This started out as a solo project for
Thomas "Sarke" Berglie of the well-regarded Norwegian black metal band
Khold, but it became much more -- at least as far as the metal underground was concerned -- when
Darkthrone vocalist
Nocturno Culto came on board. This was a coup equal to
Deicide frontman
Glen Benton agreeing to provide vocals for previously undistinguished New York death metal outfit
Vital Remains, resulting in the release of their two best albums,
Dechristianize and
Icons of Evil. Similarly, it's doubtful
Vorunah would be anywhere near as good as it is had
Culto not agreed to donate his guttural howling to the project. The riffs, while decent, are quite clearly the product of someone for whom guitar (not to mention bass) is not a full-time gig (
Sarke was the drummer in
Khold), and the playing is rudimentary, aided by the "punch it in till you get it right" practice of modern-day home studio recording. The songs are primitive, very much reminiscent of
Hellhammer, early
Celtic Frost, and equally early
Darkthrone, thrashing sometimes and trudging forward like soldiers in the snow at other times. String samples and moody keyboards occasionally provide a little bit of additional darkness to their otherwise punky roar. And obviously
Nocturno Culto's vocals owe a lot to Tom Gabriel Fischer. Several songs -- "Frost Junkie," "Cult Ritual," and "13 Candles" -- pass the six-minute mark, which is a mistake. And some of the lyrics, particularly on the song "Old," are just dumb. But this is a decent side project to tide
Darkthrone fans over until that band's next release, which is more than could have been said had
NC not taken part. ~ Phil Freeman