Description
In 1996, just one year before he ceased recording altogether, Ildjarn unleashed a flurry of recordings on his Norse League Productions label: a MCD he recorded with his frequent collaborator Nidhogg (“Svartfråd”), two solo black metal albums (“Forest Poetry” and “Strength and Anger”), a double CD of solo ambient music (“Landscapes”), and a full-length album by a band called Sort Vokter, which consisted of Ildjarn, Nidhogg, and two additional musicians, Heiinghund and Tvigygre. (Over two decades later, Tvigygre began recording again; however, he inadvertently misremembered his alias from Sort Vokter and digitally released the music under the name Heiinghund.) Sort Vokter’s full-length debut, “Folkloric Necro Metal,” would also prove to be the band’s only release. Owing to Ildjarn’s prominence, the album is tied to his legacy despitethe fact he later distanced himself from the project, saying the album “means very little” noting that “there were just too many compromises being four of us.” Notwithstanding Ildjarn’sdismissiveness, “Folkloric Necro Metal” was and remains a truly unique and captivating album. The genesis of the project was largely circumstantial with Nidhogg forming the point of contact for the four musicians. He and Heiinghund had been roommates and previously worked on synth recordings together. One of their mutual friends, Tvigygre, worked in a local studio and obtained permission to use it over a single weekend. With little more than a band name (“sort vokter” translates to “black guardian/protector” of the forest) and a vague vision of producing “necro forest metal,” the four began the recording process, coming up with riffs on the spot, switching instruments as needed, and using programmed drums for efficiency. They recorded the songs as quickly as they wrote them, seldom using more than a single take due to time constraints. Many of the tracks feature prominent keyboards and driving bass over the cold snap of electronic percussion, with guitars, mostly played by Ildjarn, lending more texture than structure. Nidhoggsupplied vocals on all of the tracks save for “Hatefulle tanker uti natten,” which is perhaps the most violent song on the album and features lead vocals by Ildjarn with additional contributions from Nidhogg and Heiinghund. Scattered throughout are a handful of instrumentals that further contribute to the album’s desolate and meditative atmosphere. The back of the original CD contained a disclaimer: “This album was fully created under the influence of THC, with no care for technical details.” In subsequent interviews, Ildjarn disavowed the use of any drugs, noting a departure between his and Nidhogg’s personal philosophies on the subject of intoxicants. Nevertheless, there is an undeniably psychedelic current that permeates “Folkloric Necro Metal,” giving the album a surreal and nightmarish huethat was unusual for black metal at that time.
