Rating: 7.8

Country: Denmark

Release Date: 2000

Record Label: Total Holocaust Records

Track list:
1. Intro (Portene Åbnes)
2. Stormen Fra Nord
3. Landeplagen Skal Bort
4. Intelhedens Larm
5. I Der Knæler I Ynk
6. Da Frostvind Blæste
7. Sidste Kapitel I En Endeløs Fortælling

Band Website: Angantyr

Angantyr - Kampen Fortsaetter

Ynleborgaz - Everything

Denmark has quite a bustling and original black metal scene, yet until quite recently its virtues were only known to a few, mostly those located in Denmark itself. Thankfully labels like Total Holocaust Records are picking up on this country's great bands.
And Angantyr can certainly be counted amongst the Danish greats.

From the opening piano notes one can hear that this is not your typical amateur black metal musician. The achingly beautiful introductory piano-part, later enhanced with distant echoing guitar notes, betrays a thorough understanding of classical composition. This is further driven home by the following black metal track "Stormen fra Nord" which continues the same composition of the intro, before veering off into great emotional dual-layered melodic riffs (following different time-signatures no less! Only bands like Abigor and Negura Bunget pull this stuff off!). It then returns to the opening composition enhanced by mesmerizing backing synths before closing off.

Composer Ynleborgaz isn't just influenced by classical music of course and you can expect to hear parts that are more traditionally old-school, although always these parts get further expanded by additional lead-guitar parts, varied melodies and occasional ambient or classical styled backing synths. And yet, with all the embellishing and expanding of riffs, the core themes of each song remain firmly in view and the layering is never too deep, the melodic riffage never too pretentious, and the backing keyboards never dominate the guitars or become cheesy. The drumming is also quite competent. Nothing outstandingly technical, but they're very varied and Ynleborgaz has the skill to pull off his vision on how the drums should sound as well as any other instrument he chooses to use.

There's a quite significant ambient centre-piece called "Inthedenens Larm" that ranks up there with the better compositions of Vinterriket or Raison d'être, which isn't surprising given the fact that Angantyr started out as an ambient-project. The only song outside of the ambient-piece that is entirely minimalist is the album closer, which deserves special mention in the way that it shows that Ynleborgaz can also write a fully engaging song around one single riff. And this riff, bringing to mind the closure of a tragedy in its abject fatalism, backed up by intricate drumwork and depressing synth-lines, will haunt you for years to come.

The prevailing atmosphere is one I've also noticed in other Danish bands like Sortsind and Nortt. A certain cold northern grimness and majesty combined with a sick, quiet despair that is usually only heard in french bands. Angantyr is slightly less downbeat than the two above-mentioned bands though and strikes a nice balance between triumphant melodic work and utterly despondent minimalist riffs and piano work.

Praise worthy is the way in which Ynleborgaz seems to combine his various influences (and they seem many) while still retaining staggering individuality. Structurally there's just the right amount of variance; no part overstays its welcome and many are the change-ups in riffs, while still remaining entirely cohesive and flowing. This is quite stunning to put it simply. I think anyone with an appreciation for neo-classical works will thoroughly appreciate this if they can stand the typical harshness of black metal productions.

October 23rd, 2006