In the form of a relentless raw attack, “Ingen Skånsel” arrives
on the horizon with the blazing heat of Norwegians KOLDBRANN and
their well-known energetic and pure malice.
Forged over the course of eleven years, the band’s long-awaited
fourth album brings a crushing atmosphere and emotion – the same
ones that have reinforced the genre for decades and make us crave
the new dose of the medicine called true black metal.
After the inhuman intervention that KOLDBRANN provided us with last year via the two tracks on the seven inch vinyl “Den 6. Massedød (Manna fra en annen himmel)”, the fire remained hot enough to keep the minds of the band’s fans in a pleasant tension. And as my intuition then whispered to me – there was a reason for this.
The title of the upcoming album “Ingen Skånsel” translates as “Without Condescension” and that’s exactly what you can expect from its full charge. Unapologetically, the Norwegian legends step out from behind the shadows of darkness and with all their bloodthirstiness take over the aural space with eleven anthems (twelve if you order the disc) stretching over around 46 minutes. Nihilistic and immersive, the work touches on themes of violence, death, (self) delusions and the elevation of the state of mind.
Starting smoothly, with pulsating drums and soaring cold riffs that instantly make the skin crawl with pleasure, the title track “Ingen Skånsel” takes us suddenly into the more rebellious and fast-paced traditional rhythm of KOLDBRANN. The malice becomes palpable, the vocals begin to growl more menacingly and the beautiful whirlwind of aggression begins to feel very close and familiar, yet extremely fresh at the same time. The idea of the end of the track, which combines the aggression of Sir Mannevond’s vocals with the fascinating slower instrumental at the beginning, brings a specific depth to the record and enticingly invites with its attractive power to dive deeper into the overall experience.
For the next ten tracks, you won’t be distracted by experimental elements or some extreme new ideas from the musicians, but there are segments of very beautiful cold atmospheric instrumentals throughout, keeping you interested in every single track. The skillful play with dynamics and tempos also has the desired effect and gives most of the pieces a haunting aura that makes you want to push the replay button over and over again. What you will hear is primal and vicious black metal that runs like a saw through the mind, completely in the style of the band – you will feel exactly the fire that has made the collective so captivating and loved by the community for more than thirteen years on stage.
Sticking to their tradition, KOLDBRANN once again bet on the shorter but fierce and tight compositions without unnecessary fillers. The tracks are relatively brief, crisp and drenched in kerosene fury, with the climax of the album feeling like a cold-blooded attack. The atmosphere is extreme, grim, determined and it is more than clear that the Norwegian Legion is back to unleash its punishment upon the world without any tolerance. If you’re even slightly familiar with the band, you should already know – with ‘Ingen Skånsel’ you’re in for some major league black metal carnage that promises to keep you on edge and deliver the dose of dark dopamine your soul is so desperate for.
Album: „Ingen Skånsel“
Band: KOLDBRANN
Release Date: August 23rd
Label: Dark Essence Records
Pre-order link: https://orcd.co/ingen-skaansel
Mother of THE VOID.
Underground music is the ultimate weapon against mediocrity.
