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Every non-English speaking country has their share of bands that
prefer to stick to their mother’s tongue rather than the world wide
understood English language. By doing this, they’re sacrificing most
possibilities of reaching international recognition. Tömmermenn (The
Lumberjacks) is one of Norway’s finest Metal acts that has chosen to
write their lyrics in Norwegian. Their musical skills, form, and
content don’t prevent them from reaching out to foreign shores -
their language does.
Not that Tömmermenn, whatever language they would chose to sing
in, would have put the world on fire if they got an international
launch. Neither their debut Tolv tonn (Twelve Tons,
2004) or their newly released Urbant Helvete (Urban Hell)
has got the X factor that pushes Tömmermenn up from the “very good”
to the “great” shelf.
However, Urbant Helvete sure is one album that is worth
coming back to revisit. Tömmermenn is hard riffing and intense, but
also poetic and lurking. The production might not be of the freshest
kind, but they sound experienced. They are not inventive, but honest.
This is not the most dynamic band around, but the force in their
music won’t leave you untouched.
They do their stuff quite different from Norwegian Metal bands
you might already know. They don’t play Rock ’n’ Roll Metal like
their countrymen Turbonegro, Melodic Metal like TNT, or Black Dimmu
Borgir Metal. Tömmermenn’s sound is more natural, straightforward
and less detail oriented than all these bands. Singer Geir Berntsen
impresses –- he has a primal rawness in his voice that gives the
band a unique signature. The rest of the group too makes sure that
nothing is left to chance; if Metal is what you want, Metal is what
they’ll give you.
Those who have had the chance to hear them play live know that
they are fully capable of delivering the edge from their albums on
the stage -- and the other way around. On Urbant Helvete you
don’t get an overdecorated Christmas tree, you get a four-piece band
delivering the goods. There's no freaking keyboards or atmospheric
mood stunts made by a computer. On the last track a string quartet
is added, but except for this, Urbant Helvete is the effort
of three hard rocking instruments and a powerful voice.
It is the overall sound and energy of the album that makes it
notable, not individual standout tracks. However, there are quite a
few highlights here. The rough opener “Sort – Hvitt,” “Slutten
Kaller” (great guitar work), the slow riffing ”Rett,” and the
dramaturgical title track are all very fine moments indeed. “Et
Menneske” and ”Dere Som Står” are also great experiences, to a large
extent thanks to Berntsen’s quality singing.
If you want to add some good and honest, hard and heavy Metal to
your CD collection, Tömmermenn’s Urbant Helvete, or their
debut Tolv Tonn, are good ways to go ... but please "mind the
language" …
Visit www.Tommermenn.no
here.
Live pix from Tömmermenn’s Tolv Tonn release party (2004)
are
here.
Track List:
01: Sort – Hvitt (Black – White)
02: Lekende (Playing)
03: Slutten kaller (The End Calls)
04: Urbant helvete (Urban Hell)
05: Transitt (Transit)
06: Et menneske (A Human Being)
07: Storm (Storm)
08: Samme hva (Whatever)
09: Rett (Straight)
10: Danser (Dancing)
11: Betong (Concrete)
12: Dere som står (You Who Are Standing)
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