Bizarrekult haunt your dreams on new single ‘Drøm’

Without breaking, Bizarrekult continues to bend black metal’s traditions by honing its mastermind’s singular, tortured vision. Much like Roman V.’s two previous retreats into the studio, his upcoming third album slowly and painstakingly emerged from a deeply personal crisis. Only this time, he’s not alone in confronting all there is.

Now, Bizarrekult released the second advanced single from Alt Som Finnes (All There Is). While hounded by a familiar sense of dread, “Drøm” (Dream) escapes by following the mysterious call of Predatory Void and Cross Bringer vocalist Lina R. before the darkness closes in once more.

“Chased like a hunted beast, you run in haste, all your life, only to lose that crazy race”, Roman says about the inspiration behind “Drøm”. “It’s only in your dreams that you remember who you are and what your purpose is. Only in dreams are you yourself. But there is no place to hide when you are awake”.

In keeping with Norwegian tradition, Alt Som Finnes (All There Is) maintains the manic energy of old-school black metal. Chased by frantic riffs and horrified screams, there’s no escaping “Drøm”. The song’s video brings its mental prison to life. A woman breaks free from her captor, only for him to hunt her down through the woods. But in a strange twist of fate invoked by Lina R.’s heavy, sighing incantations, she escapes once again. Or does she? As blast beats pound away at the dreamy passage carved out by the guitar melody, she’s left to ponder whether her scars will ever heal.

“I was not ready for all this”, Roman says about Bizarrekult’s new album. “None of us are, when the time comes. But at the end of this journey, it seems to have all been worth it. The music gave me hints as to where to go and what can be”.

Picture the ocean from inside the eye of a storm. Each rising wave presents its own unique threat, churned by the changing of the tides. But no matter how far you sink below the surface, all there is to see is one continuous expanse of water. This is the tortured yet piercingly clear headspace from which post-black metal curio BIZARREKULT slowly and painstakingly emerged with its absorbing third album Alt Som Finnes.

In keeping with black metal’s fiercely individual spirit, Roman began his life as Bizarrekult as a lone wolf. The one-man project started in 2006 as a musical accompaniment to the poetic verses he’d written since childhood. However, it’s official recorded debut didn’t come until fifteen years later, after he moved from Siberia to Norway. Living closer to the genre’s birthplace inspired him to bend but not break with tradition. Bizarrekult can be as cold and raw as early Darkthrone, as eerily melodic as Enslaved, or as blistering in its beauty as Borknagar.

“Norway has become my second home”, Roman says upon reflection. “The years that led to the revitalization of Bizarrekult were spent reflecting on myself and reuniting with the things that are important – art and creativity”.

On Bizarrekult’s first album, Roman looked back on his childhood and family life while also examining his changing relationship with the world at large. Released in 2021, Vi Overlevde (We Survived) was perceived as a beacon of hope amidst the second trying year of the pandemic. Charting near the top of Sweden’s biggest newspaper’s year-end list attracted the attention of Season of Mist, who released 2023’s more expansive follow-up Den Tapte Krigen (The Lost War) to further critical acclaim.

“…as Bizarrekult matures, so does its songwriting” wrote Angry Metal Guy. “The result is an album that flows like a stream through a dark forest”.

Alt Som Finnes (All There Is) maintains the classic energy of the old school. “Drøm” seeks to escape into the comfort of dreams, chased by frantic riffs and hallucinatory screams. “It’s in our dreams that we can finally relax from everything that happens during the daytime”, Roman says. “You can grasp at who you actually are, the meaning of yourself”. While Bizarrekult remains rooted in Norwegian black metal, the album strips away all defenses while adding more post-metal ambience. “Verdens verste” rails against consumerism with blistering grooves, while “Avmakt” surges and seethes in a fight for control before losing power amidst melodies that fall then fade like dying pinpricks of light.

As with Bizarrekult’s two previous retreats into the studio, Alt Som Finnes emerged from a deeply personal crisis. Only this time, Roman is not alone in confronting all there is. He’s  joined in his struggle by guest vocalists from Predatory Void, MØL and Dødheimsgard. Behind a steady pounding of double bass, lead single “Blikket Hennes” buzzes with the all-consuming darkness of a guilty conscience, only for Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez to enlighten with soothing cleans.

“I wrote to Yusaf not about music, but life and its difficulties”, Roman says. “It became a connection”.

No one emerges unscathed from Alt Som Finnes. But while riddled with regrets, album closer “Tomhet” breaks new ground as the first Bizarrekult song sung in English. “Am I alone like this? No, we are many”. It’s a damning realization, but also a call for all of us to become something greater.

Line-up:
Roman V. — Vocals
Ignat P. — Guitars & Bass
Alexander P. — Drums