I was quite impressed by the new release from ambient, drone, noise and industrial act Arnwald a while ago. (read review) Arnwald is a Belgian project, formed by the drummer for bands like Enthroned, Necroblaspheme, Humanitas Error Est & Lost God, but the music he came up with on 'Primal Expurgation' is something completely different. A metalhead making ambient, that always makes me curious about their Songs With Stories. So we send Arnwald a friendly email and shortly after received these words back:
On one hand, I’m really excited about this challenge and on the other one, I’m quiet frustrated for all the great songs I’ll have to ignore in this important list. Depending on the moment and the mood, I could write 20 or 30, even more equally important names. As I never really give a fuck about lyrical content, I’m only concentrated on the musical emotions transported into the song, what the artist has to share through his/her sounds.
When I’m thinking about emotional work in music, the first name which comes in my mind is:
When I’m thinking about emotional work in music, the first name which comes in my mind is:
ENSLAVED - ‘793 (Slaget Om Lindisfarne)’
When I heard this song the first time, I was like under a charm, forced to travel into another dimension, far away from what I all knew and since I own this album, it’s always the same feeling… A huge force, a powerful wind loaded with a huge amount of emotions between melancholy and new world discovery. When I dive into this masterpiece, I’m feeling at home, comfortable and light. Sure, it’s not technically perfect, the production is not the best, but this track contain the most important thing for me, a real own soul. I have to admit that I never had a look at the lyrics and probably never do since this music speaks to me much more than words…
When I heard this song the first time, I was like under a charm, forced to travel into another dimension, far away from what I all knew and since I own this album, it’s always the same feeling… A huge force, a powerful wind loaded with a huge amount of emotions between melancholy and new world discovery. When I dive into this masterpiece, I’m feeling at home, comfortable and light. Sure, it’s not technically perfect, the production is not the best, but this track contain the most important thing for me, a real own soul. I have to admit that I never had a look at the lyrics and probably never do since this music speaks to me much more than words…
BURZUM - ‘Glemselens Elv’
Still don’t know what he is singing about but this music is like opening a gate for my spirit to make a strange journey in the darkest places of my inner self. It’s quiet difficult to describe… This time again, I heard this song and directly felt in love with this simple melody and strong emotional singing which, for me, tells a lot about the feelings contained into this controversial artist. In Germany where I’m living at the moment, Varg is considered just as a Nazi since he used a lot of provocation in this way and when you hear Burzum, you’re just as bad as his reputation. It’s just stupid, even if I understand that people can have arguments against his promotion strategy or his sulfurous past. A funny fact about it is that I one day applied as a drummer for a metal band in Germany and they decided to even don’t have a look at my drums skills since I told them that I like hearing Burzum… Anyway, I love what he’s doing, particularly in such songs like ‘Dunkelheit” and this absolutely fabulous piece ‘Glemselens Elv’. I guess we never should reduce an artist to the public image he gives to the world but more to its art and what it brings to us.
Still don’t know what he is singing about but this music is like opening a gate for my spirit to make a strange journey in the darkest places of my inner self. It’s quiet difficult to describe… This time again, I heard this song and directly felt in love with this simple melody and strong emotional singing which, for me, tells a lot about the feelings contained into this controversial artist. In Germany where I’m living at the moment, Varg is considered just as a Nazi since he used a lot of provocation in this way and when you hear Burzum, you’re just as bad as his reputation. It’s just stupid, even if I understand that people can have arguments against his promotion strategy or his sulfurous past. A funny fact about it is that I one day applied as a drummer for a metal band in Germany and they decided to even don’t have a look at my drums skills since I told them that I like hearing Burzum… Anyway, I love what he’s doing, particularly in such songs like ‘Dunkelheit” and this absolutely fabulous piece ‘Glemselens Elv’. I guess we never should reduce an artist to the public image he gives to the world but more to its art and what it brings to us.
BLOOD AXIS - ‘Absinthe’
‘The Gospell Of Inhumanity’ was the first real Neofolk/Ambient/Experimental album I bought. I used to visit a little cd shop in Brussels called “Elektrocution” where I could really discover a lot of new and old stuff. Since I was more and more interested into these dark scenes, wishing to hear something different from Metal, I followed the advice to buy this first album of Blood Axis, which stays a very important piece of my collection and has recurrent place in my everyday play-list. ‘Absinth’ is my favorite song on this music monument and it’s probably thanks to such songs that I decided to develop myself an Ambient/Industrial project. I traveled so much into these soundscapes and find there again a very unique atmosphere, a very strange and tenebrous world I love to visit.
‘The Gospell Of Inhumanity’ was the first real Neofolk/Ambient/Experimental album I bought. I used to visit a little cd shop in Brussels called “Elektrocution” where I could really discover a lot of new and old stuff. Since I was more and more interested into these dark scenes, wishing to hear something different from Metal, I followed the advice to buy this first album of Blood Axis, which stays a very important piece of my collection and has recurrent place in my everyday play-list. ‘Absinth’ is my favorite song on this music monument and it’s probably thanks to such songs that I decided to develop myself an Ambient/Industrial project. I traveled so much into these soundscapes and find there again a very unique atmosphere, a very strange and tenebrous world I love to visit.
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD - ‘Detox’
This song is quite a huge thing for me. First because it’s just a masterpiece of brutality and melody mixed together in an organized chaos but also because it’s the last song I heard with my mother before she died. No, not from a heart attack… She loved this song so much and as she was lying in her death’s bed, my best friend and I, big fans of Strapping Young Lad, wanted to bring her a bit energy by playing this hymn loud in the living room. We saw her smiling and “banging” her hand with her few forces as a sign of satisfaction. A very nice souvenir lost in her much too long moments of agony. So a very powerful song, composed by a genius and an incredible life performer. This song has really strong meaning for me.
This song is quite a huge thing for me. First because it’s just a masterpiece of brutality and melody mixed together in an organized chaos but also because it’s the last song I heard with my mother before she died. No, not from a heart attack… She loved this song so much and as she was lying in her death’s bed, my best friend and I, big fans of Strapping Young Lad, wanted to bring her a bit energy by playing this hymn loud in the living room. We saw her smiling and “banging” her hand with her few forces as a sign of satisfaction. A very nice souvenir lost in her much too long moments of agony. So a very powerful song, composed by a genius and an incredible life performer. This song has really strong meaning for me.
QUEEN - ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
I guess I don’t have to explain anyone why this song is a fucking monument, an incredible piece of art. Personally, it’s this song which woke up my burning interest for hard rock and particularly for Guns N’ Roses. Yes, a bit strange… When I was 10, I saw live on tv the Freddy Mercury’s concert homage at Wembley Stadium and when Axl Rose sang on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, it was like… “ok, this guy is really cool and I love his voice and attitude”, like a young boy could see this kind of rock star. After that, I was and still am a huge fan of his band through this first impression. Even if at home, my parents were rocking me with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen, The Beatles, Talk Talk, Alphaville, … this was really the first passion revelation. After that, many years after, it was also the song I sang the first time I was high… Trying to mimic the guys from Wayne’s World on the back seat of a car, driving to a Neo Metal gig where I played in Luxembourg. I’m not a fan of drugs at all, but this was a really a funny experience called a blowback surprise...
I guess I don’t have to explain anyone why this song is a fucking monument, an incredible piece of art. Personally, it’s this song which woke up my burning interest for hard rock and particularly for Guns N’ Roses. Yes, a bit strange… When I was 10, I saw live on tv the Freddy Mercury’s concert homage at Wembley Stadium and when Axl Rose sang on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, it was like… “ok, this guy is really cool and I love his voice and attitude”, like a young boy could see this kind of rock star. After that, I was and still am a huge fan of his band through this first impression. Even if at home, my parents were rocking me with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen, The Beatles, Talk Talk, Alphaville, … this was really the first passion revelation. After that, many years after, it was also the song I sang the first time I was high… Trying to mimic the guys from Wayne’s World on the back seat of a car, driving to a Neo Metal gig where I played in Luxembourg. I’m not a fan of drugs at all, but this was a really a funny experience called a blowback surprise...
