FORGJORD – tie, totuus & kuolema – CD

Black Metal – Werewolf Records

No better time, then, to exhume the graves of the past with Tie, Totuus & Kuolema. While newcomers to the band’s sound might find this collection of recordings from over 20 years ago a bit caustic and crude comparative to their most recent work, the seven songs presented on this special compilation indeed underline that FORGJORD’s aesthetic was firm from the very beginning; it only took time to become more harnessed – and, arguably, weirder. Taken as a totality, Tie, Totuus & Kuolema works as both stark contrast and counterpoint, both embellishment of and the very original issue.

Founding guitarist / bassist Valgrinder explains the story behind the comp: “Tie, Totuus & Kuolema (English: “The Way, the Truth & the Death”) ain’t new FORGJORD album, but a peek into the band’s early years. It presents us when we were finding our shape as two members and when things were finally starting to work. It shows the anger, hunger, and rage when the flame was pure and bright in our young band’s heart. Tie, Totuus & Kuolema was FORGJORD’s first demo recording session, which never got officially published. Less than 20 tapes were sent to various zines and labels as a promo – so few that we never heard back from any of those. But because of our lack of connections, it was never sold to an audience, even though that was the plan in the first place. The demo was recorded in our first rehearsal place, in the attic of an old institution. During the recording sessions, we recorded several songs that were left out of the demo, and they are finally presented here. Also, several four-track rehearsal songs before the demo sessions are presented. Note that these aren’t the same versions that are on the Henkeen ja Vereen full-length, but unreleased ones from the band’s vault.”