Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

When - The Black Death [Ideologic Organ - 2015]

Originally released in 1992 on Tatra Productions, When's The Black Death is a sonic recreation of the plague that swept through Norway in 1349, taking two-thirds of of the country with it. Based on the series of drawings featured in Theodor Kittelsen's Svartedauen, Lars Pedersen takes the listener on a structured, rollicking journey through a dark time in Norway's history.Historic instruments add an air of credibility to the recording, but unfortunately, some instruments and loops push most moments toward the goofy side.

Opening with strange animal noises and medieval sounding instrumentation, The Black Death does its best to draw the listener into the calm time before the plague nearly destroyed Norway's culture. Somewhat sparse but heavy on atmosphere, the beginning of this long track flows well into the calm, distant cello that does its best to haunt and act as harbinger of the germ that will spell doom for the unfortunate inhabitants. The Jew's Harp that follow, though, changes the mood a bit too drastically. Solemn turns to goofy, and it's hard to see the album as anything other than that afterward. Strangely timed loops and silly sheep noises only serve to drag the listener further from the grim nature of the subject matter. Radically shifting elements make up the basis for The Black Death. While this works when there's a particularly distracting piece, in the dark, engaging moments, one can only grin and take it on the chin. Ending on a more cinematic note, When's journey aims high, but the damage has been done.

Albums that stick too closely to a premise often suffer from rigidity issues by clinging tightly to timelines and changes instead of organic shifts in tone. Never really hitting its mark and combining too many random elements, The Black Death overshoots the target and suffers from overindulgence. Is this album highly regarded because of the Norwegian black metal scene that championed it? While I'm not terribly upset that I listened to it, after this week, I won't be revisiting it.

Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5Rating: 2 out of 5

Paul Casey
Latest Reviews

When - The Black Death
Originally released in 1992 on Tatra Productions, When's The Black Death is a sonic recreation of the plague that swept through Norway in 1349, taking two-th...
100725   John Scott - Symptoms OST
100725   Torsofuck - Feasting On Carve...
100725   Dachra - Dachra(VOD)
100725   Transmission - Transmission( ...
100725   Up! - Up!( Blu Ray)
100725   Jack The Ripper - Jack The Ri...
090725   A Day At The Beach - A Day A...
090725   Iggor Cavalera / Shane Embury...
080725   Sebastian Tomb - Even in shi...
080725   Koobaatoo Asparagus - Trinity...
Latest Articles

Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sharp t...
It’s fair to say the Sharksploitation genre is often tried, tested, and to be honest, tired. Fear Below is a 2025 Australian film that tries to do some...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
040225   Alien Sex Fiend - Possessed B...
231224   Best Of 2024 - Music, Sound &...
191224   Splintered - Somewhere Betwee...
031224   Shane Ryan-Reid - Coerced and...
221024   Whore’s Breath - life’s h...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom