Fran Marder (2009 Reissue)

Arckanum frontman (and frequent sole bandmember) Shamaatae is a weird dude. More committed than almost anyone in his "scene" to a pre-Christian belief system and lifestyle, he claims to practice Chaos-Gnosticism, which is an obscure philosophy that seems to require lots of posing in hooded robes on mountains and in forests, at least if the album art on this disc is any indication. Originally released in 1995 and produced by Hypocrisy's Peter Tägtgren along with Shamaatae himself, Fran Marder (the title translates to "From the Forest") might initially seem like a fairly typical mid-'90s black metal effort. The guitar riffs are primitive and staticky; the rhythms, whether live or machine, are relentless and no-frills; the bass is an afterthought at best; and the vocals are an inchoate howl of rage. There are some subtle and intriguing touches, though, mostly provided by guest vocalists — a crystal-clear female voice adds an element of beauty to "Trulmaeder," but on "Baerghet" and "Gava Fran Trulen," the same woman growls and shrieks in a manner reminiscent of Thorr's Hammer vocalist Runhild Gammelsaeter. Other dudes (including Tägtgren) show up to howl and scream on various tracks. Nature sounds and creepy keyboard effects add to the overall night-in-the-deep-woods atmospherics. In many ways, Fran Marder seems closer in spirit to Glenn Danzig's post-Misfits project Samhain than to black metal peers like Darkthrone or Burzum. Recommended for those who like some surprises in their old-school black metal.