This is my favorite BM cd
sadistik | Monrovia, CA United States | 04/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Out of all the metal I own, this is my favorite BM cd. From the time I first heard it, it has had a place in my heart. All of the other reviewers mention a heavy old-school debt, but I disagree. When I think "old-school" Norwegian I think of good albums (Wrath of the Tyrant, Deathcrush, etc.) that were hampered by two things:1)the sometimes immature and/or amateurish moments that were frequent and 2)A distinct commitment to "extreme" images. I never liked the whole "let's dress up and play scary" feel of the BM image, but I LOVE the music. Taake has managed to put out a phenomenal album without ANY ill-fitting or amateurish sounding moments (quite a feat for a debut, huh?). And while the production is SOMEWHAT raw (but VERY audible at any level and very fitting, in my opinion), the music is extremely well polished and maturely written and played. Also there are no "walking in a forest/cemetary at night looking sad/miserable/forlorn" photos, which is a plus, rather a minimalist layout and design that actually sets the mood better than corpse-paint and tombstones (who woulda thought, right?). Exceptional, first rate stuff. For those who love metal music and don't need Century Media's Image Budget. Fantastic."
Taake (fog)
Mark Matyskiewicz | Ontario, Canada | 08/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, this album does not appeal to people that like their blackmetal clean and polished in the production department. That is really too bad, because this album is exceptional. Recorded at Grieghallen Studio by Pytten (Also famous for Emperor's "In the Nightside Eclipse", and the first few Burzum albums to name a few), this piece of work has that freezing nordic atmosphere comparable to early Emperor and Darkthrone using no keyboards at all. The riffs are extremely melodic but crusty at the same time, and the vocals are absolutely grim, plus some clean tone in the first track. One of the more interesting songs is the instrumental in the middle of the album, which is just brilliant if you ask me. This is definitely true Norwegian Blackmetal at its best, don't overlook this release or the next one either which I hear is upcoming!"