This is the debut album from Norwegian black metallers Tilintetgjort.
In Death I Shall Arise contains 47 minutes of music, culminating in the epic final 21-minute track Dommedagsmonument. It’s readily apparent that Tilintetgjort are not without ambition, and their take on black metal is filled with personality and character.
In Death I Shall Rise is inspired by first and second wave black metal, before travelling through the wide variety of blackened offshoots that emerged after that time, to then settle down in the present day as a well-informed slice of new-yet-old black metal art. Tilintetgjort offer an immersive blackened journey to the listener that has secret avenues, hidden labyrinths, and underground gems to be found along the way.
Presenting as raw black metal that’s enhanced with 70s progressive rock and dashes of avant-garde colour, this is an idiosyncratic album that wouldn’t have been out of place in the late 90s. You could imagine this as the third album or so from a Darkthrone-esque band that had started to branch our from their primitive roots, yet still had an aggressive heart of Norwegian darkness.
The music is raw and organic-sounding, almost like a live recording. Yet within this lies a sophistication that powers the music’s grim depths and inspires it to new heights. Tilintetgjort’s material is passionately delivered, and they clearly have a keen creative streak that’s put to good use. Esoteric melodies, expressive clean singing, atypical structures, subtle-yet-powerful bass presence, and interesting ideas are all wrapped around an atavistic core that’s pure traditional black metal. This lends the music an authenticity that’s disarming, and a listening experience that’s full of simple-yet-potent wonders.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from In Death I Shall Rise, but what I found within its running time has hit me hard. This is an extremely satisfying and enjoyable album, once which I urge you to explore both carefully and recklessly. Hail Tilintetgjort!
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 