Gernoth
Damnation Introitus
[At War]
Norsecore. Now firmly established as a musical adversary of the ‘true black metaller’, this repulsive musical abomination has served to irritate, disgust and to purge me of many meals in the past few years. Thus, I was rather wary when I picked this up from Andi of At War when Opyros warned me of the copious Norsecore content within.
However, I must say that I am rather surprised and can go so far as to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this scorned title. The brainchild of a certain Germanische individual named Gargoyle, this can indeed be termed Norsecore, but I think that’d hardly do this justice, as it doesn’t sink to the abysmal, putrescent depths that most Norsecore faggots have been condemned to. This is an incredibly engaging, individual, well-orchestrated and ultimately impressive demo that should earmark Gernoth for greater things.
The Gernoth equation is one that consists of Abbath-esque, raspy shrieks, frigid chord progressions and a masterful use of the synths. I’m traditionally more inclined towards ancient metal, as some of you might have noticed with most of my reviews, I’d much rather listen to old Treblinka and Sarcofago than the latest Polish or French sensation, so naturally I’ve held synthesisers in particular contempt, but I feel that Gernoth has progressively learned to hone them and craft his synth passages in an effective manner. A synth-toting band that doesn’t serve to annoy me is indeed a remarkable rarity, and Gernoth deserves kudos just for accomplishing that.
Adopting a more quirky, tangential and esoteric approach to songwriting, this demo sounds frigid yet peculiarly innovative. Chord choices are particularly strange and alien, flowing flawlessly with the haunting ambience that the synths provide. Quality is rather consistent as well, with the demo achieving a rather balanced 20 odd minutes. One can spot influences like earlier Emperor and Bathory in the ensuing complexities, but Gernoth, like Frozen Shadows have, have crafted a musical product that defies such rudimentary categorisation, and stands as a fiercely individual entity.
This one comes rather highly recommended by me, and I do believe you can take my word for it when I tell you that this is one of the more refreshing demos I’ve heard in quite a while. Innovative, majestic and strange, and marvellously engaging, this defeats the myth that all Norsecore is hapless drivel.
[9]
© 2000 equimanthorn
However, I must say that I am rather surprised and can go so far as to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this scorned title. The brainchild of a certain Germanische individual named Gargoyle, this can indeed be termed Norsecore, but I think that’d hardly do this justice, as it doesn’t sink to the abysmal, putrescent depths that most Norsecore faggots have been condemned to. This is an incredibly engaging, individual, well-orchestrated and ultimately impressive demo that should earmark Gernoth for greater things.
The Gernoth equation is one that consists of Abbath-esque, raspy shrieks, frigid chord progressions and a masterful use of the synths. I’m traditionally more inclined towards ancient metal, as some of you might have noticed with most of my reviews, I’d much rather listen to old Treblinka and Sarcofago than the latest Polish or French sensation, so naturally I’ve held synthesisers in particular contempt, but I feel that Gernoth has progressively learned to hone them and craft his synth passages in an effective manner. A synth-toting band that doesn’t serve to annoy me is indeed a remarkable rarity, and Gernoth deserves kudos just for accomplishing that.
Adopting a more quirky, tangential and esoteric approach to songwriting, this demo sounds frigid yet peculiarly innovative. Chord choices are particularly strange and alien, flowing flawlessly with the haunting ambience that the synths provide. Quality is rather consistent as well, with the demo achieving a rather balanced 20 odd minutes. One can spot influences like earlier Emperor and Bathory in the ensuing complexities, but Gernoth, like Frozen Shadows have, have crafted a musical product that defies such rudimentary categorisation, and stands as a fiercely individual entity.
This one comes rather highly recommended by me, and I do believe you can take my word for it when I tell you that this is one of the more refreshing demos I’ve heard in quite a while. Innovative, majestic and strange, and marvellously engaging, this defeats the myth that all Norsecore is hapless drivel.
[9]
© 2000 equimanthorn