Anatomia DEU: Fermenting Innards

 

 

SWITCH TO PL

Ah, the '90s, the last true, unadulterated time for music, before technology became so meddling everywhere to the point where artificial intelligence will soon replace humans. I agree with potential critics of this line of thinking, and that I'm overly idealizing those times, but then again, how can I not, when I get my hands on such a solid piece of beefy meal?

Germany's Fermenting Innards went through the usual development phases of then-trends. First, they were heavily influenced by Swedish Death Metal, performing it in a somewhat similar fashion to that of another German band (Fleshcrawl). Afterwards, they ventured into another Scandinavian country, namely Norway, and began mixing their style with the ever-popular Black Metal hordes.

While it's true that their label (Invasion Records) somewhat "influenced" these new inspirations, but Fermenting Innards, like true Germans, carried out the "orders" with genuine enthusiasm. The end result was the subject of today's post, "Myst" (1995), the band's one and only album. Produced by none other than the master Dan Swanö himself. And reproduced as well - I wouldn't be myself if I didn't mention that there was recently a substantial double-disc reissue for the album's 30th anniversary. It contains not only a large number of rehearsals and live recordings, but also detailed liner notes describing the genesis of the songs, track by track.

There's truly a lot to read, and I'm going to share some interesting tidbits with you. This led me to the realization that each album has not only a tedious and difficult story of its creation, but also features a piece of the soul of the musicians themselves. And I probably wouldn't have been inspired to write about this album if it wasn't such a unique document of its era.

First of all, the newer version has a completely different intro/outro. On the original, they were created by the well-known Mortiis (then still in Emperor). However, as is often the case, misunderstandings arose along the way, which eventually turned into a conflict, and the group itself wasn't satisfied with the final results. I also have the impression that Norway once again proved to be an asshole to others, but oh well, that's just how this country is. Mortiis himself later re-released these tracks as a single, so if anyone wants to, they can look them up ("Blood and Thunder"). In any case, the new instrumentals, composed especially for this occasion, fit the album's atmosphere much better.

Overall, it's not only (as I mentioned earlier) a schizophrenic attempt to combine Swedish Death Metal with Norwegian Black Metal, but there are also gems made in a different style, such as the track "Eternal Sadness," inspired by Paradise Lost (their "Gothic" period), dedicated to a friend who tragically died in a motorcycle accident. Most of the songs, especially "Transfiguration of the Withered Beauty" and "The Rising in Northern Storm", are beautifully evolving. This means that despite exceeding five minutes, they never bore for a second, and thanks to the right sound, they manage to deliver both punch and an atmosphere. This is what I love most about old school - well-developed compositions that simultaneously tell a dark tale. I absolutely love every track here.

 

The lyrics for "Those Burning Thorns" and "Svartfoldet hat" were written by Öystein from Borknagar, where the latter was intended as a tribute to Bathory. "Hateful" has a slightly more convoluted history, as it's a re-recording of "In Hate" from their mini-album "Drowned," but it was translated into Norwegian due to the inclusion of one controversial word, which is usually avoided in order to avoid certain accusations. This is of course just the tip of the iceberg, in regards to trivia, there are many more secrets, but I encourage you to discover them on your own.

 

I must admit that when I listened to this album years ago, without knowing the full context, I considered it a somewhat successful, if somewhat poseurish stuff, pandering to the then-dominant underground trends. But now, knowing a little bit more, I see I misunderstood the band's intentions and have a decidedly more positive outlook for this material. Especially since the music is just excellent, and I wish there more productions of this type. And even the label "inspired by Norwegian Black Metal" isn't as off-putting as it might be. And that is quite a feat. So, all that remains from me to do, is to wholeheartedly recommend it.