Forgjord/Tie, Totuus & Kuolema/Werewolf Records/2024 Compilation Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  compilation  album  from  Finland's  Forgjord  which  consists  of  a  demo  released  in  2002  and  rehearsal  tracks  recorded  between  2000-2001  which  showed  the  music  going  for  an  old  school  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  the  album  will  be  released  in  September  by  Werewolf  Records  and  is  called  "Tie,  Totuus  &  Kuolema".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  compilation  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  Clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  second  wave  era  of  the  genre  and  the  rehearsal  tracks  also  add  in  a  lot  more  rawness  then  what  was  presented  on  the  demo,  melodic  guitar  leads  are  also  utilized  briefly.

  On  these  tracks  Forgjord  brought  out  a  more  rawer  version  of  black  metal  that  was  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Finnish  style  of  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  occultism,  darkness,  death  and  hatred  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Forgjord  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  old  school  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fratres  Militiae  Inferni"  "Vihasta  Voimani"  and  "Valtaistuimellasi".  8 out  of  10.

  https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item.asp?PID=123094        

Forgjord/Perkeleen Weri/Werewolf Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  Forgjord  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  raw,  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Perkeleen  Weri"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Werewolf  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  A  lot  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  influences  from  the  mid  80's  to  early  90's  era  while  synth  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  when  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  riffs  they  also  give  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

 When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  horror  stories,  well-known  tragedies  from  the  Savo  region  and  the  untold  sin's  of  the  Finnish  civil  war.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Forgjord  and  if  you  are  a  fan  o  melodic,  old  school  and  raw  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  " Silmäinkääntäjä"  "Loukatun  Kunnia"  and  "Pettävä  Suo".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/7ud5SyEJMsA    

  

Forgjord/Ruumissaarna Pt. 1/Werewolf Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  Forgjord  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  raw,  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Ruumissaarna  Pt. 1"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Werewolf  Records.

  Keyboards  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Finnish  style.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

   Some  of  the  tracks  also  add   in a  small  amount  of  growls  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introducing  angry  shouts  and  spoken  word  parts  into  the  music,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  the  darker  side  of  man's  nature.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Forgjord  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  melodic  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ihmismielli"  "Ruumis  Enkelton"  and  "Pedon  hetki".  8  out  of  10.

  https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/forgjord-ruumissaarna-pt-1.asp  

Forgjord/Laulu kuolemasta/Werwolf Records/2020 CD Review

  Forgjord  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  raw,  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Laulu  kuolemasta"  which  will  be  released  on  June  26th  by  Werewolf  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  before  adding  in  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  solos  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  making  a  return  on  a  couple  of  songs,  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  tribal  drums  and  an  instrumental  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Forgjord  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Laulu  murtuvan  niskan"  "Kylmyys"  and  "Veljessurma".  8  out  of  10.

http://werewolfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/laulu-kuolemasta  

Forgjord Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

- Ilmestykset was actually recorder between 2015-2017 so we had time to do something else while waiting it to get released. We recorded and released Mors Fennico More after it, was it last year (2018)? Now we've been composing new material for next assaults. Only time will tell what comes from them and when.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

- Dont know. I dont compare our records to our previous ones. All songs are written at certain point of my life and they present that certain moment. So if there are songs or melodies or moods that reminds of older songs, they're just done in same kind of feeling that I had back then. Weve been doing our thing for couple decades so think that we have found our "own style" . Even if I try to make song that is very different from others, it still sounds like Förgjord when its done.


3.The lyrics on the new album are based upon the revelations of 'Maria Akerblom', can you tell us a little bit more about the interest you have in her work and movement?

I'm obsessed of finnish crime history. We have plenty of tragic happenings that have shocked whole nation. I could count Maria's cult as that one. Maria's story reminds me of Charles Manson or even Jim Jones. Of course not so big, but its interesting to see how one person can influence others so much that they even would do murder if their leader commands so.


4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?


