Tsjuder
Atum Nocturnem
[At War]
Another band that has been making considerable waves and hullaballoo in the black metal underground of late, Tsjuder is another attempt at rekindling the Norwegian pyres and reclaiming the pride they forsook by eschewing the element of heterosexuality in their musical output. A project formed by members of Isvind and Twin Obscenity, they have, as you know, put out a highly acclaimed and well-received full-length through Drakkar. This is a promo tape issued by Andi and his most excellent underground institution prior to the full-length, and it is indeed quite a commendable, though somewhat plastic release.
Terming their music as ‘Chainsaw metal’, this isn’t much more than a good replica of time-tested Norwegian formulas. As with most underground Norwegian bands of the past three years, Tsjuder’s sound is one composed solely of musical ideas forged by their more illustrious predecessors. Strongly reminiscent of earlier Darkthrone and especially Antichrist-era Gorgoroth, this is staunchly traditional and as such hardly a refreshing listen. In many ways, Tsjuder is instantly comparable to other similar outfits like Urgehal and Isvind.
However, unlike Urgehal and Isvind, their delivery is less stale and less blatantly plagiaristic. Instead, this sounds a lot more voracious and insistent than anything I’ve heard from the Norsk underground of late, surpassing even the last Urgehal, which I enjoyed rather thoroughly. A marvellously hateful atmosphere, cold, harsh, droning riffage and tortured screeches are all here in resplendent abundance, and coagulate to form some enjoyable and nostalgic cuts. Reeking of a most recognisable Norwegian wickedness, this is certainly vile stuff.
However, one must question Tsjuder’s ingenuity. It has been rather irritating how band after Norsk band has clung onto past glories and attempted to carve a niche via replicating prior champions.( I suppose this can be forgiven once we consider the fact that Darkthrone and Gorgoroth have indeed taken a turn for the worse though, hehe) Either that, or they subscribe to something they like to term ‘maturity’, but which most of us who know better can better describe as ‘pointless sixth-rate experimental nonsense’, as evidenced by the industrial craze that has swept the nation’s underground.
If you can ignore the aforementioned glitch, I can heartily recommend this demo as a convincing slab of well-written traditional Norse metal, incorporating only the harshest elements of a perpetually exploited art form. A good deal harsher and more wicked than their full-length, this is I feel their paramount work, so if you’re looking to get into Tsjuder, this would be a decent place to start. Far from being the most original band on this stratosphere, Tsjuder revel in being generic and Nordic, but perhaps that is their ultimate appeal.
[ 7 ]
© 2000 equimanthorn
Terming their music as ‘Chainsaw metal’, this isn’t much more than a good replica of time-tested Norwegian formulas. As with most underground Norwegian bands of the past three years, Tsjuder’s sound is one composed solely of musical ideas forged by their more illustrious predecessors. Strongly reminiscent of earlier Darkthrone and especially Antichrist-era Gorgoroth, this is staunchly traditional and as such hardly a refreshing listen. In many ways, Tsjuder is instantly comparable to other similar outfits like Urgehal and Isvind.
However, unlike Urgehal and Isvind, their delivery is less stale and less blatantly plagiaristic. Instead, this sounds a lot more voracious and insistent than anything I’ve heard from the Norsk underground of late, surpassing even the last Urgehal, which I enjoyed rather thoroughly. A marvellously hateful atmosphere, cold, harsh, droning riffage and tortured screeches are all here in resplendent abundance, and coagulate to form some enjoyable and nostalgic cuts. Reeking of a most recognisable Norwegian wickedness, this is certainly vile stuff.
However, one must question Tsjuder’s ingenuity. It has been rather irritating how band after Norsk band has clung onto past glories and attempted to carve a niche via replicating prior champions.( I suppose this can be forgiven once we consider the fact that Darkthrone and Gorgoroth have indeed taken a turn for the worse though, hehe) Either that, or they subscribe to something they like to term ‘maturity’, but which most of us who know better can better describe as ‘pointless sixth-rate experimental nonsense’, as evidenced by the industrial craze that has swept the nation’s underground.
If you can ignore the aforementioned glitch, I can heartily recommend this demo as a convincing slab of well-written traditional Norse metal, incorporating only the harshest elements of a perpetually exploited art form. A good deal harsher and more wicked than their full-length, this is I feel their paramount work, so if you’re looking to get into Tsjuder, this would be a decent place to start. Far from being the most original band on this stratosphere, Tsjuder revel in being generic and Nordic, but perhaps that is their ultimate appeal.
[ 7 ]
© 2000 equimanthorn