Minneriket/Gjennom meg går ingen til hvile/2022 CD Review

 

  Norway's  solo  project  Minneriket  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  avant  garde  and  experimental  style  of  black  metal  along  with  a  great  amount  of  session  musicians  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2022  album  "Gjennom  meg går  ingen  til  hvile"  which  will b e  released  in  2022.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  and  field  recordings  a  few  seconds  later.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  synths  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  One  of  the  instrumentals  also  introduces  stringed  instruments  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of   slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  each  track  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  Flutes,  saxophones  and  gongs  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  some  of  the  songs,  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  incorporating  more  use  of  the  choir  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  aw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  paganism,  existentialism  and  melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Minneriket  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  and  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  " Så  kald  en  jord"  "Sorg  og  savn"  and  "Nåde".  8  out  of  10.

   

Minneriket/Anima Sola/Akslen Black Art Records/2018 CD Review

  Norway's  solo  project  Minneriket  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  is also  in  the  ambient  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Anima  Sola"  which  will  be  released  in  2018  by  Akslen  Black  Art  Records.

  Bass  playing  and  clean  guitars  start  off  the  album before  adding  in  heavier  riffing  and  grim  black  metal  screams  which  also  have  a  depressive  and  suicidal  edge  at  times  while  the  synths  also  bring  in  elements  of  ambient  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of t he  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  along with the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

 The  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  demonic  growls  can  also  be  heard  while all  the  drum  beats  are  all  programmed,  when  melodic  vocals  are  used  briefly  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  goth  rock  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  guitars  on  a  few  of  the  later  tracks.

  Minneriket  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  ambient  style  of  black  metal  while  also  adding  in  a  romantic  and  gothic  touch,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Norwegian  and  English  and  cover  Paganism,  Existentialism,  and  Melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Minneriket  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "An  All  Too  Human  Heart"  "I  AM  The  Serpent  Son"  and  "Time  For  Suicide".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb97OfnX6go

Minneriket/From The Veins Of A Nearly Dead Boy - A Tribute To Burzum/2017 Full Length Review

  Minneriket  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  play  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  on  other  release  while  only  doing  Burzum  covers  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "From  The  Veins  Of   A  Nearly  Dead  Boy - A  Tribute  To  Burzum".

  A  very  heavy  and  raw  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album and  captures  the  early  90's  style  of  Burzum  perfectly  while  also  more  of  a  grim  approach  to  the  black  metal  screams  of  the  originals  and  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies and  the  solos  and  leads  also  have  a  very  raw  and  melodic  feeling.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  tremolo  picking  riffs  have  a  vintage  90's  Norwegian  style  to  them  along  with  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  some  of  the  covers  also  bring  in  the  atmospheric  feeling  of  the  originals  and  the  band  also  adds  a  touch  of  their  own  style  to  the  Burzum  songs  and  there  is  also  a brief  use  of  melodic  vocals  in  the  background.

  Minneriket  manages  to  capture  the  original  atmosphere  of  Burzum  with  their  cover  songs  while  also  adding  some  of  their  experimental  approach  to  the  songs  to  make  them  sound  different  without  straying  away  from  the  original  concept,  the  production  sounds  very  dark, r aw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Paganism,  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Minneriket  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Norwegian  black  metal  and  Burzum,  you  should  check  out  this  tribute.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ea,  Lord  Of  the  Depths"  and  "My  Journey  To  The  Stars".  8  out  of  10. 

Bandcamp: https://minneriket.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-veins-of-a-nearly-dead-boy-a-tribute-to-burzum
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVj4vIhF0Eg

Minneriket/Stjerner, Speil Og Svarteboker/Akslen Black Art Records/2016 CD Review

  Minneriket  are  a  solo  project  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Stjerner,  Speil  Og Svarteboker"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Asklen  Black  Art  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  raw  black  metal  sound  along  with  some  grim  yet  depressive  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  also  being  added  in  at  times  and  you  can  also hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  and  after  awhile  elements  of  dark  ambient  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  songs  also b ring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fat  parts  and  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  also  takes  the  songs  in  a  darker  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  on  the  last  track  the  vocals  get  very  deep  and  demonic.

  Minneriket  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  atmospheric  style  of  ambient  black  metal  from  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Norwegian  and  English  and  cover  Faustian,  Paganism,  Existensialism  and  Melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Minneriket  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  ambient  black  metal,  you  should check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vinterblot"  and  "How  To  Write  Love  in  The  Stars".  8  out  of  10.

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Minneriket Interview

Interview with Stein Akslen (Minneriket) for Occult Black Metal Zine.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

Stein A: The first recordings started early 2014, and incorporated ideas that were a lot older. It’s a solo project, working in my own pace and treading on some new ground. I wanted an outlet for the more traditional and oldschool Black Metal sound, focusing purely on atmosphere, and decided not to tamper with any existing projects and rather start from scratch, letting the project shape itself as I went along. In a way, it’s a romantic and contemplative approach to Black Metal.

2.Recently you have released your fist album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Stein A:, On the debut album «Vargtimen» the ambiences of instruments and their sonic position in the musical landscape takes precedence to fuel the creative process. Holistic songwriting, if you want. It’s raw, it’s lo-fi and partly nostalgic, combining the ambiences with the dynamics to present a unique dark sound.

3.Your lyrics cover some Pagan and Existentialism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

Stein A: Somehow I think everything I touch ends up related to those labels, but I’d avoid labeling Minneriket as either of them. The lyrics are very introvert, consisting of both the contemplative existensialism and the pagan imagery as a catalyst for further reflection. Most of the lyrics are in Norwegian, some in English, and I think the ones in English might be more accessible for some, while the ones in Norwegian is closer to heart.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Minneriket'?

