[Reaper16]

19. Taake – Stridens Hus


For as much as I like complex, ambitious black metal there’s another side of the genre that is compelling to me: the part that is so pure & simple that it sounds a lot like early rock & roll. Carpathian Forest is a classic band in this vein: as much rockabilly in song structure as they are black metal. What I love about this album from stalwart black metal musician Taake is that is embraces that catchy simplicity of black metal’s rocking side. It uses repetition not in a droning, atmospheric way but in short simple bursts for the sake of pleasure. With a different guitar tone you can imagine tracks like “Kongsgaard Bestaar” being played by dudes in Guns n Roses garb. But it’s when that rock drive is used to prop up true black metal that I reach for the repeat button on iTunes. “Gamle Norig” and other songs here are some of the most immediate & accessible black metal tunes since Mgla’s 2012 gem, With Hearts Towards None. If you think you don’t like black metal because it’s too weird or slow, check that song out.