Orkan

ELEMENT

DARK ESSENCE EMBITTERED YET EPIC BLACK METAL FROM NORWAY’S WEST COAST

Hailing from the west of Norway, Orkan have largely gone under the radar outside of their own country, though both this album and 2015 opus Livlaus were released on reputable Bergen label Dark Essence, home of Taake amongst others. Indeed, it was Orkan’s guitarist, Gjermund Fredheim, who created that banjo solo for Hoest’s merry band of men – but anyone expecting such upbeat and rocking black’n’roll may be in for a bit of a shock with Element. This is a notably dark and embittered album, a dense and tightly performed assault on the senses making use of unrelenting percussion and frantic riffing, but also imbuing each song with a huge and grandiose atmosphere, conjuring a resolute and majestic spirit from the maelstrom. Admittedly there are plenty of west coast Norwegian black metal traits, with definite touches of

Enslaved at their most furious, but since when was that a bad thing?

FOR FANS OF: ENSLAVED, TAAKE,

MARDUK

DAYAL PATTERSON