28 November 2023
When Emperor released their first LP, In The Nightside Eclipse, in 1994, they gave a big slap to a movement that was in its early years and still growing, and redefined the parameters with the intense use of the keyboard, whose place in (pure) black metal was a matter of debate. In fact, there is the use of keyboards in Burzum’s first album, of course, but Emperor adopted a more symphonic style and brought a more avant-garde perspective to black metal.
Kvist is a wonderful band that was founded in 1994 and disbanded after its first album released in 1996, gaining a considerable place in the list of single-album warriors. The band performs symphonic black metal with a nod to Nightside. As one of the most uncompromising, sophisticated black metal albums ever, it is obvious that they received much less attention than they deserved.
Although Kvist’s music is heavily influenced by Emperor, it also bears great similarities to Satyricon and Immortal. The band consists of three people, and the album was recorded at Endless Sound studios in Oslo, instead of Grieghallen, which hosted many important albums of that period. In the recording, a structure was preferred where no instrument – including vocals – would blend in and you could easily distinguish each one. Tom Hagen not only does classic black metal vocals very well, he also beats your ears with his rolling bass. The bass particularly stands out in some sections, and it suits the music very well. Drummer Endre did a great job with his fast and stylish technique. Hallvard, who is responsible for Guitar and Keyboards, managed to put his signature on the album with his creative keyboards. He brought the album to life with his high-quality and melodic guitar work. Although all instruments are equally prominent, the most important feature that distinguishes the band from its contemporaries is, of course, the intense use of keyboards.
The music is extremely harsh and generally fast. It’s hard to explain, but in some parts, they captured a dark and harsh atmosphere of fairground music. Keyboard partitions are mainly responsible for this. Music is not melancholic or gloomy. On the contrary, it has a lively and entertaining vibe. The songs manage to capture the listener in their first seconds with their beautiful introductory parts. The album, consisting of 6 tracks in total, provides an intense listening experience. In this respect, its not too long duration was also appropriate. When the album is finished, its taste remains on your palate and you want to listen to it again. This is an important feature that only very good albums have.
Although the album cover looks a little sloppy, it suits the music. All lyrics are in Norwegian and have never been officially released. It was stated that they are about topics we are familiar with in black metal.
It’s sad that such a good band disappeared after one album, but it’s true that they hit the jackpot with a single shot. Since I love the album so much, I always thought that such an ending was better because they might not be able to deliver what was expected with their next albums.
I would like to draw your attention to one particular part in the album. The part of the 2nd song called Forbannet Være Jorden Jeg Går På, starting at 2:20. If you haven’t listened to the album yet, I suggest you to check that out first.
10/10
