Picture the ocean from inside the eye of a storm. Each rising wave presents its own unique threat, churned by the changing of the tides. But no matter how far you sink below the surface, all there is to see is one continuous expanse of water. This is the tortured yet piercingly clear headspace from which post-black metal curio BIZARREKULT slowly and painstakingly emerged with its absorbing third album Alt Som Finnes.
“I was not ready for all of this”, says Bizarrekult’s sole mastermind Roman V. “None of us are, when the time comes. But at the end of this journey, it seems to have all been worth it. The music gave me hints as to where to go and what can be”.
In keeping with black metal’s fiercely individual spirit, Roman began his life as Bizarrekult as a lone wolf. The one-man project started in 2006 as a musical accompaniment to the poetic verses he’d written since childhood. However, it’s official recorded debut didn’t come until fifteen years later, after he moved from Siberia to Norway. Living closer to the genre’s birthplace inspired him to bend but not break with tradition. Bizarrekult can be as cold and raw as early Darkthrone, as eerily melodic as Enslaved, or as blistering in its beauty as Borknagar.
“Norway has become my second home”, Roman says upon reflection. “The years that led to the revitalization of Bizarrekult were spent reflecting on myself and reuniting with the things that are important – art and creativity”.
On Bizarrekult’s first album, Roman looked back on his childhood and family life while also examining his changing relationship with the world at large. Released in 2021, Vi Overlevde (We Survived) was perceived as a beacon of hope amidst the second trying year of the pandemic. Charting near the top of Sweden’s biggest newspaper’s year-end list attracted the attention of Season of Mist, who released 2023’s more expansive follow-up Den Tapte Krigen (The Lost War) to further critical acclaim.
“…as Bizarrekult matures, so does its songwriting” wrote Angry Metal Guy. “The result is an album that flows like a stream through a dark forest”.
Alt Som Finnes (All There Is) maintains the classic energy of the old school. “Drøm” seeks to escape into the comfort of dreams, chased by frantic riffs and hallucinatory screams. “It’s in our dreams that we can finally relax from everything that happens during the daytime”, Roman says. “You can grasp at who you actually are, the meaning of yourself”. While Bizarrekult remains rooted in Norwegian black metal, the album strips away all defenses while adding more post-metal ambience. “Verdens verste” rails against consumerism with blistering grooves, while “Avmakt” surges and seethes in a fight for control before losing power amidst melodies that fall then fade like dying pinpricks of light.
As with Bizarrekult’s two previous retreats into the studio, Alt Som Finnes emerged from a deeply personal crisis. Only this time, Roman is not alone in confronting all there is. He’s joined in his struggle by guest vocalists from Predatory Void, MØL and Dødheimsgard. Behind a steady pounding of double bass, lead single “Blikket Hennes” buzzes with the all-consuming darkness of a guilty conscience, only for Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez to enlighten with soothing cleans.
“I wrote to Yusaf not about music, but life and its difficulties”, Roman says. “It became a connection”.
No one emerges unscathed from Alt Som Finnes. But while riddled with regrets, album closer “Tomhet” breaks new ground as the first Bizarrekult song sung in English. “Am I alone like this? No, we are many”. It’s a damning realization, but also a call for all of us to become something greater.
Line-up:
Roman V. — Vocals
Ignat P. — Guitars & Bass
Alexander P. — Drums
Production Credits:
Recorded at Seaside Room.
Produced, mixed & mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Recordings, Portugal.
Guest Musicians:
Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez (Dødheimsgard) — Vocals on “Blikket Hennes”
Lina (Predatory Void / Cross Bringer) — Vocals on “Drøm”
Kim Song Sternkopf (Møl) — Vocals on “Tomhet”
Cover Art:
Gravestench Art (https://www.instagram.com/gravestench_art/)
Photography:
Radmila Volchenkova
Available Formats:
CD Jewelcase
12” Vinyl Jacket — Black
12” Coloured Vinyl Jacket — Purple, Black & White Marbled
Pre-save & Pre-order: https://orcd.co/bizarrekultaltsomfinnes
Follow Bizarrekult:
Bandcamp: https://bizarrekult.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizarrekult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizarrekvlt/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Cj4Bc1WpdNZhGcKyQfWci/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/bizarrekult/1455860457
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/11699593
