Indie Recordings (2012)

There must be something special in the tap water up in the wastelands near Haugesund, to be more specific, Karmøy, land of Vikings and warriors. Enslaved, Einherjer and Evig Natt are only a few of all the great bands with roots in this area, and now there is a new contender to the throne, all raise for the mighty Kråke. Although I have known the band for a while now, and even almost seen them live twice (long story), nothing prepared me for this epic and truly great symphonic black metal album.

The song "I Ly Av Lyset" has been a YouTube favourite for a long time, a perfect soundtrack to the battle scenes in Lord Of The Rings. The good news is that the rest of the album has the same high standard, if not higher. Everything, every little detail, from the vocals to the drums, from the instrumental parts to the way the songs are arranged, it all just fits together like Thor and his hammer.

"Conquering Death" floats along and takes you on a incredible journey beneath black waters where you can avoid all light. Three words comes to mind; epic, dark and powerful. Leading to the unavoidable question: What does it sound like? Imagine a mix between Dimmu Borgir "Abrahadabra" and  Demonaz "March Of The Norse", and you are close to the truth, although there are more to Kråke than just this. They have their own identity and sound and the  atmosphere throughout the album is quite unique.

What we have here is nothing less than an incredible strong debut album, and I will without hesitation guarantee that this album will be found on several top rankings when 2012 comes to an end (I know, we have all seen the movie 2012, we are all doomed, but let's just pretend it's not going to happen). Did I mention the fact that I absolutely love Kråke and "Conquering Death"? If there is such a thing as buy or die this summer, this is it, my friends.

www.facebook.com/Kraakeofficial
www.indierecordings.net

Rating: 5.5 / 6

Composed by Leif Neverdahl