Whitefrozen is the 2003 debut EP by the Norwegian unblack and Viking metal band Vardøger. Vardøger formed in 1994, under the name Hidden Paradise, as a side project of its constituent musicians.[1][2]
| Whitefrozen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | January 1, 2003 | |||
| Genre | Unblack metal, Viking metal, folk metal, folk music, symphonic black metal | |||
| Length | 19:04 | |||
| Label | Endtime | |||
| Vardøger chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording and release edit
Songs were recorded in 1995 through 1997, including a 24-minute track that has never been released, but due to the band members' other commitments, Vardøger did not manage to release any music at that time and the group disbanded.[1][2] However, "Footprints of Thunder" was subsequently released on the compilation album In the Shadow of Death: A Scandinavian Extreme Music Compilation in 2000.[3] The band reformed in order to release more music, resulting in an EP in 2003 through Endtime Productions.[1][4]
Style edit
On this release, the style performed by Vardøger was described as black metal mixed with folk music,[3][4] black and folk metal,[4] and Viking metal.[5] The song "Footprints of Thunder" was described as symphonic black metal.[3] Johannes Jonsson described the songs on the EP as "slow black metal" and "slow majestic Viking Metal."[5] Stefan Lang compared the sound of the titular song "Whitefrozen" to the output of Amorphis.[6] Overall, he found the sound of the band to be similar to Schaliach, due to the presence of Dalbakk in both bands, except that Vardøger demonstrated a more black metal sound and was absent the contribution of Schaliach's other member, Ole Børud.[6] Matt Morrow described Whitefrozen as the place where "driving aggression frolics in the fields with haunting melodies. Where bells, chanting, ivory, and the marching of drums are welcome friends."[3]
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Johannes Jonsson |   |
| Matt Morrow |  |
The EP was well-received, with Ultimate Guitar describing it as a "classic."[7] Stefan Lang of Powermetal.de was favorable to the album, stating that there was no question that the band had the potential to crawl above the average.[6] HM writer Matt Morrow gave the album a full ten-out-of-ten, expressing his delight that the band had released more material after their compilation appearance.[3] Writer Johannes Jonsson rated the album three-out-of-five, calling the EP "a really nice cd for everyone into slow black metal."[5] He praised the vocals of Peter Dalbakk, which he considered better in this project than in Dalbakk's other band, Schaliach.[5] Jonsson said that he could not get into the tracks "Desert Pale" and "Inferno", but that the other three songs on the EP were excellent.[5] In a brief and retrospective review, Jakob Plantinga of Rocklife.nl said that while Whitefrozen was not a bad record, it was not particularly innovative.[8]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Desert Pale" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Footprints of Thunder" | 3:11 |
| 3. | "Inferno" | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Whitefrozen" | 4:16 |
| 5. | "Silent Witness" | 4:37 |
| Total length: | 19:04 | |
Personnel edit
- Alexander Dalbakk - Guitars
- Knut Anders Sørum - Keyboards
- Magnus Westgaard- Bass
- Stian Aarebrot - Guitars, vocals
- Robert Bordevik - Guitars, vocals
- Peter Dalbakk - Vocals
- Tom Arne Fossheim - Drums
References edit
- ^ a b c "Vardøger: Ghost Notes - Artwork". Page Black Design Bureau. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
- ^ a b Van Pelt, Doug (October 23, 2018). "Norway's VARDOGER Hang Up Their Instruments". Heavens Metal. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ a b c d e Morrow, Matt (n.d.). "Vardoger - Whitefrozen". The Whipping Post. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ a b c Jeffrey (January 30, 2017). "Vardøger - Ghost Notes". Metalfan.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ a b c d e Jonsson, Johannes (n.d.). "Christian Metal reviews, V". Metal for Jesus!. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ a b c Lang, Stefan (January 12, 2005). "Review | VARDOGER - Whitefrozen". Powermetal.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ Pro, Maria (January 25, 2018). "Christian Black Metal: 16 Bands You Need to Check Out". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ Plantinga, Jakob (January 11, 2016). "Vardøger – Ghost Notes". Rocklife.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2020.