Krieg is an American one-man band fronted by Lord Imperial. The band has been around for many years but seems to have never got that much recognition compared with the other America one-man act, Judas Iscariot, which puzzles me as I find Krieg infinitely more interesting. This release is not new material, but rather a collection of various different recordings all from over a six-year period. What I love about this release is the hatred and atmosphere which comes from the primitive riffs, production and of course the vocals. Lord Imperial has some fantastic vocals that rip and shred through the raw buzz of guitar; 18 tracks, all of which vary in quality of sound and also quality of songwriting... But all retain a menacing, evil and occasionally depressive atmosphere. At times I am reminded of the earlier works of Burzum and Darkthrone.
But don't just think this is yet another clone band for this would be a wrong assumption. Krieg certainly has its on style blending acoustic guitar, strange monk-like chanting and various different but always harsh vocals. The one bit of slight annoyance for me is the drum sound on a few of earlier tracks. Luckily this doesn't spoil songs like "Snowfall" too much, and sound improves as the CD goes on. Tracks like "A Crumbling Shrine" and also "Maelstrom" remain my favorite tracks on this release. One thing to point out is that there are limited (666) copies worldwide so find it if you can!
To sum up if you like the early primitive sounds of Burzum, Darkthrone and Abruptum, I think this will be within your liking. I just wish more black metal was like this.
