Isvind

 

Norway in the 90s was so prolific that there are so many bands people often overlook or forget about. ISVIND is one such band. While they initially formed as Ice Wind in 1992, they existed with that name for a year before they changed to Isvind in '93. They only ever released one demo (The Call of the Ice Wind) as Ice Wind.

Here is their first demo in its entirety

1994 gave us the demo Herskerinnen

Setting out to create black metal "that consumes all life and extinguishes [it] forever", Isvind had a raw take on Norwegian black metal. The riffing on those early demos calls to mind Ulver or the rawer side of Darkthrone. As overlooked as they sometimes are, Isvind is a true classic Norwegian black metal band.

Shortly after the success of the 1994 demo Herskerinnen (see above), the band entered the studio to record some proper albums. This resulted in their self-titled 7-inch in 1995. A continuation of the rawness of their demos, this 7-inch was well-received by black metal fans.

From their 1996 full-length, this is "Lysningen I Skogen"

Following on the heels of the 7-inch, Isvind released their first full-length studio album, Dark Waters Stir. An album that stands up well next to the black metal works of Ulver or Darkthrone albums like Panzerfaust, Isvind established themselves as true Norwegian black metal with this release. "Lysningen I Skogen", above, is a great sample from that album.

Like many mid-tier bands in this time, Isvind did break up. They had just finished touring in support of Dark Waters when they called it a day in 1997. Luckily for black metal fans, they did re-form in the early 2000s and have put out several albums since, still in the raw Norwegian style. Hail Isvind!

Select Discography:

The Call of the Ice Wind (demo) (1992)

Nivelheimen (demo) (1993)

Herskerinnen (demo) (1994)

Rehearsal '95 (rehearsal demo) (1995)

Isvind 7" (1995)

Dark Waters Stir (full-length) (1996)

Next time: GRAND BELIAL'S KEY

Exmortes

 

EXMORTES is kind of an odd selection, this is true.  This Dutch one-man band (Jan List being the one man in question) is somewhat notorious in the underground for being raw to the point of being bad.  But one man's treasure is another man's trash.  Exmortes put out two demos, 1988's Hear the Saw...Coming Near and 1989's Fuckin' Nightmare.  Most of the songs that appeared on those demos later appeared on Exmortes' few EPs.

From the EP--not the demo--Fuckin' Nightmare

One listen to Exmortes' material and you can hear why some people think their rawness is so terrible.  The drums overpower the mix to the point where the guitar is hardly audible.  Some have gone so far as to label this style "raw black noise," and if you listen to more recent black noise bands (Stalaggh, TOMB, Gnaw Their Tongues, etc.) you can hear resemblances.

From 1990's "Lord of Temptation"single

After those two demos (which I have not heard), Exmortes put out the Fuckin' Nightmare EP in 1989.  This had four of the six songs from the demo of the same name.  In the following year, Exmortes put out a single, "Lord of Temptation" which contained the title track and "Forced to Be Silent".

Someone managed to upload the entire 1991 EP, Hear the Saw...Coming Near

In 1991, the EP Hear the Saw...Coming Near was released.  Followed by only one more release (the Total Hate split with Apator, also released in 1991), Exmortes was on the scene only briefly.  I think that any fan of raw black noise can hear the influence Exmortes left on the scene.  The rawness of these early releases has seldom been equalled, in my opinion.

Select Discography:

Hear the Saw...Coming Near (demo) (1988)

Fucking Nightmare (demo) (1989)

Fuckin' Nightmare 7" (1989)

"Lord of Temptation" (single) (1990)

Hear the Saw...Coming Near EP (1991)

Total Hate 7" (split with Apator) (1991)

Next time:  SADISTIK EXEKUTION