Its a cabin where three people were stabbed to death in 1932. Same ol' finnish story; familyman drink booze, gets angry, grabs a knife and so on. For no reason there is someone dead and in morning no ones remember why or what happened. On the backside you can see this old woman standing next to its front door. Its just few hours after tragic happenings and mother of that same family is posing to reporters. "What a tragic accident..." was written on newspapers. Because in those days it was labeled as "accident" when someone did something uncontrolled while being drunk.

5.To my knowledge the band has not done any live shows even after being around for a long time, do you feel that the style of black metal that you play is not meant for a live setting?


- Förgjord is not meant to play live shows. We had our other (or previous  bands) which played live. Dont have anything against it, but Förgjord isnt live band.

6.The last few albums have been released on 'Werewolf Records', how would you compare working with them to your older label 'Hammer Of Hate'?

- Have to remember that Hammer of Hate are not the same label that it was back then when we start doing co-operation with them. There was a time when Förgjord was fading and we didn't get any support, until Molestor Kadotus from Hammer of Hate contacted us and offered us a deal. He gave us everything we ever needed (although we didn't ask much) and kept our flame burning. We did many records for them and they supported us totally. After a while Molestor realized that he didn't have time anymore for label and Hammer of Hate was given away. We were loyal to Molestor and not to label he was once running. So soon we started to release things through Werewolf Records. No need to compare these labels because they're complete different things and run by different individuals. Werewolf Records been supporting us totally.


7.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?


- Finnish black metal is quite popular worldwide, so its easy to get some visibility. To say it straight, many bands from here don't need the praise they're getting. Just because you're from Finland doesn't automatically mean youre good. Dont know how we succeeded, is it because our musick or just because we are finnish. We have supporters from all over the world but our thing is full of small finnish things and references - not just finnish lyrics - that one have to be finn to really understand every small detail. Fex check our booklets, they might seem like a mess but there is not single element that isn't there for a purpose. But if our works fascinate people all over the world and they check what finnish really culture is, then I think our work is done. Finnish culture is more than just sauna and beautiful paintings of Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Its also a sorrow, its drunken people stabbing their loved ones, its hanging yourself and none even noticed that you're gone. Its unhappy childhood and being scarred for life. Its repeating those very same mistakes that you're father did before you. Its about having alcohol problem and knife. This is what perkele in finnish culture is really about.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

BLK is doing things with his main band, Phlegein. They released their latest one, "Devotion", just last year. Fucking great and cold release. No compromises nor gimmicks.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?


Nowhere. We dont want to evolve. Simpler the better.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?


When I first heard Morgal I remembered what it was being a young. That furious rage and energy is so overwhelming that I started to see some of the Förgjords songs too lame and old and stuff like that. So I started to do songs that are more energetic, I woke that same pure flame I had when I was in my twenties. So its like we are heading back to basics again. Also Gorgoroths "Under a sign of hell" has always been a great influence. Be it in technically or be it musically

11.How would you describe your views on Satanism?


Be strong, be brave and dont dishonour yourself. I believe a satan/god inside a man. And besides it there is that bigger power that runs this whole world. But its above good or evil. So it depends individual is something good or evil/bad. Everything happens for a purpose.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?


Thanks for questions. Sorry that had to made them short. After "Ilmestykset" got released I've been so busy. Cd's been moving well and you're not only one that have asked interview.  So didn't have many hours to spend . Thanks for your support!

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Forgjord/Illmestykset/Werewolf Records/2019 CD Review

  Forgjord  are  a band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  dark  and  orthodox  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Illmestykset"  which  will  be  released  April  19th  by  Werewolf  Records.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  along  with  some  synths  and  spoken  word  samples  start  off the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style  and  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  French  and  Finnish  influences.

  A  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  shouts  also  bring  used  in  the  background  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Ritualistic  sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts,  melodic  vocals  and  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style  and  all  of  the  musical instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard,  when  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  are  loosely  based  on  the  revelations  of  Maria  Akerbloom  the  leader  of  the  Finnish  Akerbloom  Movement.

  In my  opinion  Forgjord  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  and  orthodox black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Orjahuoran  Laulu"  "Kaksitoista  Kuolemaa"  and  "Kaikkivaltias".  8/5  out  of  10.

http://werewolfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ilmestykset