BLODSGARD „Nuclear Extinction”

BLODSGARD is a young band from Oslo, Norway, just founded at the end of 2006 and coming along with their first demo to obscure the skies of Extreme Metal. Strongly orientated on fast winding black metal melodies, screaming at the very edge of a voice's capability, heavily distorted, and delivering an attitude that shows no fear of grand melodies. You'll find classic melodies as well as ice cold riffings, bound together in mostly fast, but always very beautiful songs.

To the time of recording BLODSGARD consists only of Fredrik Refling, who did all by himself here. Of course this results in using a drum machine, but he didnt took the digital sound but recorded it just like any other instrument, so it sounds at least a bit more organic and real, athough one still will notice that it is a drum machine. He got some help here and there for the bass, rest is his work, including the mixing.

The demo starts off with the title song “Nuclear Extinction”, with a dramatic intro leading straight into one of those fast, very fascinating, melodies. Next song “The last few on Men” reminds me a bit on Abomino Aetas, including the sound which comes with groundtrembling deep bass-impacts and a wide and open soundscape in again very fast, but beautiful and sometimes dreamy melodies. “Erasure of Mankind” is quite similar to the first song, with “Mordinstinkt” BLODSGARD enters a bit new spheres, it is slower and all in all a bit deeper, with much more tempo changes, going into deep and dramatic valleys here and thus creates an appealing diversification.

“Beer, Blood and Fornication” is an aggressive, much more into-the-face song, although it still has its own melody, but doesnt play much around, that in conjunction with the short “Intermission” maybe is the 'fun-song' here. “Armageddon” turns out to be very heavy, slower and even offers a deep growling. “Dřd fra Innsiden” starts off with horror-movie-like, dramatic series of single tones, that evolve into a melody which is present throughout the song, maybe the most matured song here, as it offers a lot of different tempi, but they flow into each other without hard breaks.

Next song “I hate them All” starts with a dreamy piano intro, only accompanied by harsh and crushing, single drum hits, before it bursts into a fast, winding melody. “I am Your Enemy” starts with a slow, almost doomy intensity, to that it returns throughout the song between outbursts of hate and despise, to end in a melancholic piano part. “Feeders of Lies” is a bit slower, but basically in the vein like the first songs. “Den Siste Tanke” again comes very doomy and intense, reminds me partly a bit on the style of horrormovie soundtracks, with melodies falling suddenly into dramatic, even thrilling parts. Outro “The Black Night” closes the demo with a bit more horror movie style like soundscape.

All in all a demo that shows really some interesting approaches, and since meanwhile a stable lineup is recruted I'm very anxious about future releases. Although here one finds a lot of different styles and maybe for some even too much playing around, there is also an own style recognisable, that, if worked out, has maybe what it takes to become something unique in the spheres of Extreme Metal. Check out their myspace, there you can also order your copy.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

01. Nuclear Extinction
02. The last Few of Men
03. Erasure of Mankind
04. Mordinstinkt
05. Intermission
06. Beer, Blood and Fornication
07. Armageddon
08. Dřd Fra Innsiden
09. I hate them all
10. I am Your Enemy
11. Feeders of Lies
12. Den siste Tanke
13. The black Night (Outro)

Line-up

Fredrik Refling (all instruments, recording, mixing)