Svartsyn
Bloodline
[unreleased]


This is Svartsyn's unreleased second full-length effort. It was recorded in Sunlight Studio back in 1997 and was meant to be released on Folter Records, who also released their debut. When the album had been recorded it turned out that Folter had no money to pay the studio bill. This has resulted in the owners of Sunlight still possessing the DAT tape. Svartsyn have now started looking for another label that can pay the studio bill and release the album.

Svartsyn is the same band that under the name Chalice released a split demo with Illska back in 1993. Illska was a project band of the present drummer of Svartsyn, Draugen (also found on Dark Funeral's mCD). From the beginning until this day Svartsyn have always played raw and hateful Swedish black metal. Developing from the chaotic and sometimes unstructured black metal of the demo days, Svartsyn now presents this piece of controlled chaos.

More or less everything has been improved since their debut "The true legend". I guess this is mostly due to the fact that they decided to use a studio that actually had experience from this kind of music, not being the case with Avalon Studio where the debut was recorded. The songs are also more varied, and the riffing has been greatly improved. Ornias, who has been the main song writer from the start, is a real WASP-fanatic and it has finally began shining through in his composing. Don't get me wrong here, this sounds nothing like the usual "Swedish heavy metal inspired black/death metal". The riffs are still evil-sounding but here and there you can actually hear some WASP traces, especially in the title track.

When I received this tape I had not yet had a look at the track listing, so when the song "Upon the throne" from their second demo "A night created by the shadows" came on I was quite excited as this is a very good song and I have listened to it many times. After having enjoyed this song in a much more professional recording than the original, the most excellent song "The great mysteries of death" from the same demo came on and this was also pleasing. It was also quite interesting comparing the music and structure of the old demo songs to the newer ones. The older songs are a bit more simplistic and remind me of the songs on the debut, while in the new songs they have brought in some fresh ideas and tried out more experimental ideas than before. All songs carry a similar spirit and atmosphere though, giving them somewhat of a sound of their own, violent and hateful.

To sum this up, "Bloodline" will appeal to most people who enjoy early Scandinavian black metal in a more modern form. It is also great to know that Sweden can still produce quality black metal that does not sound like fucking happy punk rock with fast double bass drums and screamy vocals.

Interested labels and zines, contact Ornias at:

Fredrik Sundelin
Backluravägen 29 A
149 43 NYNÄSHAMN

or:

svartsyn85@hotmail.com


© 1999 blodsband