The Return of the Black Death

The Return of the Black Death

Infobox Album | Name = The Return of the Black Death
Type = Studio Album
Artist = Antestor


Released = 1998
Recorded = Studio 5, Oslo, Spring 1997
Genre = Unblack metal
Length = 72:23
Label = Cacophonous Records
Producer = Antestor
Reviews = *Kerrang! Rating|4|5
*Terrorizer Rating|4|5cite web |author= |title=Antestor interview |publisher= Open Publishing |date=1998-12-12|work= Art for the Ears|url=http://www.artfortheears.nl/NL/r/i/antestor.htm |accessdate=2008-05-17 ]
*The Whipping Post rating-10|10cite web |title=Antestor review |url=http://thewhippingpost.tripod.com/antestorthereturnoftheblackdeath]
Last album = "Martyrium (album)"
(1994)
This album = "The Return of the Black Death"
(1998)
Next album = "The Defeat of Satan"
(2003)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Original cover art
Type = Demo


Lower caption = Kongsblod demo cover. The artwork is taken from a famous Norwegian painting.

"The Return of the Black Death" is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Antestor, released in 1998. It is the band's only release on the British Cacophonous Records label. The album was particularly successful in the U.S. and has sold over 10,000 copies. This album's working title was "Kongsblod". The release of "The Return of the Black Death" proved influential for the Christian black metal movement.

Recording history

In spring 1997, Antestor recorded a demo CD called "Kongsblod" in Studio 5, Oslo. At the time their line up consisted of guitarist/keyboardist Lars Stokstad (Vemod), vocalist/lyricist Kjetil Molnes (Martyr), bass player Vegard Undal and drummer Svein Sander (Armoth). The band sent "Kongsblod" to record labels in hopes of getting finances to record and mix at a better quality studio. The cover of the demo contains a famous Norwegian painting of skiing vikings. One of the biggest exclusively black metal focused British labels, Cacophonous Records, became interested in the band, and a record deal was signed with Antestor. However, Cacophonous simply released "Kongsblod" after changing the cover to a painting by the American fantasy artist Joe Petagno, and the name was changed to "The Return of the Black Death". The album was released in 1998. [ All Music Guide , [http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:avfixqrkldte Antestor - The Return of the Black Death] . retrieved 2007-10-25 ]

Afterwards, the incident has caused some debates because it is rare that a Christian black metal band gets signed to a secular label. Previously only Horde's release of "Hellig Usvart" in 1994 on Nuclear Blast is a similar known case.cite web |author=Morrow, Matt |title=Antestor - The Return of the Black Death |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2001 |work=The Whipping Post |url=http://thewhippingpost.tripod.com/antestorthereturnoftheblackdeath/ |accessdate=2007-08-29 ] In December 1998, the drummer Armoth said in interview with "Art for the Ears" webzine that "We sent the CD and a short biography [for Cacophonous Records] . They just wanted to sign us because of the music. And that's exactly what we wanted to do." Some time later, in a 2000 interview with the Finnish "The Christian Underground Zine" issue 4, the fanzine's interviewer asked Antestor: "However, you had a record deal with Cacophonous Records (ex-Cradle of Filth, Bal-Sagoth). What kind of experiences did you get from that?" The band replied: "Pretty bad, actually. I can not say they did anything else than released the album. No money, no royalties, nothing." The interviewer also asked: "Did the record company set any demands concerning your image?" Antestor replied: "Nothing like that. They just said that it is not recommendable for us to announce exactly everywhere that we are a Christian band, and they censored the words 'Lord' and 'Jesus' from our lyrics. We ourselves removed a few texts because we did not want to provoke unnecessarily." cite web |author= |title=Antestor Interview |publisher=Open Publishing |date=2000 |work=The Christian Underground Zine Issue 4 |url=http://www.tcu.sjr.fi/zinearkisto/z4/antestor.html |accessdate=2007-08-29 Quote= Interviewer: "However, you had a record deal with Cacophonous Records (ex - Cradle of Filth, Bal-Sagoth). What kind of experiences did you get from that?" Antestor: "Pretty bad, actually. I can't say they did anything else than publish the album. No money, no royalties, nothing." Interviewer: Did the record company set any demands concerning your image?" Antestor: "Nothing like that, they just said that it's not recommendable for us go absolutely everywhere announcing that we're a Christian band and they censored the words "Lord" and "Jesus" from our lyrics sheet. We ourselves removed few texts because we didn't want to provocate." (translated from Finnish)]

