The Konsortium

The Konsortium's self-titled debut is the latest in black metal from the sub-genre's home of Norway. Featuring Mayhem's Teloch on guitar and vocal contributions from Kvelertak's Erlend Hjelvik, the Konsortium know how to turn up the evil and churn out the kind of extremely fast, dark metal you'd expect from Norway. The Konsortium has everything you'd want in a serious black metal album: repetitive blast beats and frantic riffs combined with demonic-sounding vocals and constant time changes. The band keep things simple, using this formula throughout and bringing black metal back to its roots. The Konsortium's sound aims for epic and grandiose without using any of the symphonic or industrial influences that pop up in much of contemporary black metal. Tracks such as "Knokkeklang" and "Lik Ulven" feature a number of dizzying exercises in tempos and time changes that match some of Gorgoroth's earlier output, while "The Decomposers" includes a chilling chorus section that was likely recorded during a full moon. The Konsortium's debut is a solid black metal entry that fans of the genre will want to explore.