Richard HolmesBizarrekult – Alt Som Finnes (Season of Mist)
“It’s in our dreams that we can finally relax from everything that happens during the daytime”, says Bizarrekult mastermind Roman V of Drøm, one of Alt Som Finnes eight offerings. “You can grasp at who you actually are, the meaning of yourself.”
And there’s a sense that Roman is looking inwards on his third opus: framed by Arctic post black metal, it’s both blissful and nightmarish, jagged and soothing… a journey deep into his psyche.
On Tomhet – featuring guest vocals from Møl’s Kim Song Sternkopf – he’s part of “a legion of empty shells”, a “disappointing madman wandering under the rain”. It’s the first Bizarrekult song sung in English. It’s a stunning example of Roman’s evolving songcraft. Fan of Deafheaven, or indeed, Sternkopf’s day job? You’ll greet Tomhet’s glistening fretwork and fierce climaxes with glee. Yes, 2023’s Den Tapte Krigen offered some beautiful moments – such as the surging Midt I Stormen – but nothing as immediate, powerful and memorable as Tomhet.
Other guests join the kult on Alt Som Finnes. Predatory Void/Cross Bringer vocalist Lina accentuates Drøm’s ethereal qualities.
And on Blikket Hennes, Roman, who moved from Siberia to Norway ahead of Bizarrekult’s ’21 debut, summons his adopted homeland’s spirit guides. Gorgoroth, Satyricon and Tsjuder all spring to mind as Alt Som Finnes takes a very dark turn. And it’s no surprise that to learn that Dødheimsgard vocalist Yusaf ‘Vicotnik’ Parvez is part of its sonic tumult.
Similarly, Aversjon bears a strong scent of Enslaved’s later work. Roman, it seems, is fully immersed in Norway’s musical landscape.
Perhaps what’s most striking about Alt Som Finnes is that despite its myriad textures, the album feels more cohesive than its predecessors. Much of that is down to the claustrophobic mood of the record. But while Den Tapte Krigen sometimes sounded disjointed, as if its form hadn’t fully taken shape, Bizarrekult’s third album flows towards its conclusion with real purpose.
An easy journey? Certainly not. We’re not talking pop-post here.
Alt Som Finnes will take time and patience to absorb.
But it’s well worth the effort.
Roman V image used courtesy of Radmila Volchenkova.
