Compiling three demo recordings, Det Frysende Nordariket is a digipack collection of Ildjarn's early music that is sure to leave many a metal fan scratching their heads at his extremely stripped-down, blistering raw musical style. Ildjarn's methods are very basic, but effective all the same. Using nothing more than a drum machine set either on "Rock 1" or "Rock 2" settings and heavily distorted, dirty power chords, Ildjarn creates a style of music so ugly that Darkthrone fans may even complain about the rawness contained here.

While the throat shredding black metal styled vocals (some of which are provided by Ishahn from some band called Emperor, whom you may be familiar with) are what put this band in the genre, the music is crusty, primitive and wonderfully basic in the best way. Most of the songs use very simple, repetitive guitar lines to get the point across. Those who need some guitar hero antics will need to look elsewhere. Moreover, the production is obviously an element that goes unheeded. These tracks all sound like they were recorded on home machines, but given good clarity despite the raw nature of the music. Since the guitar style does get repetitive, the music takes on a droning tendency, which is not entirely a bad thing. The one comment about this CD is that twenty-five (although only seventeen are listed) tracks of Ildjarn's music is a bit much and to avoid becoming a drooling, snarling homicidal maniac, you might best break up the listening session.

Ildjarn is not a band for everyone. Those who are constantly seeking out the most low-fi, primitive, yet accomplished black metal are recommended to check this out. What Ildjarn does is highly specialized, but he does it extremely well. I'd much rather listen to this than hear yet another clone of Theatre of Tragedy or unexciting symphonic black metal.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 08/2001

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Ildjarn may very well be one of the most stripped down, raw and truly ugly of all the Norwegian black metal bands. This brief ten minute mini-CD is a perfect example of Ildjarn's motif, which is as bleak as Gary, Indiana, and ugly as a leprosy convention. This disc co-bills Nidhogg as a contributor but Svartfråd is not exactly different from other Ildjarn discs. The process for songwriting in Ildjarn is simple: pick a chord. Play it. The drums are straightforward, 4/4 beats that are very repetitive, just like the riffing. The production, which obviously saves the band some high studio bills, is blisteringly dirty, distorted and low-fi as one can imagine. The vocals are terribly distorted and raw, throat-shredding lacerations. And although this should all add up to a horrendous musical concept, this stuff grooves like mad! Certainly repeated listens will cause an aneurysm but regardless, this is as close to pure hate capture on tape as you may hear. Ildjarn is the crustiest of the black metal legions and definitely the dirtiest. Recommended only for those who think Darkthrone is too polished.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 05/2001

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