This is an odd set. The songs were recorded almost five years ago, and apparently they were intended as something of a homage to the early days of black metal in the 90s.

Kirkebrann/Visegard Kirkegard split LP (Odium Records)

This probably explains why Kirkebrann sounds a lot more like Seasons in the Abyss (totally not black metal) than more recent iterations of the sound. It might also explain why I like it so much. The lead track has the kitschy title of "Black Metal Blues," and sets the stage for five more songs that, um, have a good beat and (mostly) can be danced to. There's more than a hint of Ministry-style industrial ravings in the rhythm section, and the overall result is something that sounds like it might be as unpalatable to modern black metal fans as it would be to, um, Taylor Swift fans. Which means I like it loads.

Visegard sounds a lot more like Emperor, which is where this set was (possibly) intended to go. These songs are well-constructed and performed with gusto. They just sound a lot more like a straight throwback.

The Kirkebrann half is more than worth the listen. As this is a half-decade old, I don't think it says anything about the bands generally. But it is a curious snack.

Jon Worley