SHINING, KOLDBRANN, SARKOM

A touch of Scandinavian darkness

26.09.2009 Berlin/ K17 (GER)

Two days before the end of shortest month in the year every fan of mysterious and dark sounds could to visit the Berliner K 17 to watch in action three black metal hordes: SHINING, KOLDBRANN and SARKOM. The alliance of Swedish and Norwegian forces began already the European crusade, spreading across the continent blasphemy and sickness of the highest quality. In the German capital, being the second station of this tour, the maniacs hungry for the true feast of dark sounds filled the inside of venue as a crowd counting about 200 persons.

The atmosphere was very hot already by the first of participants those event, when appeared on the stage SARKOM. The Norwegian horde having in line-up the musicians of 1349, URGEHAL and probably BEASTCRAFT (the singer, whom I could to see during the last year edition of Under The Black Sun, but I am not sure for 100%) presented something, that would satisfy every of fans the raw, harsh and first of all – true Norwegian black metal, cause the music of band included all of elements guaranteeing to this art the sound and form that should to characterize the artistry and masterful of diabolical art. Red of the shame I must admit, that it was my first blind date with SARKOM, but my satisfaction in due of their performance was so high and first of all so honest, that I don’t know, or was it really “blind” date… I hope, that earlier or later I will join their releases into my discography, especially the last album “Bestial Supremacy”.

Continuing the marathon of devilish melodies and Norwegian tradition as the next band appeared KOLDBRANN. With this horde I had to do already earlier and if you would like to know when – during the last edition of Party San in Bad Berka. The quintet from Drammen, that’s name means more or less like “gangrene” satisfied me in those days very, very much, so nothing strange, that my expectations regards of the performance in K 17 were very high. Fortunately, the disappointment was a kind of feeling, that didn’t appear, because the repertoire of this band was like a wet dream of everyone, who loves the simply and dirty rhythms and as I let to include myself to this elite, that’s absolutely logic, isn’t it? The commander and mainman of horde, Mannevond, being day by day a bass player in URGEHAL too, is a kind of man, treating his duties very serious, so the charisma and energy presented by him on the stage had no sign of hypocrisy. During the all minutes of show were presented the fragments of whole horde’s discography – not only from the full-length albums, but from splits or EP’s too and this way everyone of us could to hear “Alt Er Befengt”, “Steinet Til Jorden”, “Opium Fields Forever”, “Intifada”, “Kaosmanifest”, “Inkvisitor Renegat”, “Pogrom Pestilent”, “Russian Vodka” (!), “Djevelens Treskeverk” and “Bestial Swarm”, crowning very effectively the collection of those ugly hymns. Not only me, but all of people watching KOLDBRANN in action had the devilish smiles of satisfaction on their faces.

Headliner of this evening – SHINING. Very untypical, difficult to describe and beyond all of doubts original band. Categorized as a black metal crew, but can to admit with a full convincement, that music playing by these guys presents itself exactly by the way? Like for me – not so easy. But the most important is, that the horde of Niklas Kvarforth has something within, something deciding about her versatility, that don’t let to put this band into the drawer signed by a two words describing mostly the essence of raw and harsh sounds. Why? If you are so curious, you should to listen the records of SHINING or watch the horde in live action and you will understand soon what I mean. Fear. Cry. Depression. Despair. Anxiety. Restlessness. Death. I don’t know, or all words describing perfectly the music of Swedes were mentioned by me now, but if we will analyze their stuff deeper and deeper, the other can be found without problems. There’s so much of them, if our world is so ugly, so sad and so unfriendly… Yes, the songs of SHINING are like the mirror of our grey reality and all those things inside of us… Probably much of normal people couldn’t to understand this kind of art, but perhaps… that’s not the art for normal people? Unimportant. It was my second meeting with the Swedes at live version and the same like last time I was drowning in the music of them, standing hypnotized an fighting with the feelings inside of me. The present tour was a part of promotional campaign of the new SHINING album titled “VI-Klagopsalmer”, being of course the next piece of musical sorrow and sadness, but the guys didn’t forget naturally about the previous albums and this way everyone wanting to hear the hymns like for example “Submit To Selfdestruction” (“III-Angst Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie”) or “Claws Of Perdition” (“IV-The Eerie Cold”) weren’t probably disappointed. I am not sure or should I to recommend the stuff created by the hand of Niklas Kvarforth to the all kinds of people, but I know only one – this music is only for the chosen, only for strong ones… Three Scandinavian bands made happy all of those, who instead the sitting at home with pain in due of expensive concert of Metal Gods (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT) in Max Schmelling-Halle came to K 17, appreciating the hardships of Jörg from Folter Records, who had first of all and like always the biggest participate in providing the satisfaction to all of maniacs of black metal in Berlin. In Satan we trust!