ISENGARD - Vårjevndøgn CD

Fenriz knows how to play the guitar, the drums and the bass and he sings. He also likes old-school metal, rock and punk. That's all you need to know about this album. If you like early US heavy metal and a bit of NWOBHM/Black Sabbath, look no further, you are going to love these recordings. If not, you might still find the whole package very appealing and there is a chance you could start looking for recommendations ranging from Pentagram all the way to Jag Panzer. In general, if you even remotely enjoy rock/metal, give it a try.

There is no point at all to compare this to previous Isengard releases. There is no point in referencing in general to be honest, as each track is completely different to the next one. You get a bit of everything, the only thing connecting the pieces being the brilliantly sounding primitive sound production. There is hard rock here, early us heavy metal, early sabbathy doom, punk, you name it. Every track sounds like there is a different band performing. Fenriz plays his instruments and sings like a thousand different musicians, with only two things in common: passion for heavy metal and raw talent.

In terms of runtime, it mostly resembles an EP, but what transforms it into a proper full-length release is the undeniable sonic variety. If anything, it feels way longer than it really is, as you take a ride through all (early) things metal. Intro and outro aside, it's just 7 songs, but it's more than enough to keep you with your headphones on for a good number of spins. My stand-out tracks are Dragon Fly, A Shape in the Dark, and Rockemillion, but that's completely down to personal taste as I generally prefer metal/punk soundscapes rather than rockish/doomy ones, like the rest of the tracks offer. In terms of quality though, all the tracks are up there and honestly I cannot find a weak link in this purist's chain.

So, forget Darkthrone, forget previous Isengard releases and just enjoy this monster for what it is; Fenriz's relentless passion for all things metal. It is hard to fathom that there is only one person behind all this and I am sure Fenriz would be delighted to know that I consider him to be the living embodiment of heavy metal in these lost and lonely days. Thanks mate, this is a job well done.