ALBUM REVIEW: Et Hav Av Avstand – Taake
Within the context of pure black metal, there are very few bands that are better and more experimental in their approach than Norway’s TAAKE. Rising to prominence in the mid-90s, the band and its sole member and mastermind Hoest have produced some of the genre’s classic records, gradually cementing an undeniable legacy as one of the genre’s most innovative and imaginative acts by crafting a sound that is very firmly planted within black metal but still manages to incorporate impressive experimentation within the confines of that classic sound. The band’s latest, eighth album Et Hav Av Avstand provides another magnificent twist on their established formula, adding yet another brilliant record to an already stellar pantheon of releases.
Denne Forblaaste Ruin Av En Bro has a powerful, dramatic start before launching into an epic sound built upon tight drums, darkly melodic guitars and Hoest‘s acerbic, hair-raising vocals. The sharper tone and energetic, imaginative riffs all contribute to a slightly lighter sound than fans will have come to expect from TAAKE, a sound that is nonetheless biting and visceral with lots of fantastic twists and turns that make this incredibly engrossing from start to finish, shifting seamlessly from grandiose, mid-paced moments through to fiercer, chaotic flourishes to kick things off in spectacular fashion.
The final moments of this track bleed flawlessly into the following track Utarmede Gruver, another bombastic longer offering with the same kind of adventurous guitar work, arid vocals and lots of sudden changes in tempo that lend an air of unpredictability into the mix. The palpable hard rock swagger that’s always been a feature within the band’s sound is out in full force, without straying outside of the classic black metal formula, and even making room for some more ponderous, doom-laden passages as the song reaches its climax. Slick leads complement the more aggressive approach extremely well, with the end results being harsh and punchy in equal measure.
Gid Sprakk Vi, a relatively short number by this album’s standards at six minutes in length, manages to leave an impact on the album as a whole, possessing a brooding, disjointed edge that makes this sound altogether more sinister than the more grandiose tracks that preceded it. The guitars in particular take on a harsher and more driven approach that matches up with the equally belligerent vocals and rabid drums, blending black metal with an intense, punk element that transforms this into a meatier, intense affair that is dripping with venom.
Et Uhyre Av En Kniv returns to the monolithic song structures of the album’s first half, and again manages to inject as many brilliant ideas into one track as possible. Striking a great balance between the hypnotic, ethereal sound of the first two tracks and the thicker, more vitriolic bent of the third, it’s hard not to marvel at the scope and range of playing that is present here, with the rest of the music stopping and letting a prominent, rumbling bass hook provide a brief interlude that shifts the momentum and helps bridge a gap between different sections of the song, ebbing and flowing from intricate, bright melodies to bestial aggression and icy rhythms with ease, turning this into an epic and eclectic conclusion to another excellent album.
Even close to three decades deep into his musical career, it’s clear that Hoest is still more than capable of delivering the goods when it comes to new music, and more to the point, the man is still not afraid to change up the formula and keep his listeners guessing with each album. Although TAAKE are certainly no strangers to longer tracks, with the likes of Fra Bjoergegrend Mot Glemselen from Kong Vinter and Dei Vil Alltid Klaga Og Kyta from Noregs Vaapen being prime examples of this, these sort of sprawling, epic tracks have never been exemplified as thoroughly in the band’s career as they are on this album. There are very few bands, of any genre, who would do something this stylistically bold and distinct from their previous work on their eighth album, and be able to make it work, but Hoest, as always, has done a great job of exactly that. Where this album ranks among the wider pantheon of TAAKE records is all down to a matter of personal taste, but it’s safe to say that this is far from their weakest work.
Rating: 9/10
Et Hav Av Avstand is out now via Dark Essence Records.
Like TAAKE on Facebook.