The meaning of «Minneriket» is, literally, «the realm of memories», which describes the romantic approach to the music, partly living in some kind of esoteric, transcendent past. I consider the name as an image for the Mímisbrunnr, the well located under the root of Yggdrasill in Jötunheimr where Óðinn sacrificed his eye to grow in knowledge. A timeless source of wisdom and visions. Several years ago, I released a book with the same title, a limited print-on-demand feature including translations and commentary of an Old Norse poem, and other artistic endeavours as poetry and photography. One of the texts there written almost ten years ago, is a poem in nine parts called «Minneriket», and gave name to the book, and now the band, and were used as the lyrics for the last track on the album.

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself but have worked with other musicians in other bands and projects, how would you compare the two?

Stein A: Yes, I have collaborated both locally and internationally with other bands, and the creative process is completely different from each band to the next. It all comes down to finding the right combination of igniting sparks and filling voids. Blodsgard is perhaps the most unorthodox approach, where I focus on the lyrics and conveying a state of mind, then Rex, a musical mastermind, translates this into music to create the entity that Blodsgard has become. Working completely solo, like I do in Minneriket and in other ambient projects, has both it’s pros and cons. It’s total freedom, your own pace, and the process of creating from scratch is rewarding. At the same time, it creates limits and challenges, and the lack of input from others during the creation can be just as much a gift as a curse. Either way, the approach you take should be related to the art you wish to present, and in this case, it is a solitary work of art.

6.Your self released the album on 'Akslen Black Art Records', is this a label for your music only or do you plan on expanding by signing other bands?

Stein A: So far I’ve only released albums there by my own projects, Minneriket and V0id&Khaos, and I intend it to stay that way, at least for now. I wouldn’t have the time, or capability, to give other bands the focus they would deserve. ABAR is mostly there to enable an existence and to remain in complete control of the finished material, and not have external labels tear down what you try to do with their incompetence. For this project, freedom and control is a lot more important than the capitalist greed of the music industry, which really has nothing to offer anymore sans promotion. 

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

Stein A: When you work in a genre like Black Metal, catering to the very few, the feedback is irrelevant to your own sense of accomplishments. Some like it, some don’t. But I do appreciate the feedback when people tell their stories, how the music has touched or inspired them in some way. Moments like that are always powerful, and the best kind of feedback is when people actually connect to your music.

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

Stein A: After we spent about five years recording «Monument» by Blodsgard we needed to take a time off from that, and reconnect to it when the time is right. We’ve been spinning plans for our sophomore album for a long time, and I already did some lyrical groundwork back in late 2013, but a new album is still a few years away. V0id&Khaos will have a new Dark Ambient release out in the not-so-distant future, and I’ve already begun the writing on the next Minneriket album.

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

Stein A: Expanding, I hope. I can’t stand being static or in a standstill position when it comes to creativity. My contributions to music will forever be rooted in the darker aspects of Black Metal and Ambient, but I’d love to approach the gothic and melancholic genres someday. I’m not much of a metal fan really, I prefer the black in Black Metal, and not the metal. Hopefully I’ll be able to shape Minneriket into the notorious outfit I imagine it has the power to become.

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

Stein A: Mainly Burzum, without a doubt. But of course other bands like Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Seigmen, Trelldom, Vond, Shining (Swe), etc. All these bands cast large shadows, and that’s well deserved. I don’t listen to much music these days, not much new music at least. Mourning Ritual made a great cover of «Bad Moon Rising» that I’ve been spinning pretty much since it got released, and there’s a Norwegian melancholic rock/metal band called I Lit the Sun who released an excellent album called «Horizon» recently.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Stein A: Virgin sacrifices and the destruction of public property of course. And a wicked sense of humour. I could list on and on about nature, contemporary art and litterature, but I have a feeling it would sound like a dating ad, so I’ll refrain from the namedropping.

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

Stein A: Thank you for your interest in Minneriket. The debut album «Vargtimen» was released recently on summer solstice both on cassette tape and CD as well as a digital download. There was also made a special box set, containing the cassette tape, a lyric sheet/logo posters, black and white feathers, graveyard dirt, bone dust, human bones and wooden carved runes. I find it important to offer something special to the true fans in this day of digital decay. For those interested, the limited box set is now sold out, but there’s still some CDs and tapes left at www.minneriket.bandcamp.com. The whole album is also available for streaming there. If there’s any wish to interact, Minneriket also has an official Facebook page.

Minneriket/Vargtimen/Akslen Black Art Records/2015 Cassette Review

  Minneriket  are  a  solo  project  from  Norway  that  plays  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "Vargtimen"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Akslen  Black  Art  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  ambient  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  brings  in  blast  beats  and  at  times  and  after  awhile  grim  screams  start  becoming  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  it  brings  in  a  more  raw  and  brutal  style  of  black  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  some  of  the  riffs  at  times  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  more  depressive  side  of  the  genre  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  there  is  also  an  instrumental  track  while  the  remaining  songs  bring  the  vocals  back  in  while  one  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Minneriket  creates  a  very  diverse  style  of  black  metal  with  his  music  taking  the  raw,  melodic,  depressive  and  atmospheric  sides  of  the  genre  and  mixing  them  in  with  epic  structures  and  a  great  amount  of  ambient  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  along  with  a  few  song  titles  being  in  English  and  cover  Paganism,  Existensialism,  and  Melancholy  themes  while  some  tracks  also  borrow  from  select  parts  from  the  Poetic  Edda.

  In  my  opinion  Minneriket  are  a  very  great  sounding  ambient  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  folge  spor"  "Fra  Yggdrasill"  and  "The  Ballad  Of  Ordinary  Flowers".  8  out  of  10.  

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP3ncsHAsYI