Iskald - Shades Of Misery

Published Dec. 03 2006

*=Staff's pick	Hymn Of Desolation The Shadowland* Eden* Lokes Dans Då Gjallarhorn Song* Pesten Shades Of Misery Warriors Of The Northern Twillight

Genre	Black Metal	Simon Larsen	Vocals
Tracks	9	Simon Larsen	Guitar
Runningtime	45 Min.	-	Guitar
Label		Simon Larsen	Bass
Release	22 Sept. 2006	Aage A Krekling	Drums
Country	Norway	Simon Larsen	Keyboard
Similar artists	Immortal, Satyricon

Norway's Iskald decided to go abroad to Sweden in order to record their self financed album Shades Of Misery. Iskald ended up at the Ballerina Studio Umeå, Sweden. I have dark fragments in my mind from their first release, The Northern Twilight EP. I don't recall this one as much as I'm sitting down, concentrating on their new material. What I do know is the fact that Iskald is a duo, consisting of Simon Larsen and Aage A Krekling.

According to their press statement they spent fourteen days in Umeå to record Shades Of Misery. It is obvious that they spent their time well. Shades Of Misery is a very compact and well sounding production. Very good variety in sound, heavy during the softer doom inspired parts, raw and blistering during the parts that are more traditional to the Norwegian style of black metal, but due to a tremendous heavy metal flirting they give their music a more genuine feeling. I must also say that these portals of heavy metal passages are suitable produced with a bit lighter and a great distortion over the guitar channels. The production and instrumental handling on Shades Of Misery breathes professionalism and commitment. I can't help to take notice that these guys are below twenty, with this in mind it's fascinating how adult and relevant their music feels.

Iskalds music dwells somewhere between Immortal and Satyricon, taking a shortcut and touches the borders to Khold. Lay to this that they do it really well by keeping an own sound and in some aspects they do it better than their last two mentioned Norwegian allies. At their best times during the heavy metal influences they are close to the heights of the early Swedish death/black days of Dissection and Unanimated for example. Good composing and as I already said; good production. The vocals are well distributed over all I think.

There are a lot of slow passages that perhaps aren't their strongest weapon, but mostly these parts are quite ok. Best ones on Shades Of Misery are the epic Song, which sometimes reminds me of a more gentle epos from Satyricon's classical Dark Medieval Times and the melancholy Eden and The Shadowland. Innovative music from a band that surely dares to take old music onto new paths.

Production	Vocals	Compositions
8	7	7

Summary
7 chalices of 10 - Tim