Istapp – Blekinge (2010)

With a particular beef with the sun (read their bio) and a very interesting overall concept behind the band, we get today Istapp and their blend of Black Metal with Viking/Folk Metal elements. The band’s first full-length release “Blekinge” set to be release on June 8th on Metal Blade records is one of the most complete Black Metal albums of 2010.

Hailing from Sweden, a place where pretty much every band seems to have the skills to craft great music, it’s hard to find young and promising talent such as Istapp. The band’s music is very straight forward and aggressive, but has mystical clean passages that create unparalleled atmospheres fully enriching the listening experience.

Having a top notch production behind this release, the band has polished all songs in a way that it’s almost impossible to find flaws in them. With straight forward aggressive guitar riffing all songs are enveloped in shroud of a cold winter Black Metal snow storm. The bass guitar line is very clean and goes very well with the guitar melodies; it’s mixed perfectly to allow us to notice it keeping the music rhythm in check.

The drumming is also provided by the band’s guitar player Fjalar, and it’s blistering as you can expect from any top notch Black Metal band, the tempo changes into melodic sections are very well handled and the accelerator goes to 100 exactly when demanded. The harsh vocals are very solid and energetic, but the clean choir sections are the ones that make Istapp’s sound so rich and diverse.

With ten brutally cold tracks, “Blekinge” offers one of the best ‘bang for your buck’ albums of 2010. There is no song that feels boring or tired, every single aural assault hits the spot. If you are looking for the must have Viking/Folk-ish Black Metal album of the summer, your quest is over with “Blekinge”.

Release: June 8th, 2010

Country: Sweden