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Nagelfar - Srontgorrth review



Reviewer:
9.4

68 users:
8.38
Band: Nagelfar
Album: Srontgorrth
Release date: June 1999


Disc I
01. Kapitel Eins (Der Frühling) - Als Die Tore Sich Öffnen...
02. Kapitel Zwei (Der Sommer) - Die Existenz Jenseits Der Tore
03. Kapitel Drei (Der Herbst) - Endzeit
04. Kapitel Vier (Der Winter) - Trümmer
05. Kapitel Fünf - Willkommen Zu Haus...

Disc II [Reissued Bonus CD]
01. Kapitel Eins (Der Frühling) - Als Die Tore Sich Öffnen... [demo]
02. Kapitel Zwei (Der Sommer) - Die Existenz Jenseits Der Tore [demo]
03. Kapitel Drei (Der Herbst) - Endzeit [demo]
04. Fragmente Einer Chronik

One of my favourite and in my opinion, one of the most underrated albums of our time, is the grand opus "Srontgorrth", by the German Nagelfar. Perhaps it is due to the bankrupt label Kettenhund Records and its almost impossibility to find nowadays, that it is not constantly praised and hailed by the scene. For the music is truly awesome.

Zorn's guitarwork is absolutely amazing. His ecstatic, bloodrushing riffs are what most Viking metal bands lack: thrilling and exciting. The jaw-droppingly diverse vocals of Jander are warm one moment, and despairing the next, containing a bulk of emotion that neither Anathema nor Katatonia possess. Combined with my love for the german language, this creates some of my favourite vocal moments ever. The immortal screams in "Willkommen Zu Haus", anyone?

But there is more besides Black Metal. After the first and the second song, weird electronica rears its ugly head. Think Ulver's "Perdition City", but without Garm's warm vocals and a more apocalyptic feel to it. Some might hate it, others, such as me, love it.

Without a doubt this is the highlight of Nagelfar's career. The predecessor, "Hünengraben Im Herbst", showed the incredibly potential of the band but just didn't hit the right spot. And "Virus West", the only easily obtainable album of theirs nowadays, just doesn't have it with a different vocalist.

In the end, "Srontgorrth" proves to be a surprising and diverse album. There is a great deal of talent on this album, and eventhough this band ceased to exist, that talent lives on in other great projects (Von Meinenwald's "The Ruins Of Beverast"). While all these other projects are definitely worthwhile, we must not forget the first exposure of these talents.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 10
Originality: 9
Production: 9





Written on 07.02.2008 by If you're interested in extreme, often emotional and underground music, check out my reviews. I retired from reviewing, but I really used to be into that stuff.


Comments

Comments: 17   Visited by: 176 users
22.02.2010 - 20:32
Maxx666
Meshuggahian
Awesome album esp. track 2 and 5
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13.04.2011 - 03:16
Mikrokosmos
Account deleted
Is it me or is track 3 a new version of track 6 from the previous album ?
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13.04.2011 - 19:24
Rating: 9
Lucas
Mr. Noise
Written by Guest on 13.04.2011 at 03:16

Is it me or is track 3 a new version of track 6 from the previous album ?


What exactly do you mean? This was their second album, released in '99... ?
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SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?

"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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14.04.2011 - 00:20
Mikrokosmos
Account deleted
Written by Lucas on 13.04.2011 at 19:24

Written by Guest on 13.04.2011 at 03:16

Is it me or is track 3 a new version of track 6 from the previous album ?


What exactly do you mean? This was their second album, released in '99... ?



listen to track 6 "Srontgorrth (Das Dritte Kapitel)" on Hünengrab Im Herbst, and then to the 3rd track of Srontgorrth. I've been listening to both on Youtube (I only own the 1st album) and they are pretty much the same
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14.04.2011 - 01:15
Rating: 9
Lucas
Mr. Noise
Written by Guest on 14.04.2011 at 00:20

Written by Lucas on 13.04.2011 at 19:24

Written by Guest on 13.04.2011 at 03:16

Is it me or is track 3 a new version of track 6 from the previous album ?


What exactly do you mean? This was their second album, released in '99... ?



listen to track 6 "Srontgorrth (Das Dritte Kapitel)" on Hünengrab Im Herbst, and then to the 3rd track of Srontgorrth. I've been listening to both on Youtube (I only own the 1st album) and they are pretty much the same


Ah yeah I remember such a thing, yes. Been a while since I've heard the first. Could very well be.
----
SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?

"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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05.11.2011 - 07:21
Rating: 10
₣rost Giant

Written by Guest on 14.04.2011 at 00:20

Written by Lucas on 13.04.2011 at 19:24

Written by Guest on 13.04.2011 at 03:16

Is it me or is track 3 a new version of track 6 from the previous album ?


