album!  I have professed my love for Czral before, and the ol' boy does not disappoint in the slightest. This new one takes their brand of Voivodian tin pan alley swagger to more arid climes...more of a refinement on past meisterpieces Carheart and Black Flux than a wholesale sonic leap forward, and that is MORE than fine by me.  Oh Czral, don't ever change baby.  Fucking album of the year.

The Agent That Shapes the Desert

Immortal - Blizzard Beasts

Only seems appropriate on the coldest day of the year.

Blizzard Beasts

Enslaved - Eld

Just look at Grutle sittin' there thinking he's Astor's plush horse...well, on Eld he was, and so was Ivar, and so was the new drummer Harald Helgelson (who replaced the almighty Trym).  

Enslaved basically took 3 years off between Frost and Eld, and they came back with a little bit more spit and a tiny bit more polish.  I can't say that they matured, because Enslaved were always mature songwriters (Vikingr Veldi is waaaay sophisticated shit!), but these boys never would've been able to write a song like 793 unless they spent some time meditatin' beneath that elusive Bodhi tree.

Eld is expressive and lush, a departure from the alienating iciness that was the charm of Frost. The guitars have a wonderful static roll to them that lap over you like waves on a longboat...Ivar's riffs remain strange, as if he was trying to figure out how to play Voivod riffs, couldn't quite get there, and let them mutate into his own Viking headspace. No one will ever call his git playing flashy, but listen to the challenging riffs in Alfablot, and you'll begin to understand...Grutle is both berserker and yeoman (as always), but on Eld he really outdoes himself, displaying a passion that can only come by being totally convinced of the superiority of your material (and yourself, why aren't any other band members on the cover?) 

Drummer Harald's style is flat out unusual with super creative fills, unorthodox blasts, and toms reminiscent of kettle drums--all of which he uses to lay down some serious battle percussion. He may not be my favorite Enslaved drummer (that honor goes to Mr. Dirge Heep) but I can't imagine anyone else drumming on Eld. 

As with any great album, it's about the little moments that become engraved in your mind. For me it's the 2 harmonically picked bass notes played before the opening riff of Forgotten (Glemt). This is just so sweet..the tone of the notes right before this amazing riff always gets me...When people talk about epic metal, the discussion needs to begin and end with Eld.  Enslaved would go on to release other fantastic records (Monumension being a favorite) but this is a pinnacle that might go unmatched.

Eld

Inflabitan - Wanderer Of Grief

First of all, this is just a great album cover.  Looks like its out of some fukked-up Norwegian fairytale, I love it.  Wanderer of Grief is comprised of c. '93-'94 demos from Inflabitan, who in some way or form was connected to Dodheimsgard (666 International era) and the notorious band Strid (not Bjorn "Speed", yeesh).
The first bit of the record reminds me of a combination Hordanes Land Enslaved and As the Wolves Gather Forgotten Woods, fucking awesome stuff!!  The second part is where we really get cookin'. Much more trash/punk influenced than the first part, fantastic!!  One guitar, sparse drums, bass? Nah, just riffs man, just riffs.  Inflabitan nailed the nail right on the fucking head. Melancholic, majestic, mournful......Magnificent.

Wanderer of Grief