1. Chasing Dragons 6:31
2. Beyond The Apocalypse 4:02
3. Aiwass-Aeon 3:33
4. Nekronatalenheten 4:31
5. Perished In Pain 3:58
6. Singer Of Strange Songs 7:31
7. Blood Is The Mortar 3:53
8. Internal Winter (Ad Infeinum) 7:42
9. Blade 5:58

Ravn - Vocals, Drums (additional, track 9)
Archaon - Guitars
Tjalve - Guitars
Seidemann - Bass, Harmonium (track 9)
Frost - Drums 

Before purchasing this album it is important to know that this release is not an easy smooth-flowing album to listen to. In fact, it's painful, but in a good way of course. For those unfamiliar with the band, 1349 play blisteringly fast black metal featuring Frost, one of the genre's finest musician's having played for the likes of Satyricon and Gorgoroth. Beyond the Apocalypse is hands down one of the most devastating chaotic black metal releases of 2004 that seems to possess that "I don't care what you think" kind of attitude, and it works.

The album begins like an overwhelming wall of sound that forces the listener to try and comprehend in vain the full impact which they are experiencing. There are only two words that could best describe the music: fast, chaotic. 1349 stick to that formula whether you like it or not, having no remorse for those listening. One not used to this black metal sound would immediately pass this as unlistenable garbage while those into it will be unable to part with the record. The guitars blaze their way through the songs while Frost's inhuman drumming batters away at the kit. There is no way to truly describe how incredible the guy's drumming is. You know what to expect if you've heard him play. The vocals are in the classic raspy black metal style as they scream about the typical dark themes. Beyond the Apocalypse has great production as well that doesn't stray from the actual music. Very clear yet raw just the way you like it.

With this album, 1349 have definately made their mark as one of the greatest black metal bands of the modern day. It seems that anything Frost touches turns into gold. Many people have criticized this album for being too sloppy and going nowhere, but it does just the opposite. Beyond the Apocalypse screams black metal from start to finish with great songwriting that travels down a one way road of chaos. Get this if you're a fan of Anaal Nathrakh, Gorgoroth, Satyricon, or just good fast black metal. 1349 prove that there is still much life in the Norwegian scene and keep the black metal flame burning brighter than ever. ---Vor, metal-archives.com

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1. Invocation 6:14
2. Serpentine Sibilance 4:35
3. Horns 3:05
4. Maggot Fetus... Teeth Like Thorns 3:47
5. Misanthropy 3:33
6. Uncreation 7:00
7. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun 6:13
8. Solitude 3:38
9. At the Gate... 6:53

Ravn - Vocals, Drums, Guitars, Bass, Strings
Archaon - Guitars
Seidemann - Bass
Frost - Drums 

After a massive workload of three albums in as many years, it was a comparatively long period of time between albums for 1349. The band went away and whatever happened in that time, something happened within the psyche of the band which appears to have softened them up a bit, because it shows in this album – and the outcome is fucking brilliant.

‘Invocation’, the introduction to the album is quite peculiar. A long scream leads into an extended period of ambience, for around three minutes before the emergency of some quite sombre, down-tempo black metal – all within one six-minute track. This form of black metal however, is not only fantastic, but leaves the listener wondering whether it is actually the same band that released the intense yet fanatically boring ‘Hellfire’.

The album continues into ‘Serpentine Sibilance’ with much more of a slow black metal style. It’s by now blatantly clear that the band has significantly changed their musical direction, at least for this album. The production isn’t as good in some respects – especially the drums – but this works in the albums favour. The drums feel a lot warmer and have a much more human aspect to them, rather than being too digital or computerised. Whilst the guitars are clearer and the bass is more audible, the style of riffs is so different that you won’t help but be sucked in to find out what this new musical direction is all about.

One thing that really irked me about the previous record was the vocals – but this is no longer the case. They stand out much more over the music and rather than sounding like a mindless noisy other instrument, the vocals add another, better dimension to this new musical style. They’re not too different to a mainstream style, yet they’re somehow so much better. The tone and pitch work in conjunction with the music better and impress rather than frustrate.

There really is quite a lot of dark ambient and non-metal music on here, and it works in fantastic conjunction with the metal parts. ‘Horns’, which is an all-ambient track, invokes a brilliant atmosphere and although its position in the album being so early is strange, the track itself is spectacularly dark and evil, and its only problem is that it isn’t long enough. ‘Misanthropy’ is a similarly dark and sombre, yet interesting piece – consisting solely of a piano in the distance which fades into some utterly frightening ambience and distorted guitar chords. This track too, shows another different side to the band – that they are not afraid to try new things and have a fresh side to the music.

