_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/f3!/// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Hate Forest ::\ :: Album :: Nietzscheism :: :: Year :: 2021 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CDDA . :: :: Label :: Black Metal Store R.date :: 05.05.2022 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: BMS042 Size :: 98,4 MB __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 273kbps : . . Quality :: 44,1kHz/Joint-Stereo . . . Website :: __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 01. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Carl Orff) 05:38 :: :: 02. Annihilation 03:27 :: :: 03. The Wood Brothers 04:42 :: :: 04. Scythia 07:05 :: :: 05. Shining Abyss 04:25 :: :: 06. Aryosophia 06:55 :: :: 07. Nietzscheism 07:13 :: :: 08. Black God 06:26 :: :: 09. Burning Churches 04:30 :: :: ------- :: .. >> 50:21 min .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: After the turn of the millennium black metal entered a :: :: strange semi-mainstream state, with bands expanding their :: :: sounds into a more commercial realm as the broader metal :: :: zeitgeist cottoned on and every teenager and their little :: :: brother were suddenly acolytes. The old Norwegian guard had :: :: mostly stepped away from their early 90s beginnings, with :: :: Emperor, Mayhem, Satyricon et al becoming more progressive, :: :: experimental and monochromatic, respectively. :: :: :: :: Yet there were also bands who entered the underground and :: :: created some of the greatest black metal albums of all :: :: time. Bands like Taake kept the flame alive, as did the :: :: Ukranians Roman Saenko and Thurios with twin projects: the :: :: haunting odes to nature and decay in Drudkh and the more :: :: intense expression of power and elitism in Hate Forest. :: :: Indeed, I consider the eventual retirement of Hate Forest :: :: to be the beginning of the end for DrudkhÆs greatness too, :: :: as the Drudkh sound tended to become faster and more :: :: varied, almost as if they were integrating Hate ForestÆs :: :: aura into that band. :: :: :: :: It is a profound pleasure, therefore, to explore this :: :: collected anthology of early Hate Forest EPs entitled :: :: rather triumphantly as æNietzscheismÆ, which includes :: :: æResistanceÆ (2004), æDarknessÆ (2000), æBlood and FireÆ :: :: (2001) and æRitualÆ (2001). Totalling 8 tracks plus an :: :: introduction in the form of the entirety of the æO FortunaÆ :: :: by Carl Orff, whose five and half minute presence is grand :: :: yet also strangely insistent. While 'O Fortuna' is one of :: :: the more common classical music choices in metal, it is a :: :: fitting beginning to the philosophical and powerful tracks :: :: across these EPs. :: :: :: :: The music herein is of the classic Hate Forest design :: :: (obviously), with fast-paced blasting and powerful guitar :: :: riffage forming the majority of the song structures. The :: :: production across the entire collection is surprisingly :: :: heavy and full û there is no thin trebly scratchings here; :: :: this is big and brash, with a masculine power that suits :: :: the ubermensch concept. :: :: :: :: Opening track proper, æAnnihaltionÆ is a superb entry, as :: :: it surges forward with a somewhat crisp drum sound and :: :: layered guitars. The next song, æThe Wooded BrothersÆ is my :: :: favourite track here, with an atmospheric riff that sends :: :: chills and sounds like a slightly slower and more :: :: controlled version of æBattles in the NorthÆ, with clearly :: :: audible bass. 'Scythia' begins with the sound of baying :: :: wolves before the onslaught begins once again. The subtle :: :: use of what might be timpani drums in æShining AbyssÆ adds :: :: grandiosity. The title track is slightly less well :: :: produced, yet contains a grand power and imperious might :: :: with an atmospheric and moving slower mid-section that :: :: merges power and melancholy in equal measure. So while :: :: blasting is the order of the day, there is definite variety :: :: here. :: :: :: :: The vocals across every song are essentially deep guttural :: :: growls, punctuated at times by a mid-ranged rasp, and this :: :: point of difference from most black metal acts actually :: :: gives Hate Forest a refreshing flavour that works so well. :: :: The deeper voice also suits the philosophy of elitism and :: :: supremacy that permeates the tracks. :: :: :: :: æBlack GodÆ is the outlier here, beginning with the sounds :: :: of crickets and other insects, giving rise to images of a :: :: swamp, before foreboding drums begin to beat, presaging :: :: oncoming disaster. At its midpoint a sinister sounding :: :: voice comes in, possibly speaking Ukranian but sounds to me :: :: like itÆs reversed, whichever language it is. ItÆs a :: :: haunting and strange track and a welcome circuit-breaker, :: :: even if it is the penultimate track on the collection. :: :: :: :: Final song æBurning ChurchesÆ begins with the sound of :: :: ravishing flames consuming an edifice that may or may not :: :: be of spiritual significance, before a sole guitar comes in :: :: that actually foreshadows the atmosphere that Mgla would :: :: later make their own. Church bells toll and the track, and :: :: the collection, ends with the sound of flames, razor guitar :: :: and bells. ItÆs a brilliant conclusion. :: :: :: :: The re-release from Osmose comes in a glossy digipak, with :: :: a stunning cover of a statue, chained, yet with eyes turned :: :: upwards to a glowing light above it. Very profound. The :: :: booklet contains the artwork from each EP, which is a great :: :: inclusion, their tracklists and recording and release :: :: dates. The original cover is on the back page of the :: :: booklet, while the middle page spread shows the edge of a :: :: glacier, which looks impressive, if somewhat out of place. :: :: The digipak itself has a great image of flames and a Goethe :: :: quote. So the packaging is quite special. :: :: :: :: I tend to find this release even more moving than their :: :: best albums, such as æPurityÆ and æBattlefieldsÆ, as great :: :: as those albums are. The variety on offer, due to the :: :: manifold releases that are brought together here, means :: :: that there is never a dull moment, and yet it all weaves :: :: together almost as if it was intended to. This seems to me :: :: to be mandatory for Hate Forest fans, and highly :: :: recommended for everyone else. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2022 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :