Maddern Mortem - Deadlands (The End) This is the first U.S. release for this Norwegian dark, etheral, melodic metal band. (and a damn shame that’s it’s only the first! Probably one of those bands that the big wigs though would be “too European” for the American listeners. Uff Da!) Anyway, that’s essentially the best way to describe them as they generally don’t fall into any overt styles: gothic, black, death, power, etc. However, this is a collection of some good catchy songs with a lot of well-done basic, loud riffing. Agnete Kirkevaag’s (pronounced “Ag’net’é’ Keer-ay’v’og” if my Norsk serves correctly) vocals are very original. She goes from a melodic, regular tone to an excellent high register in the melodic metal tradition. (In the best way possible, not some boring or wimpy kind of way). Some references points: The Gathering, In The Woods, Green Carnation and Katatonia but not a clone of any of them. Very excellent packaging & artwork to boot!

Not really a song - just a short intro with distorted voices, soundtrack-like ambience & spoken words. Pretty cool for what it is though.
((1)) Loud, rythmic guitar jud-juds all over the place with soaring melodic rockin’ tune with Agnete’s vox are very emotional (NOT “emo” though) & catchy.
(((2))) Katatonia-like guitars intro more soaring, very awesome histronic & trad metal (!) vocals & spoken parts and some very interesting breakdowns - one etheral & one spoken.
3) High-pitched guitars repeating over & over then mellow, etheral part into main riff & choruses. A little too redudant in places & the guitars don’t quite ‘do the trick’ here.
5) Winding, slow guitar, drums & etheral singing. A general cascading, downward feeling.
((6)) Slow, doomy riffing then many layers of vocals & guitars. Very capitivating, passionation & emotive.
7) Bass-heavy intro with with more a lot of focus on the vocals. For the most part this works but the chorus just doesn’t grab me. (((8))) Slow, winding & doomy tones & with a trippy, spine-tingly high-pitched guitar part & some excellent, vocals - that reach different ranges. Something like Siouxie Sioux fronting In The Woods or The Gathering. (Damn, that would be awesome!).
((9)) Most excellent vocal & warbling guitar intro into proggy bass + LOUD steady rythmic metalisms. This could make a cool video they could film it in the mountains of Bergen (Norway that is, not New Jersey).
((10)) Bass/guitar intro-sounds a tad like the intro to The Gathering’s “Liberty Bell” mellow vocals, rumbling bass. A ballad but not in the lame 80’s way, OK?
(((11))) Trippy, almost Durruti Column -like bass/guitars with soft vocals then a very metal high register note (‘ala a female version of say, Geoff Tate?) into a steady tempo of “jud-jud-ding” & spirialing downwards guitars & various loud/soft tempos. Definetely the best vocals parts on the whole album on this one. A long tune but VERY worthwhile!