Cold minimalist black metal got a bad rap back in the 1990s when people figured out that it had basically taken Darkthrone’s techno-influenced Transilvanian Hunger and recombined it with the thrash from generations before.
Ildjarn in particular sounded like an occult nature mystic version of DRI, complete with the idiosyncratic songs made of tear-off riffs. As black metal devolved, more bands tried the brutal short fast and minimalist approach, but none quite achieved the pristine chilling isolation of Ildjarn.
Now Osmose Productions has announced a split between Ildjarn and one of the bands it undoubtedly influenced, Hate Forest. This slab of forest metal, called Those Once Mighty Fallen, presents past unreleased material from both bands, which are now both non-practicing.
Here’s the official announcement:
From the cold blackened graves their shadows rise…. Osmose Productions releases unexpected ILDJARN / HATE FOREST split CD/LP, called “Those Once Mighty Fallen”. Both dead bands are presented with their lost and forgotten recordings, accidentally found not so long ago. ILDJARN’s songs were created in the dark year of 1994 and HATE FOREST’s during cold winter nights of 2000-2001. Now, carefully re-mixed and re-mastered this audio- terror is available first time. A real epitaph to sincere, true black metal. No release date yet to communicate. – Osmose on FacePlant
As a total Ildjarn fanboi, I’ll be seeking this out with bells on. For more interest, read our interview with Ildjarn from back in the hazy 00s.
Tags: Black Metal, ildjarn, osmose
Fantastic news. Ildjarn is always a superb listening.
Is there any chance of getting another interview with him or has he ascended into the ether?
Maybe this release will prompt a coming out.
It’ll be nice to be able to purchase something other than t-shirts at retail price from his catalogue; some of his records are hard to find in the under $100 range.
Ildjarn is NOT dead!
Hell yeah. 1994 would place it around the time of the Minnesjord demo, just before his first full length. Hopefully there’s a bit more than ten minutes of lost material. Ok see you later.
I would say the chances are extremely slim – he doesn’t make any music anymore. That was pretty much his only connection to the real world, beyond the necessary. At least that’s what he said in his interviews.
Then again who knows, he might have become and eco-terrorist – anything’s possible