Koldbrann are a Black Metal Band from Drammen, Norway
The members are
Kvass - Guitar
Mannevond - Vocals
S.G.J. - Bass
Folkedal - Drums
Voidar - Guitar
Koldbrann – Vertigo
In a world where a lot of bands like to take their ‘genre’ and experiment with other genres of music, Koldbrann largely stick completely to their orthodox, Norwegian black metal roots on their third long player.
Having been a going concern since 2001, Koldbrann (which translates to ‘gangrene’) have been prolific in their releases. Two previous albums, numerous EP’s, splits and a live DVD make up a steady body of work.
Vertigo, as previously noted, is predominantly a traditional black metal album. Throughout the album the drums are fast, the vocals are snarled, and the guitars are dense with the bass low in the mix. The production of the album retains a lo-fi feel but still sounds modern at the same time. This makes the album extremely enjoyable to listen to.
The tracks on the album are punctuated by several short interludes that break the album up nicely. Although the album is in the traditional black metal style, there are a few changes in tempo that keep the album extremely exciting. ‘Drammen’ is one example of this. The opening is slower in pace before exploding into a glorious frenzy of guitars and drums. ‘Phantom Kosmonaut’ has a several tempo changes as well, but it is the emphatic ‘Goat Lodge’ that impresses the most here. The guitars are distorted, there are haunting spoken word elements and there is an extremely good solo all thrown into the mix.
As the album moves forward, it gets stronger. ‘I Eklipsens Summer’ and album closer, ‘Intertia Corridors,’ are both quite fantastic tracks. The building strength of the tracks make the album feel like an album, and not just a collection of songs. You can really tell that the band have thought about how they assemble the songs they have written to formulate a far greater body of work.
Overall, Vertigo is a very good album. Traditional black metal fans will lap the album up, and those new to the genre wouldn’t go far wrong with checking this out as a start point for modern black metal. The musicianship on the album is excellent, particularly the drumming. The vocals are also very accessible in that they are harsh and true to the black metal origin, but they are given a modern tinge. It would be great to see the band hitting our shows for some shows.
Written By Dominic Walsh
Thanks to Season Of Mist Records for sending ourselves a promo to review.
Check The Band From The Links Below
Official