Later, some strong rumors in the metal scene claimed, that Antestor was immediately dropped after Cacophonous found out their conviction. Waters, Scott. [http://nolifetilmetal.com/antestor.htm Antestor: The Return of the Black Death] . No Life 'til Metal. retrieved 2008-03-01.] However, the truth is that Antestor's record deal with Cacophonous was still valid in 2000. The record label did not keep contact with the band, and later Antestor began working with Endtime Productions. In the 1998 interview, Svein Sander said that Cacophonous told Antestor that the label had gone bankrupt. Ronny Hansen, who joined Antestor as a vocalist in 2000, questioned this "bankrupt" claim in another interview:

Overview

Musically, "The Return of the Black Death" represents the style the band dubbed "sorrow metal" that combines elements of black metal, viking metal, Norwegian folk music, and doom metal, leaving out the previous death metal elements. Vemod's guitar playing is based on the mesmerizing black metal tremolo riffing, the sound production is somewhat thin and raw, and Martyr's vocals are high-pitched shrieking. The album's output is mostly down tempo and is characterized by dark, oppressive, and moody keyboards that give the album an epic Viking feel. The album focuses more on the haunting, cold and hypnotic atmosphere rather than technical playing. Songs such as "Sorg" (Norwegian for "sorrow") include several minutes of folky keyboard ambience that specifically focus on creating atmosphere. "Ancient Prophecy" is an over 8 minute slow, black-doom metal hybrid song. The album begins with the intro "Vinterferden" that consists of breezing breath of cold winter wind, followed by a folky viking melody and deep, harsh and oppressive speaking vocals saying something in Norwegian. Out of all the 11 songs, only 4 are sung in English, and the rest in Norwegian language. The album ends with an outro that contains samples of wind whistling with all kinds of other spooky noises and a man talking very softly in a low Norwegian voice. The lyrical themes are mostly about personal darkness, struggle against the evil within, sorrow, longing for salvation, vikings, and death. An example of the lyrics from the song "A Sovereign Fortress" that deals with personal relationship to God:

Reception

The album reportedly sold "quite much in the U.S."cite web |author=MPO |title=Vaakevandring |publisher=Open Publishing |date=1999-11-23 |work=Art for the Ears |url=http://www.artfortheears.nl/NL/r/i/vaake.htm |accessdate=2008-08-09 ] According Ronny Hansen (Vrede) in an interview with Intense Radio's Bob Beeman in December 13, 2007, "by various sources, "The Return of the Black Death" has sold over 10,000 copies and still keeps selling." cite web |url= http://web.mac.com/sanctuaryintl/PB/Intense_Broadcast/Entries/2007/12/13_Antestor.html |title= Antestor |accessdate=2008-05-08 |author= Beeman, Bob |date=2007-12-13 |work= Intense Radio |publisher= Free Publishing ] Overall, "The Return of the Black Death" was well-received by both Christian and non-Christian black metal fans, for example the British metal magazines "Kerrang!" and "Terrorizer" both gave the album 4 points out of 5. However, some Scandinavian black metal fans felt that Antestor played music that in their opinion should not be played by Christians and disaproved of the albums lyrical content. Eventually the album brought the band a cult fan following. The drummer Svein Sander said of the album's reception in 1998 on "Art for the Ears" webzines interview:

According to Scott Waters of "No Life 'til Metal", The album's first pressing sold out almost as soon as it was released. Cacophonous has since taken more pressing of the album, selling possibly thousands of copies, although the label has not announced any sales figures. Matt Morrow of "The Whipping Post" gave the album 10/10 and writes that "Antestor's "The Return of the Black Death" is exactly what the Christian black metal scene needed." "The Return of the Black Death" is one of the key releases of the Christian metal movement, and, for example, Johannes Jonsson of "The Metal for Jesus!" page cites the album under the "Christian Metal History" title as a notable, influential album. [Johannes Jonsson, [http://www.metalforjesus.org/history.htm Christian Metal History] , The Metal for Jesus Page! .retrieved 2008-03-01.]

Track listing

"All songs by Antestor. Music composed by Lars Stokstad. Lyrics by Kjetil Molnes."

# Vinterferden - 1:21
# A Sovereign Fortress - 4:54
# Svartedauens Gjenkomst - 4:42
# Sorg - 6:14
# The Bridge of Death - 5:31
# Gamlelandet - 6:14
# Kilden - Lik En Endelos Elv - 6:23
# Kongsblod - 5:50
# Battlefield - 5:59
# Ancient Prophecy - 8:00
# Ildnatten - 2:05

Personnel

*Kjetil Molnes (Martyr) - vocals
*Vegard Undal (Gard) - bass
*Lars Stokstad (Vemod) - guitar, keyboards
*Svein Sander (Armoth) - drums

References

External links

* [http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=8237 The Return of the Black Death] at Metal-Archives (retrieved 10-26-07)


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