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Khold - Til Endes review



Reviewer:
5.8

22 users:
7.05
Band: Khold
Album: Til Endes
Release date: September 2014


01. Myr
02. Skogens Oye
03. Ravnestrupe
04. Dommens Arme [Sepultura cover]
05. Til Endes
06. Det Dunkle Dyp
07. Avund
08. Hengitt

So decomposed that it starts oozing unidentified fluids, giving off a putrid smell and the insides ready to burst if you press too hard with your finger. That's how I like my French cheese, and that's how I like my Khold.

In 2001, these Norwegians released a fantastic piece of gritty mid-tempo black metal called Masterpiss Of Pain, which displayed a rare talent: the ability to write the simplest most repetitive songs and yet give them that distinct gloomy atmosphere and filthy production that turned the catchy into hypnotic. And here we are now, thirteen years later with Til Endes. Unfortunately, I am telling you right now, there is very little left from Masterpiss Of Pain in Til Endes.

Indeed, the band either wanting to detach themselves from their old sound, or not knowing how to go back to it this time, signed a thirty minutes long watered-down version of recent Satyricon-like black metal. Why didn't I say it was a weaker version of themselves? Because that texture, that grease, that signature guitar tone, and those omnipresent trance-inducing basslines are not here anymore.

Now judged on its own, this isn't really a bad album. Gard still provides those distinctive vocals and the lyrics are still in Norwegian - which means he still sounds like the freak he looks like. After four boring songs, Til Endes picks up a little in pace and gets slightly more interesting starting from the title track. But the fans of early Khold might have already given up on it by the time they reach that fifth track. Some work on the production would have highlighted those vocals and the instruments, instead of letting the whole thing fall flat the way it does.

I still can't let go of this without saying something I find important to underline. Til Endes just doesn't feature anything that could be deemed new or interestingly made for anyone with minimal black metal notions. This is 2014, and this particular brand of weak black metal is not relevant anymore. Especially when the previous album, Hundre Ar Gammal released in 2008 after a two year hiatus, was perceived as very satisfying return that brought plenty of groove, dirtiness, punch and even violence back into the Khold discography.

If you're looking for hypnotic, primitive, almost sexual black 'n' roll, similar to one of those deliciously festering cheeses I enjoy, give Masterpiss Of Pain a spin. On the contrary, if you're too refined and posh for that sort of debauchery but still want to bob your head to clean(er) and catchy black metal, I suggest you stop at nostalgia station and go for a ride on Immortal's classic Sons Of Northern Darkness.

Far too clean and limp to be enjoyable, this piece of stale cheese doesn't deserve to bear the Khold label. "Wharm" would be a more appropriate name.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 7
Songwriting: 6
Originality: 5
Production: 4

Written by Ilham | 20.11.2014




Comments

Comments: 6   Visited by: 123 users
20.11.2014 - 18:14
Susan
Smeghead
"If you're looking for hypnotic, primitive, almost sexual black 'n' roll"

Why, yes, yes I am! I also enjoy stinky cheese. I'll check out their previous work.

Nonetheless, I think I'll also make some time for Sons Of Northern Darkness nostalgia today, too. Thanks for the reminder.

"Wharm" would be a more appropriate name

----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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20.11.2014 - 18:14
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
"These dudes are still around? huh" Was my first thought. Can't say I ever gave further thought to their music. Guess this wont be the case either.
----
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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20.11.2014 - 18:29
Rating: 5
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Susan on 20.11.2014 at 18:14

"If you're looking for hypnotic, primitive, almost sexual black 'n' roll"

Why, yes, yes I am! I also enjoy stinky cheese. I'll check out their previous work.

Nonetheless, I think I'll also make some time for Sons Of Northern Darkness nostalgia today, too. Thanks for the reminder.

Yeah I might have talked more about Masterpiss of Pain rather than about Til Endes , but even in the most objective ways, there is no time to lose on this one. Run towards MOP and refresh that memory of Sons Of Northern Darkness haha!
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20.11.2014 - 18:52
Susan
Smeghead
Written by Ilham on 20.11.2014 at 18:29

and refresh that memory of Sons Of Northern Darkness haha!


It was my first black metal album ever
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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21.11.2014 - 10:59
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
It was my first Immortal album.
----
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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06.02.2016 - 11:32
Danny Thomas

I didn't dislike this album, but I've never been overly impressed with the band. yet for whatever reason I used to find myself listening to their albums in their entirety while performing random tasks. I've always liked Gard's vocals, so this band stuck with me. Your review cracked me up and pretty much made me take a break from my Oranssi Pazuzu binge to listen to this and the rest of the discography. you had me at "liking your french cheese like decomposition"
----
Our children are dead. Burnt in the ruins that were left by war.
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