Indie pop is full of outstanding one-man bands. Hell, I remember watching MTV News and learning that Prince had hired a full-time band to record his upcoming album (1999). The idea that one person could make music that sounds like a group effort has been around at least since Robert Johnson--give or take a few thousand years.

Myrholt Nordland (self-released)

Ole Alexander Myrholt has been recording within the Nordic black metal community for a couple decades. His inspiration for this set goes back further. As his note on CD Baby says, "I'm back representing the feeling of the early 90s."

But what feeling is that? He identifies Burzum and Darkthrone as key influences, but Myrholt's songwriting is much fuller. The cascades of guitars and drums are omnipresent (how could they not be?), but the overall feeling is more doomy. He has managed to find melody, both actual and implied, that gives these songs depth. Imagine if Bathory played My Dying Bride--no violin, of course--and perhaps I might start making more sense.

This is a black metal album. It is not a black metal/doom album. It is not some astonishing hybrid that will convince the world that black metal is completely awesome. But this one-man show (not an unusual occurrence in black metal, actually) realizes some of the potential that could only be imagined in 1991. I would hesitate (greatly) to call this a "maturing" of the sound, but it is quite a statement.

Play it loud until your ears bleed. That is all.

Jon Worley