Artist: Kvist
Title: For Kunsten maa vi evig Vike
Type: Album reissue
Label: Peaceville

Alongside Manes' debut album and Keep of Kalessin's 'Through Times of War', this first (and only) Kvist record came about at an unfortunate time. The 1994-95 saturation of Norwegian black metal was well underway and the genuine worth of these albums went unnoticed in a scene awash with perceived mediocrity. Time, hindsight and numerous reissues has revealed the 'minor classic' nature of the first two and now it seems it is Kvist's turn to be thrust back into the limelight. 'For Kunsten...' was the only release from this Nordic trio and despite being championed by a few quarters within the underground received next to no attention, being quickly subsumed in a bloated scene about to be rocked by Enslaved's 'Eld', Emperor's 'Anthems...' and Arcturus's 'La Masquerade Infernale'. A cursory spin reveals nothing particularly out of the ordinary - guttural vocals barking staccato commands over clattering blastbeats - and initially, the record comes across as little more than an uglier sister of 'The Shadowthrone'.

Delving deeper though reveals more to Kvist than just another Nordic ice-fest. There's a depth to the band's songwriting that marks them out as being different to many of their peers, a utilisation of unusual chord voicings and melodies thrown into the traditional black metal mix. It's not through discordance that Kvist differentiate themselves however, more from a reflective, occasionally 'jazzy' ambience to the soundscapes that unfurl amongst the precise, aggressive percussion/guitar work. Subtle keyboards courtesy of guitarist Vergrimm aid massively in this. The ascending refrains in 'Ars Manifestia' and 'Svaretdal' may owe a debt to Emperor but are far less obvious than much of Ihsahn's pomp whilst album closer 'Vettenetter' boasts a subtly haunting theme that brings about a real sense of conclusion to proceedings. The centerpiece of the record however is the ten minute 'Min Lakem Er Meg Blott En Byrde', a veritable labyrinth of riffing that contains some of Kvist's most potent hooks (the opening passage is incredible).

'For Kunsten...' is short but sweet album - 30-odd minutes with nary a second wasted. It may be a product very much of it's time but can comfortably stand shoulder-to-shoulder with much of the more revered releases coming out of Norway in the mid-Nineties. It certainly puts albums from that era by Satyricon and Gehenna in the shade and with this in mind, comes highly recommended as a document of a fertile period in the genre's history.

http://www.myspace.com/kvistband

Frank Allain

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