Preamble
transcendental – [tran-sen-den-tl,-suhn-] adjective
1. transcending, surpassing, or superior.
2. being beyond ordinary or common experience, thought, or belief; supernatural.
3. abstract or metaphysical.
4. idealistic, lofty, or extravagant.
black metal – [blak met-l] noun
1. a transcendentalist’s approach to heavy metal
And there you have it… transcendental black metal defined in less than half a page by a United States Southerner who did not happen to attend an Ivy League university, and is considered by many to be the exact opposite of a pretentious, douchey, over talkative little fuck.
If there’s one thing I can say about the entire staff here at MetalReview, it’s that no writer here comes off as a know-it-all. We are all students of metal, and although we may know some things, we recognize that there is a lot to learn. It excites us to learn new things, and some of our discoveries along the way excite us very much. Additionally, we are a passionate bunch, and when any of us are absolutely certain something is good, we do our damnedest to share it with everyone in both our individual and collective spheres of influence. Whether you wanted to hear that or not is irrevelant, because I found it worth mentioning as a preamble for what I’m about to say, namely: I know that …From Outer Intelligences is a really fucking good album.**
Review
So it’s been about a year since Sorgeldom‘s sophomore effort, Inner Receivings took many of us by surprise. Although listening to something innovative and, well… completely weird was challenging, Receivings managed to worm its way into a handful of the year-end lists of both our staff and our readers. Although Sorgeldom‘s apporach to black metal is brazenly bizarre, it also has a strange tendency to remind its listeners that everything about black metal is, in fact, bizarre. From its strange origin to the intimidating murder stories and inner-circles surrounding the second wave of the 90s to present day makeovers (whether they be tinged with shoegaze or electronica), black metal has always been digging a bit deeper into the soil of innovation, imagination and creativity than most other forms of music. So, in one sense, Sorgeldom is intriguing because of its ingenuity and its ability to distance itself from any other project of the sort, but in another sense, the band is very traditional, because transcendence, if you will, is something that has been a part of black metal since the very beginning.
…From Outer Intelligences kicks off in traditional fashion, using instruments one would find at a landfill to welcome the listener into a realm celebrating the many obscure, yet familiar emotions of this world. The comfort given off by the album is also strange, given the eeriness of Sorgeldom‘s usual production techniques. There are, however, many differences between Intelligences and its predecessors. Both Innerlig Förmörkelse and Inner Receivings shared a similar disjointedness that occured a few times after a grouping of songs. For example, Inner Receivings begins with fast-paced, traditional black metal and then transitions relatively smoothly into a much more etherial, shoegaze haze before switching back to the traditional side of things on the album’s title track. The only reason this works, is because all of Sorgeldom‘s songs sound only like Sorgeldom. Where Intelligences differs is that the songs themselves feel a bit disjointed. Therefore, the beginnings and endings of each song transition perfectly, but there are synapses throughout the entire album in many of its songs. This isn’t necessarily a flaw, since it’s what Jodöden, Dr: Sundén and J. Marklund were obviously going for, but it’s one of the album’s noticeable differences.
Clean vocals are also a bit more prevalent in the album’s mixing, and would at times be completely awkward were it not for their sincerity (to use a word that truly defines this band). Picture your kid brother singing his heart out at a funeral or wedding or something… where the vocals may normally make someone want to cringe, nobody does because of the importance of the situation. It almost makes the moment all the more worthwhile.
Now that the nitty-gritty, nitpicking shit is out of the way, let’s get the heart of the album, shall we?
“Utesluten Från Universums Koreografi” kicks everything off in true Sorgeldom fashion with a shitstorm of blistering riffs, which thicken the song’s walls just enough for the nightmarish vocals to continuously echo until they resonate. It’s euphoric, in a strange sense, given the album’s coldness. The sounds will indeed haunt the listener at times, but not without giving them a warm blanket of sure protection beforehand. This is what Sorgeldom does… it reminds the listener that they are less than a speck of dust in a frightening universe full of unknowns, but it assures them that there’s nothing to fear. Additionally, it provides said listener with noticeably improved guitar solos, which is something as just as important as the metaphysical — to a metalhead, that is.
…From Outer Intelligences‘ other primary tracks, “Through Dust Into Lostness,” “…From Outer Intelligences,” and “Hänförd Av Tvångshandlingens Synagoga,” (which might be the band’s crowning achievement to date) are further proof that Sorgeldom is one of the most forward-thinking bands floating around out there. In addition, the album’s lengthier tracks are encompassed by the remainder of its eccentric emotions that serve as an intermediary between the listener and the rest of the universe.
Conclusion
1. Black metal has always been transcendental.
2. Sorgeldom is a black metal band.
3. Sorgeldom plays transcendental black metal.
In all seriousness, and without being a smartass, I just want to say one thing: Many musicians can talk about what their music is supposed to mean (they can even write long-winded, pretentious dissertations about it), but very few musicians write music that actually embodies the point, or points, which they are trying to convey. And that, my friends, if for no other reason, is why you should listen to Sorgeldom.
**Denotes further emphasis of Negative Plane giving less of a fuck about this than they ever have about anything.
