Nordjevel 🇳🇴 Of Rats and Men

Band: Nordjevel
Title: Of Rats and Men, from the album, Gnavhòl
Label: Indie Recordings
Release date: 23 September 2022
Country: Norway
Format reviewed: High-quality digital recording

This review comes to you from Norway, from Norway’s own Nordjevel going strong since 2015 and this is another single entitled, “Of Rats and Men” from their upcoming third full-length album Gnavhòl which will be released on September 23, 2022. Let’s talk about intense, ear-shredding, heart pounding, fierce black metal. Let’s talk about anti-religion, self-destruction and darkness. Least not, nature, for nature is a strong thread in Nordjevel’s music. For those not familiar with Nordjevel, they are: Doedsadmiral – Vocals; Destructhor-guitars, Dominator-drums and Dzepticunt on bass. Looking at the current bands these individuals are part of, they bring time and experience to the forwarding of Nordjevel as one of the premium black metal bands from Norway. Hail Nordjevel and hail Norway and with that, let’s get onto this blistering, dark, triumphant single, “Of Rats and Men”.

“. aggressive, atmospheric and heavy black metal, and lyrically humans are compared to rats, referring to the black plague..” quoted, to explain what the delivery of this track is going to be like.

I also want to share lyrics, which to me, say so much more about the music, and some of the words are as follows: “Worming to a broken cross, Pilgrimage to the rotting, In deep dry valleys, hidden from the sun..”

Another passage of lyrics are: Un-dying soul, “Crusted in sunlight, Spirit burn, Drowning in deadlights, Un-hallowed touch, Banish the sun of light, Blind kingdom, Necropolis won..”

Both portions of the lyrics speak of the unfiltered sarcasm towards religion/religious practices. Be in no doubt that Nordjevel has no time or need for pulpit, bible banging fervor and choose to define their view of the world on their own experiences.

As soon as you hit play, the intensity of the drums sets in hard, with maniacal guitar riffing, and the vocal is deeply guttural. The tone changes up, to a slightly more melodic expression, no less brutal, or grim. Background vocals come in and counterpoint the aggressive guttural lead vocal. Damn, I am in love with these guitar riffs. Intense and focused, unrelenting waves of darkness. The final portion is a savagely wrought display of extremities in brutality.

As this is one single of the upcoming album, I can’t say too much more about it. Definitely hits all the brutal angles, and the guitars are on fire. The drum work changes tone/expression to give more to this track, which I really appreciated.

I will say that I am looking forward to the album, so roll on September, my ears need more of this.

I give 7/10 Metal Marie

check one of the previous single

RELEASE DATE 18 August 2022

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7/10  Victory is possible
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