In the midst of the summer (and not quite normal) heat, the lovers of cold  definitely need a rescue dose of  fog and Norwegian freezing atmosphere  to revive at least some of the might of our blood-soaked nature. Along those lines – I couldn’t help but devote myself to Taake’s „Et hav av avstand“ in recent days – Hoest has always succeeded so far in the endeavour of bringing that kind of atmosphere to his music ,  captivating the ears of even the genre’s more sceptical fans.

True to himself to the last riff, but this time opting for a few new  ideas with more multilayered and progressive approach, Taake presents his new eighth full-length opus, which in 42 minutes takes us into the world of Hoest and his melancholic and at the same time, raw nature.

As always, almost everything good happens in autumn and on the very first day of it –  September 1st, we can celebrate the release of „Et hav av avstand“ through  Dark Essence Records.

The successor to Kong Vinter (2017) contains fewer tracks than its predecessor – four lengthy compositions, similar to other titles, and is also slightly shorter in duration – but the content is massive and seems to literally haunt the space with its interesting progression and charismatic old-school flavour in the style of Taake, formed alongside the sound of bands like Darkthrone, Burzum, Carpathian Forest, Tsjuder and other cult acts of his rank,  together with whom he managed to elevate the Norwegian scene and culture into something legendary.

The lyrics in the title are again traditionally written in Old Norwegian (it’s not a secret that Taake avoids the use of the letters ø,  å and æ , as well as the word „og“ that exist in modern Norwegian), and in the insert of some of the physical media Hoest spells out  the lyrics in runes, and I think this is an important part of the mission to which he has been dedicated from the beginning, which is to keep the Old Norwegian spirit alive.

A deeply poised breath and a subsequent fierce raw vocal call, with energetic lead guitars creeping in the background, open the title track in the first seconds of „Denne forblaaste Ruin av en Bro“, as the nearly 12-minute piece goes through a number of transformations by the end of its duration.
The guitar solos that are customary to Taake and his particular brand of songwriting are still present in certain segments of the song, adding of that more playful and rebellious flavor that is also traditional to Darkthrone and the work of Nocturno Culto – the two musicians are definitely among the guitarists who experiment and seem to merge with the instrument during recordings. The hooks gradually flow into a tighter guitar sound, heating up the atmosphere until it suddenly shifts into a cold cutting black metal tremolo wave.
The song sways in different directions, from furious raw black metal atmospherics, through driving solos, to wheezes of desperation, all the while traditionally Hoest’s riffs are the guiding force, managing to bring a freshness to his albums even after more than 25 years of making music.

And while the first track seems to present a symbiosis of the atmosphere of the title with alternating more fast-paced fresh parts and heavier and melancholic inclusions, then gradually each subsequent track progresses and becomes more and more raw and fiercely ear-grabbing, at the same time giving way to a meandering nostalgia, to an increasingly dense emotional charge.

The final track of the album is a real blast , in which Hoest explodes in every way. The brief appearance of the bass lines in the foreground are a highlight that hooks the attention in the first minutes- a very special lull moment happens in the spirit of „calm before the storm“, then progressively again the musician goes through melodic sections with dirty solos,until it reaches the traditional raw guitars and an interesting rhythm that scrapes at your temples.
There’s a lot of charm to this song indeed – the tempos vary as with the other tracks on the album, surprising elements enter in a similar way, but in „Et Uhyre av en Kniv“ the atmosphere is colder, darker, harsher and in typical old-school way – emotionally charged and authentic, with the track’s drawn out finale adding a touch of psychedelia.

„Et hav av avstand“ is an energetic album that  brings some fresh ideas to Taake’s discography, following the  already established tradition without much deviation.
Classic Norwegian black metal from the mid to late 90’s, influenced by the 80’s heavy metal, speed and punk scene, alongside the proto-thrash and thrash acts from the 70’s and 80’s, as in this case Hoest and his rebellious nature once again distinguish the work with Taake’s signature expression and fans’ now well-known sweeps over the well-sculpted extended riffs, which give a particularly old-school and nostalgic feel.

The album may take a little longer to mature, but it certainly has that raw-energy infused flavor that has been Taake’s trademark for so many years now.

With energetic melodies and sucking riffs, „Et hav av avstand“ progressively and insistently unleashes its power and conquers the ear with its authentic restless black metal passion dedicated entirely to darkness and piercing coldness.

Score: 9/10

You can listen to the piece „Et uhyre av en kniv“ below:

Band: Taake
Album: „Et Hav av Avstand“
Release date: September 1st, 2023
Label: Dark Essence Records
Order link: https://bit.ly/463dCAP.