Ginnungagap
“Heliacal Arising” (Signal Rex, 2023)
In Nordic mythology, Ginnungagap was the vast abyss between the Northern frigid temperatures of Nifhleim, and the Southern unbearable hot of Muspelheim before creation. This abyss was so deep that no human eye could see its end. Well, and how does this mythological perspective “infiltrates” into Ginnungagap’s music?
We could go back and start off at Aldebaran, the shiniest star in the Taurus constellation. We could also head on over to Serra da Estrela and its legends, to Lucifer’s worshiping temples and occult connections. But why are these topics being mentioned? I truly believe that some musical genres go beyond the “simple” music and do have a content that breaks all walls. Black Metal is, without a doubt, such a case. And the reason why Aldebaran was mentioned, the reason why Serra da Estrela was cited, is all due to its importance to a number of Creators: The Clandestine Aldebaran Circle. Degredo, Espírito Aldebaran, Lycanthropic Winter Moon, Mallitiae, Nox Insultum, Occelensbrigg, Ordem Satânica, Stagnat, Trono Além Morte, Voemmr, and Ginnungagap.
All these artists are aligned with each other and the genre’s core. Music is Music, of course; Music with Content is something quite different. Ginnungagap is a very special part of this Black Metal circle. Its sound is unique and a modifier. In what sense? The “casual listener” will never understand the length, will never understand the significance, will never understand the importance. Am I something more than the ones standing beside me? I dare say no; am I absorbing Art differently than the ones standing beside me? The way we analyze, and ultimately accept Art, changes from person to person, and that will always lead people in different directions. And connection, of course. I have always felt more connected to the mountains than anything else. There is an energy, a spirit, a physical reality, an emotional connection, and that transpires from the music. Ginnungagap’s sound lives in the mountains, in Nature, in Serra da Estrela and the star of Taurus, Aldebaran, and all its occult and energetic enigmas.
And the music… after “Polar Solitude” and “Glaciar Throne of Emptiness”, the band now releases “Heliacal Arising”, its 1st full-length and 3rd release. Transversal to all these releases is a cold sound. As I was writing this review, I could not help but notice that album titles and song titles lead us towards the topics of Nature, Cold, Mountains, Void, Emptiness. The term ritualistic is usually thrown around just for the sake of it, and some cases truly fall far from the subject. Ginnungagap crafts its music in a way that we do feel as being part of some occult ritual in the middle of the woods, facing the Moon and the Mountain, immersed in melodies and emotions. Hypnotic moments drag the listener into this “musical coven”, where we place ourselves far from modern Society and modern convictions and twisted ideals. It does sound sort of weird and over-exaggerated, and I respect if that is the reading you did of my words, but that shows that we have different perspectives of Black Metal, which is ok.
In all honesty, the perspective one has of the genre will most likely not be an obstacle to the listener’s enjoyment of such a superb piece of Music. Yes, music in general, not only Black Metal! And that is, mostly, based on the fact that this set of songs sounds less abrasive than what they delivered in the Past, and that might fall on the sound and the production. Ginnungagap’s music has no need to sound bad to “sound” good; Ginnungagap’s music is a special beast, and its essence lives parted from its sound. It might be an expression full of arrogance and scorn for feeble beings, however it is an accurate vision…
All the bands that compose the Clandestine Aldebaran
Circle have their own characteristics and they are all aligned with each other,
as mentioned above, however, some sound differently. Ginnungagap is special,
and a project one must take its time to understand and absorb.
Geistaz’ika
“Midnastbon Ved Djaevelens Port” (Signal Rex, 2023)
Black Metal is a genre that has always lived in obscurity, to a certain degree. An act like Mayhem is not, today, the real expression of the genre. And hate me if you will. Bands grow, evolve, redirect their focus, become bigger than the genre itself, and sometimes lose themselves along the way. Not all big bands become a parody of what they were in the Past, not all mainstream (and the term can, of course, be easily misunderstood) bands deny their past beliefs; nonetheless, the Underground is still very much alive, and a number of acts can attest to my sentence. The question is: what is the difference between a small band in Denmark, and a bigger band in Sweden? They both play Black Metal, they both came from the underground, one is lesser known than the other, but is that band lesser than the bigger one? Let’s find out!
Geistaz’ika is a Danish one-man-project – Geistaz (Grigorien) – that now releases his 2nd album. His first, out in 2018, caught a lot of people by surprise, me included, with his approach to the sound. Rooted in ancient Danish folk and superstition, Geistaz took that into his music, and like Arckanum, channel the Occult and Witchcraft through musical notes. I have mentioned many times how music has the capability to turn into images, mental images, that pass before my eyes and help give the music a much bigger heart and essence. That also happens in this case. The folkish side of his music, fused with the harsher Black Metal spirit, bring forth this immense power and light. A blinding light. Dark are his colors, dark is his spirit, dark is the music and poetry.
Acoustic guitar, soft and delicate chants, melodies of ancient forests… comparing Geistaz’ika to an entity as Arckanum, even to me sounds like blasphemy! The possible comparison would always be based on what I extract from Geistaz’s music, and the impact Shamaatae’s work had on me as a Black Metal avid fan. Musically, and spiritually, Geistaz is a master at his craft, and the new album easily shows it.
Trapped in ancient beliefs, we wander through the woods,
hypnotized by delicate melodies from the Past. Outstanding return.
Burial Moon
“Burial Moon” (Signal Rex, 2023)
This year’s Invicta Reqviem Mass is full of exquisite Black Metal, a specific Black Metal. With some exceptions, Signal Rex’s gatherings tend to fall into a specific sound within Black Metal, which is great, considering the names that have played that stage before, and this year is not an exception. From a distant place, or a much closer, we welcome Burial Moon, a band that perfectly fits the Signal Rex ethos.
Its sound is dark, decadent, raw, grotesque. Burial Moon is an entity that clearly feeds off from human decay and despair, and that is shown through the music. The vocals are barely hearable, struggling for life beneath the rubbles of destruction and depression. The band structures a hypnotic platform based on guitar melodies that pull the listener in, assaulting, manipulating, feasting on his sadness. Burial Moon’s music immediately implies a concrete Hell, a physical situation, maybe due to the sound, the production, but surely it is related to how the music operates with me, the listener.
Expect Raw Black Metal, suffocating Black Metal, despair,
and decadence. All in all, Burial Moon could effortlessly be the soundtrack of
today’s Society. Be sure to catch them this year, in Porto. Again, a funny
detail: those that know the city of Porto will quickly alert you for its
architectural structure, its dark and greyish colors, moody people and overall
“dead spirit”. Burial Moon is the perfect soundtrack for a walk on those
streets.
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