What exactly do you mean? This was their second album, released in '99... ?



listen to track 6 "Srontgorrth (Das Dritte Kapitel)" on Hünengrab Im Herbst, and then to the 3rd track of Srontgorrth. I've been listening to both on Youtube (I only own the 1st album) and they are pretty much the same


Those songs are re-imagined versions of the original songs of Hunengrab. This is why the band doesn't really consider this to be the second album because its really a new spin on material already done. They consider Virus West to be their second album.
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23.12.2011 - 19:15
Baz Anderson

This is a fantastic album... Do they have others of a similar level?
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23.12.2011 - 22:29
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Baz Anderson on 23.12.2011 at 19:15

This is a fantastic album... Do they have others of a similar level?

I personally think the album before this one, Hunengrab Im Herbst, trounces this album in quality. Much more melodic, progressive and memorable. One of the best albums of all time.
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24.12.2011 - 16:20
Rating: 9
Lucas
Mr. Noise
Written by Baz Anderson on 23.12.2011 at 19:15

This is a fantastic album... Do they have others of a similar level?


You should check out this album's predecessor, as Joe said. I personally don't consider it better, but it's definitely a great album. The third album, Virus West, is also a great album. Definitely not on par with this one, a little different too, but a great release nonetheless.
----
SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?

"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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25.12.2011 - 06:02
Rating: 9
Promonex
Cathemeral
Written by Baz Anderson on 23.12.2011 at 19:15

This is a fantastic album... Do they have others of a similar level?

Track 3 of this album is actually track 6 of the predecessor, so yeah, Hünengrab im Herbst is definitely the foundation for this album. Which doesn't make Hünengrab as brilliant as everybody makes it out to be, in my humble opinion. I personally haven't come across anything like Srontgorrth so far. But you might want to check out Truppensturm, another German black metal band with Nagelfar's drummer Alexander von Meilenwald (who's also the guy behind The Ruins Of Beverast), even though it's a lot rawer.
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All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now.
- The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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28.12.2011 - 01:05
Baz Anderson

Ok, cool! Thanks guys, I'll have to try these out properly...
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16.05.2012 - 02:12
Rating: 9
Oaken
Hipster
One of the catchiest black metal ever written. That riff in Kapitel I that gets repeated throughout the album is crushing.
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In that case, man is only air as well.
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16.05.2012 - 12:46
Rating: 9
Daniell
_爱情_
The best black metal band to ever come out of Germany.
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16.05.2012 - 15:02
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Daniell on 16.05.2012 at 12:46

The best black metal band to ever come out of Germany.

Meilenwald surpassed this project with The Ruins of Beverast in my opinion but this probably comes in a close second for me (though Verdunkeln might even give that a run for its money)
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16.05.2012 - 15:46
Rating: 9
Promonex
Cathemeral
Written by Guest on 16.05.2012 at 15:02

Written by Daniell on 16.05.2012 at 12:46

The best black metal band to ever come out of Germany.

Meilenwald surpassed this project with The Ruins of Beverast in my opinion but this probably comes in a close second for me (though Verdunkeln might even give that a run for its money)

Mind continuing this discussion in the German black metal thread? I'd love to counter with some Nocte Obducta, but don't want to go too off-topic
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All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now.
- The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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28.09.2014 - 18:46
Dr. Strawberry

Written by Promonex on 25.12.2011 at 06:02

Written by Baz Anderson on 23.12.2011 at 19:15

This is a fantastic album... Do they have others of a similar level?

Track 3 of this album is actually track 6 of the predecessor, so yeah, Hünengrab im Herbst is definitely the foundation for this album. Which doesn't make Hünengrab as brilliant as everybody makes it out to be, in my humble opinion. I personally haven't come across anything like Srontgorrth so far. But you might want to check out Truppensturm, another German black metal band with Nagelfar's drummer Alexander von Meilenwald (who's also the guy behind The Ruins Of Beverast), even though it's a lot rawer.

Thanks for your recommendations, I just listened to Truppensturm's debut. it's really a good and underrated Black Death band. Full of Bolt Thrower's riffs infused with Black elements, this style is really rare and unique.

Unfortunately it's too short to be called a full-length, the minimum requirement is 25 mins, althought many studio albums out there were called full-length if not less than 23:00 mins but it usually may raise some eye brows.

Btw, their following release, Salute to the Iron Emperors is just a waste of time.
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25.12.2018 - 20:38
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
I have to agree about electronica, that was weird but I would say maybe best BM band what cames from Germany.
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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