Istapp – Blekinge

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Metal Blade
Produced by C. Ashuck von Renvaktar & Fjalar

At one time, I thought there were basically two primary types of black metal: the dark, sinister stuff about war and the occult – and sometimes even suicide – that sounded like it may have been recorded on an eight-track in a basement or garage (bands such as Burzum, Darkthrone, Xasthur, Leviathan and Shining come to mind), and symphonic black metal (for example, Emperor, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Chthonic, etc.), which had generally higher production values, a cleaner sound and a more overt focus on musicianship as opposed to atmospherics. Since then, a more experimental breed of black bands such as Cobalt, Nachtmystium, Alcest and Deathspell Omega have breathed new life into this admittedly arcane and overly-simplistic way of describing a genre which seems to have possibly been on its way to extinction due to a lack of new ideas.

However, of all the myriad “new” flavours of black metal which have been introduced over the past few years, I’m not sure if another band has captured a sound that is exactly like what Istapp has done here – and quite frankly, it’s difficult to understand why. Mostly because Istapp’s approach is just so straightforward, it ends up having a rather “why didn’t somebody else think of this before now?” feel to it.

Simply put, Istapp has done for “typical” black metal bands such as Immortal and Mayhem, what bands like Ensiferum have done for “classic” Viking metal bands such as Amon Amarth and Unleashed.

At its heart, this stellar debut album leans toward the symphonic side of the proverbial black metal dichotomy described above, but make no mistake this album isn’t Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth. It’s fast and thrashy – and yes, it’s definitely quite melodic in parts – but it’s also heavy in all the right places as well. Plus, it’s a few other things that black metal typically isn’t. It’s catchy, it’s triumphant, and at times it is even FUN. One could even imagine the music on this album being the theme for a victory celebration. Granted, said celebration would most likely be taking place within the chilly halls of a castle that was half-buried in snow on the side of a wind-pummeled mountain or in the middle of a frozen tundra somewhere, but it would be a victory celebration nonetheless.

And that’s precisely what makes this album so compelling. Istapp (which is Swedish for “icicle”) have not abandoned their roots, nor the classic snow-swept feel and theme of some of the most traditional black metal out there today (here’s looking at you, Immortal), but yet, they have managed to create a new variation – one which is based on typical black metal themes – which is wholly inviting and interesting. This, as well as extremely high production values, outstanding musicianship, excellent vocals and many other qualities make this album essential listening for fans of almost any type of metal. In fact, this album is highly recommended for fans of black metal, symphonic death metal, Viking metal, thrash…even power metal, perhaps. The bottom line is: Blekinge is an interesting and fun listen that is very well-produced and even more well-executed.

“ a new variation ”

Tracklist: Vinterriket / Köldens Unionv / 1160 (Miovik) / I Väntan På Den Absoluta Nollpunkten / Evig Köld Koncentrerad / Snö / Fjällhöga Nord / Bortgång af Alvrödul, Ljusets Förfall / - / Blekinge

Written by Chris Poling
More: 2010, Albums, Black Metal, Istapp