 
I generally have as much enthusiasm for side projects as I do for passing a kidney stone. So, hearing that 1349 comprises various elite Norwegian black metal acts, I was bracing for a potentially painful experience. Hellfire ended up being much better than I expected. Sounding like a cross between a keyboard-less Emperor in their most manic mode and a more technical Gorgoroth, 1349 epitomizes modern black metal. Songs range from highly involved to old-school worship. The vocals are quite interesting. He sounds like a deranged lunatic set loose in a recording studio. The tendency to not follow any particular rhythm or stick with any specific voice adds to the chaotic nature of the music. Much better than the usual monotone black metal shriek. In general, the songs of Hellfire are a step above your run-of-the-mill coffin dwellers. Not that Hellfire is without its faults. Many of the tunes have awkward transitions which sound pieced together. Also, Frost’s rampant drumming (of Satyricon fame) gets bothersome after a while. What makes him so great in Satyricon is his ability to intertwine the mindset of a hyperactive cheetah and a tranquilized slug. On Hellfire, slow is fast, and fast is silly-fast. In a classic case of over-stimulation, the speed loses its effect with time. Another gripe is the guitars being more akin to a swarm of buzzing insects than to an actual stringed instrument. That being said, I would still rank 1349 above black metal heavyweights such as Dark Funeral or Marduk. There are enough inspiring moments to warrant buying this album. Nothing mind-shatteringly innovative, but also no reason to tuck your tail. Splash on some corpse paint, and bark at the moon! --Andrew Andermatt
|
1349