#MIKEVANEKSUCKS The Blog: Nordic Frost "Ad Inferna"

 

#MIKEVANEKSUCKS The Blog

Review: Nordic Frost "Ad Inferna"

By Mike Vanek

Today in my neverending quest to bring you good music I take you to the realm of Symphonic Black Metal and the utterly outstanding music of my good friend Brian Lewis and his project NORDIC FROST. Modesto California's Nordic Frost is the brainchild of Mr. Brian Lewis a veteran musician of the local metal scene and someone I have a lot of respect for. I first met Brian in 2003 when I booked his first band LET THIS DIE which was a group of kids playing grindcore and I kept working with Brian throughout the years with his band Etched In Stone. Now I have gone round and round with members of Etch In Stone throughout the years from prank phone calls to a horrible article about me on the internet but the one constant thing was the respect I received from their Singer Brian. Brian is a good dude that loves his family and has an everlasting love for good metal and he has for years. Etched In Stone had several member changes but the last incarnation was the best and they were a quality metal band of the highest caliber but sadly the band dissolved and that saw Brian making his side project his priority and this Friday, November 6th he is releasing his 3rd full-length album on Rebel Pyro Musick entitled "Ad Inferna".

Nordic Frost is everything that you ask for in a symphonic black metal band. Beautiful symphonic arrangments that lead into the brutal realm of hardcore black metal riffs drawn together with disastrous layered vocals holding it all together. Each song takes you to another place and time where your nightmares blend with your wildest dreams. I got special clearance to get a sneak peek of the new album and I must say that it's an absolute masterpiece and his best album to date. Brian takes what he was doing with his last album "Ov Blasphemy and Other Rights" and built upon that with brazen ambition! "Ad Inferna" is an all-out attack on the senses and once again blends beautiful orchestration with sick blast beats, riffs, and vocals all done by one man. Every layer of instrumentation, Every layer of vocals, and all guitar, bass, and drums are all my friend Brian and he absolutely kills it on this album. I absolutely love this album and yesterday while listening to my advanced copy (Thanks B!!) I took the chance to call Brian and tell him this is the best music he has ever made, which is a high compliment considering his body of work over the last let's say 18-19 years of the Central Valley music scene.

I recently spoke to the Rebel Pyro signed artist about his absolutely spectacular project/album and here is what he had to say. First of all, what is your overall opinion of "Ad Inferna"?? Brian Answered: "Ad Inferna is an album I am particularly proud of as it offers the feelings of symphonic black metal, blackened death metal, and even some progressive elements; all while reserving a unique sound unto itself. It is born of a depressive state and while its unified parable is one seemingly rooted in darkness, the quest for infinite knowledge and equal power are and have always been deemed evil, so one could argue this is an anthem for those who are refusing to be oppressed any longer. It’s as political as it is spiritual, and at the end of the day it speaks of embracing our own humanity and overthrowing tyranny; be it god or man is inconsequential. There are thoughts conveyed throughout its thematic nature that can illicit a much deeper meaning than the words as they read, but that is for the listener to decide. In all my years of writing music, this is by far my proudest moment and I'm elated to finally be able to share it with the world!" I also asked, "How did you come up with the idea for NORDIC FROST and walk me through the creative process??" To which Brian answered: "I cut my teeth in the local metal scene in a grindcore/death metal band called Let This Die. When Let This Die disbanded in 2006 I really wanted to start a symphonic black metal project and the name Nordic Frost was what I had landed on. After gathering some former members of Let This Die together for some jam sessions, symphonic black metal just wasn't what was coming out. It ended up much more of a Hardcore/Metalcore project and that is how Etched in Stone was born. It wasn't until 9 years later that I actually decided to sit down outside of Etched in Stone and write/record some black metal. When Etched in Stone disbanded in 2017, Nordic Frost became my primary focus." I then asked, "Who were your influences on this project??" Brain answered: "My influences for this project are Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child, Cradle of Filth, Dark Funeral, Agathodaimon, Hecate Enthroned, and Opeth.". I asked, "What stands out to you in Nordic Frost compared to other things you've done?" He answered: "One of the things I do feel stands out about Nordic Frost above any of the other projects I've done is the guitar tuning. Every project I was in before was always in dropped D or C tuning and Nordic Frost has always been in Standard E. Which actually makes writing the orchestral parts much easier, lol. Everything kinda begins on an acoustic guitar and builds from there." And Finally, I asked " With "Ad Inferna" dropping THIS FRIDAY, How is this record different from the other 2 albums and the ep you've made?" To which he replied: "Ad Inferna is quite different in several ways than its predecessors Ov Blasphemy and Other Rites (2019) and Jeg Er Blitt Død (2018) in that there is far less orchestral ambiance this time around and much more of the ‘meat and potatoes’ of drums, bass, guitar, and vocals. It is also much more of a violent story than the previous releases, which allowed me to explore the blackened death metal elements more. The production and engineering on Ad Inferna were once again handled by Randy Abbott at Rabbott Productions who also handled the same duties for last year’s Ov Blasphemy and Other Rites."

I'd like to thank my buddy Brian Lewis for his time and for the advance copy of this absolutely amazing record!!

for more information on Nordic Frost

www.facebook.com/nordicfrostmusic 

www.facebook.com/rebelpyromusick 

Nordic Frost - Enlightenment in Obsolescence (Music Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjPCQQJZwgA