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So Much For Nothing: Livsgnist

26/06/12 || Sokaris

I’ve always steered clear of depressive/suicidal black metal (DSBM). Honestly I’m not totally sure what bands this loose tag refers to, so pardon my ignorance if I’m talking out of my ass but the bits and clips I’ve come across have never really sucked me in. I get why people like Xasthur, I just don’t. And Silencer didn’t invoke anything in me other than a fit of giggles. Decent music, but their vocalist sounds like Strongbad turning into a werewolf. The cold and grim and sad among us tell me it’s emotional and haunting, I just crack right the fuck up.

I’m open-minded, so I looked more into this sort of music, going as far as typing ‘dsbm’ into Google. Among my finds was a guide on enjoying DSBM and upon completion of the final step, completing this“misanthropic and restful voyage through [myself]” just transformed into this:

Maybe I should’ve taken a cue from this Troy guy, grabbed a 40 and really immerse myself into this sub-subgenre. Troy is seen here staring creepily into the camera while he drinks malt liquor and gets his DSBM on in his murder den. This guy seems to really understand the pain behind this kind of music. Thanks, Troy, for sharing with us a vision that is I’m sure is normally only seen by those experiencing their last moments of life.

Anyway, what the fuck does this have to do with So Much For Nothing? Well, fortunately, nothing. So much for that intro. My point is that whatever stereotype I had in my head based on their name and general themes was proven completely unfounded. So Much For Nothing play rich and diverse music, unafraid to inject outside influences to convey different atmospheres. It’s still all about suffering and pain and there is a heavy “woe is me” sentiment but it’s all genuinely expressed through the music and only enhances the experience. Sometimes it’s laid on a little thick, like having a sample of a woman crying and blubbering over a sad guitar melody or doing the “you’re so perfect, life is perfect” refrain WAY too many times in “Perfect” but it works well for the most part.

There are a ton of guests on this release, from Shining vocalist Niklas Kvaforth to various current and former members of 1349, Ureghal, Absu and the like. We have trumpet, saxophone, cello and violin as well (provided by Sareeta, former Ram-Zet bowshredder) diversifying the palette. While they each add something, I’d like to hear the band take on some of these elements as a more full-time thing, rather than just guest spots. When you hear saxophone pretty early in the first song you kind of expect to hear it pop up again.

Bottom line is that fans of emotionally driven black metal should love this as long as they’re not opposed to some very non-traditional elements. Said elements could very likely appeal to adventurous listeners who don’t normally enjoy this sort of thing. I do want to mention that though this won’t make near the top of the list for me at the end of the year, I respect the hell out the guys involved. They’ve definitely succeeded at capturing the vibe it seems they were after and put a lot of soul in their sound, something that I always look forward to in a record.

6,5

Information
Released: 2012
Label: My Kingdom Music
Website: www.somuchfornothing.com
Band
Erik Unsgaard: vocals, guitars bass
Uruz: drums

Tracklist
01. Suicide syndrome
02. One last night
03. Perfect
04. Suffer in silence
05. My precious
06. Livsgnist
07. New life – New beginning

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