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Norwegian black metal masters 1349 have
released a new single, titled ‘Dødskamp’. The song has been commissioned by
Innovation Norway, Visit Norway and the Munch Museum, who asked four Norwegian
artists within four different genres of music to interpret their angle on a
freely selected work by the famous painter Edvard Munch. Naturally, 1349
approached the art of Munch from their black metal
perspective. Regarding the single, 1349 guitarist Archaon comments: “Munch is arguably the biggest Norwegian artist throughout history, together with Edvard Grieg, I suppose. His works are tremendously dark and eerie, reflecting a lot of anxiety, pain and loneliness, in the way I perceive them. So, it suited us perfectly. I chose the work “Dødskamp” which directly translates “Death Struggle” and speaks volumes for itself. It was an emotionally Heavy task, and also a completely new way to compose. As well as some very long nights, bereaved of sleep. In the end though, it was worth it. This is the soundtrack to the dilemmas of mortality.” |
| The artwork of ‘Dødskamp’ can be viewed here, together with the track-list. |
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Tracklist: 1. Dødskamp (05:05) 2. Atomic Chapel (live) (06:54) – only available on EP |
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When 1349 rose
from the ashes of ALVHEIM in 1997, the band was driven by a deep desire to keep
the black metal flame burning in all its rebellious glory. The Norwegians set
out with the declared aim to remain true to the original spirit of their scene,
which they saw heading into all the wrong directions.
Conceived around the founding
members, which consisted of vocalist and first drummer Ravn, guitarist Tjalve,
and Seidemann on bass, 1349 completed their line-up with the
addition of guitarist Archaon in 1999 and SATYRICON drum-legend Frost, after the
latter recorded a demo and the debut album with the band in
2001.
When their debut ‘Liberation’ was
finally unleashed in 2003, 1349 took the world by storm with
their intense blend of old school black metal soundscapes and ultra-fast
aggression. Further assaults followed in rapid succession. ‘Beyond the
Apocalypse’ (2004) and ‘Hellfire’ (2005) cemented the Norwegians’ reputation as
one of the strongest acts in the already peaked scene, where they managed to
carve out a claim for their own.
Founding member Tjalve decided to
focus on his band PANTHEON I and 1349 have since continued as a
four-piece – occasionally adding renowned guest guitarists. Extensive touring aided the
growth of a massive following, which started to seriously reach across the
Atlantic, when 1349 opened for reunited metal legends Celtic
Frost in North America in 2006.
In
an impressive demonstration that dedication to the origins and early principles
of black metal does not have to mean nostalgia and stagnation,
1349 considerably widened their sonic palette with the next
full-length ‘Revelations of the Black Flame’ (2009), which was co-mixed by
iconic CELTIC FROST mastermind Tom Gabriel “Warrior” Fischer.
Their newly found darker and more
ambient side, was further explored and interwoven with the earlier sonic
approach, which 1349 dub “aural hellfire” on the following
‘Demonoir’ (2010). Extensive touring and performances at prestigious festivals
around the globe filled the period from 2010 to 2012.
‘Massive Cauldron of Chaos’
(2013) was the next milestone in the Norwegian’s merciless advance, scoring
excellent reviews and sparking more festival shows as well as extended touring,
which also brought 1349 for the first time to Australia and New
Zealand. Now the band is preparing to unleash more “aural hellfire” onto the
expecting world via Season of Mist. www.facebook.com/1349official Line-up Seidemann: bass Ravn: vocals Archaon: guitars Frost: drums Pre-orders: http://smarturl.it/1349Dodskamp |
