I would not be surprised if I was to find out that most of you people out there have not heard of the Norwegian Black Metal outfit Keep Of The Kalessin before, seeing as I was also only just informed of their existence, but do not think even for a split moment that this is an ordinary extreme metal band that we are talking about. I believe that I probably lost my breath for more than a minute after having read in the band's bio that some of the most prominent figures of the Norwegian Black Metal scene such as Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Aborym) and Frost (Satyricon) have contributed to the music of this outfit, yet that was a few years after the band's debut album "Through Times Of War" first saw the light of day back in 1997.

This seven-track release is the product of a band whose musical background lies at the core of the Norwegian Black Metal scene and which has chosen to create compositions that pay equal emphasis to melody and aggression. Speed is an essential 'ingredient' in this musical recipe, often expressed by extensive blast beat parts and simple guitar riffs, yet there are quite a few moments where the quartet 'slam on their breaks' and reveal their appreciation to the mighty Bathory, by investing in long Epic melodies and rhythmical mid-tempo interludes.

If I was to judge "Through Times Of War" on the strength of its originality, the score would really not have been particularly high, yet what Obsidian C (guitars/keys) and co have managed to successfully achieve is to create a simply-structured seven track album whose catchy riffs and dark atmospheric parts make it a release difficult to resist. The album's dark atmosphere is the result of the collaboration between Obsidian C's keyboard tunes and Ghash's deep vocals, both of which seem to stand slightly in the background, leaving enough room for numerous cut-edge guitar riffs and hyper fast blast beats to pour out of your speakers. Much as I liked the fast pace of the same-titled composition, it was the traces of Bathory and the Immortal-sounding mid-tempo break of "Den Siste Krig" that first captured my attention.

Fans of fast paced Norwegian Black Metal will almost certainly enjoy songs like "I Choose To Suffer" and "Obliterator", yet even they should not miss out on the opportunity of investing in the rhythmical up-tempo dynamite ""Skygger Av Sorg" which contains, amongst others, the best vocal performance of the album. I was initially quite attracted to the Rotting Christ influenced keyboard melodies and spoken part of "Nectarous Red - Itch", only to be totally disappointed by the closing theme whose weird screams and 'unusual' Goth rhythm is certainly not a fitting ending to an otherwise quite admirable effort.

Black Metal is a genre that has evolved towards many different musical directions during these last seventeen years, yet this 1997 release proves that Keep of Kalessin belong in the group of bands that are more 'traditional' in their outlook. Is that a negative thing? Well, having really enjoyed listening to "Through Times Of War" I can certainly say that the answer is no - on the other hand, I would expect/hope that their following two releases would be slightly more 'adventurous' in nature than this one. An album definitely worth reissuing!

***½

Review by John Stefanis