Nàttsòl – Stemning (2010)

With a true Norwegian Black Metal sound, Nàttsòl has unleashed upon the world their majestic debut release: “Stemming”. The band has the true and cold atmosphere that Black Metal should have, but what makes them standout is their use of folk elements through the album, making them sound like Ulver in their “Bergtatt” and “Kveldssanger”.

Working in secrecy since 2006 Erlend Antonsen, the mastermind behind Nàttsòl, had been writing songs and required the services of top notch musicians from the Norwegian scene in order to bring his creations to life. With “Stemming” we get a very mature Black Metal album in nature, but with a brilliant shroud of mysticism and folk elements thrown into the mix.

If you are a fan of true Norwegian Black Metal you should know that “Bergtatt” is one of the best albums the genre has ever produced, and Nàttsòl has almost replicated this achievement with “Stemming”. The album is both brutal and majestic, a combination achieved by harsh Black Metal sections paired with acoustic guitars and brilliant vocal arrangements in the shape of ethereal choir sections.

The Black Metal aspect of the bands music is very well rounded, powerful and diverse guitar riffing with tremolo-picking sections to spare, powerful and compact drumming, harsh shrieks of pain. The production of “Stemming” is brilliant, providing the correct sound that Black Metal should have: raw and crystal clear.

As for the Folk elements of the music, we have brilliant short-but-sweet acoustic passages thrown in between BM sections. We also get an all-acoustic song to close of the release, which reminds us of Empyrium. The use of clean choir-like sections is eerily similar to Ulver on “Kveldssanger”, but with some female vocals at times.

We can keep babbling about how great this album is, but instead, we decided to give you only a brief taste of what you will encounter with “Stemming”. If you like harsh and cold Black Metal, but are not tolerant with folk elements, then stay away. However, if you liked the older Ulver, you will love this release. For us, “Stemming” will surely be on our top 10 Black Metal albums of 2010.

Release: July 13th, 2010

Country: Norway