The slower tempo of the album, rather than being boring, really builds an excellent atmosphere, and with so much variation, the listener is bound to keep enjoying the atmosphere and sheer unpredictability of what’s on here. Tracks like ‘Uncreation’ and ‘At the Gate’ are slow almost the entire way through and build up a brilliant and almost Burzum-like ambience, whereas tracks like ‘Serpentine Sibilance’ build up similarly but then suddenly delve into the chaotically fast style of the older albums. When this happens, the switches are made effortlessly and without much disruption to the flow of the album.

‘Revelations of the Black Flame’ is an amazing black metal effort. The production has so much more heart and soul, and the result is that it has a much more pleasant feel to it. It feels like a true black metal album, rather than a mindless clone product of all their predecessors. With ‘Hellfire’ it just felt like the band were showing off, and the whole vibe of the album came off as completely self indulgent, whereas this album feels much more like they wanted to reconnect with their fans. Even the faster parts and guitar solos are significantly more listenable than this time around.

Whereas sitting through ‘Hellfire’ was an unbelievable chore and I found myself put almost to sleep by the end, listening to ‘Revelations of the Black Flame’ was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. More length in the ambient tracks would have given this album a higher rating, as would a little bit of a depressive aspect to the guitar riffs, like the ones found in ‘Solitude’. Other than this, I’m now very interested in what this band will release in the future. I definitely recommend this album if you’re on the lookout for something different to the mainstream black metal scene. Great work, 1349. ---immortalshadow666, metal-archives.com

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1. Manifest 4:03
2. I Breathe Spears 4:25
3. Riders Of The Apocalypse 4:35
4. Deathmarch 1:05
5. Pitch Black 3:20
6. Satanic Propaganda 3:45
7. Legion 4:56
8. Evil Oath 3:49
9. Liberation 5:22
10. Chants Of Grief 1:53

Ravn - Vocals
Archaon - Guitars
Tjalve - Guitars
Seidemann - Bass
Frost - Drums 

1349’s first studio effort, Liberation, is beyond words. There is no possible way for me to sum up the near perfection of this album but I’ll give it a shot.

The album must be listened to all the way through upon first listen. There is no other way to fully experience the awesome power of 1349. From the opening jackhammer of Manifest to the closing cover of Mayhem’s Buried by Time and Dust, 1349 are unrelenting. They never slow down, they never stop. They are a black metal force to be reckoned with. This is the album that no only hails the arrival of the future kings of black metal, it defines the sound and direction black metal will eventually head towards. Mark my words, dear reader: black metal will return to its furious and vicious roots and stray away from symphonic mainstream posers like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir and 1349 will stand proudly at the top of the heap as reigning kings of black metal.

Well now that that’s all done with, on to the review. Let’s start with the vocals shall we. This is Ravn’s best vocal performance throughout 1349’s three full length studio albums. On Beyond the Apocalypse and Hellfire, he sounds more harsh than grim. On Liberation he is as grim as he’s ever been while still being as harsh as ever. He reminds me of Nocturno Culto on the first few Darkthrone albums. All in all, this is one of the best vocal performances I have heard in “modern” black metal. Very unsettling.

The guitars are amazing; a constant wall of buzzing noise that never lets up. If you listen through the wall of sound you can hear some really interesting and intense riffs. This CD creates a bulldozer of noise with fantastic guitar work underneath. The riffs are incredibly brutal and unrelenting, but at the same time they create an ominous atmosphere with some very wicked and evil overtones. Don’t expect much in the way of solos though.

The bass is… well the bass is there. It’s mostly inaudible. Its main purpose is to add a deeper, heavier overall sound underneath the treble-boosted guitars. If you listen, you can make it out though, and Seidmann does a good job of keeping up with Archaon and Tjalve’s guitars.

Now we get to the drums. One of the highlights to the album, the drums are incredibly intense and accurate. Frost (of Satyricon fame) is, for my money, the best drummer in heavy metal. If you don’t believe me, just pick any song on this album. Most of the drums are blast beats, but Frost does offer some interesting fills here and there. I am astonished by his accuracy. The man’s a fucking human metronome! I didn’t know a person could be so fast, yet be perfectly in time throughout the entire album. Listen to the end of I Breathe Spears. You’ll understand.

This is a black metal album, so no review would be complete without a discussion of the lyrics. They are pretty standard for black metal. Blasphemy, anti-Christian sentiments, and individualism run rampant. The lyrics seem more empowering and creative than a lot of other low-tier, generic black metal, and they fit the music very well, so I can’t complain.

In conclusion, 1349’s Liberation is the place to start if you’re interested in 1349 or black metal in general. If you’re already a fan, it’s time to buy this album and hear the future of the genre for yourself. It doesn’t disappoint. ---blackblood666, metal-archives.com

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