To further prove that Norwegian black metal is far from dead, NIDINGR take a big leap in progress with their sophomore record, Greatest of Deceivers. The band’s last one, Wolf-Father, was undoubtedly very good but it did not necessarily break new ground.
With Greatest of Deceivers, NIDINGR take a more avant garde Norwegian black metal approach. There are plenty of tempo changes, eerie atmospheres, unsettling shifts, and plenty of dissonance. The band never allow the listener to get too comfortable or complacent as the songs constantly shift around. Naturally, recent DODHEIMSGARD and MAYHEM releases may be points of reference for this record. Additionally, a good comparison to NIDINGR‘s progression is SATYRICON‘s Rebel Extravaganza as nothing is straight forward and simple.
The guitar/bass duo of Teloch (MAYHEM, UMORAL) and Blargh (DODHEIMSGARD) offer their most ambitious riffing yet. Refreshingly, NIDINGR break new ground in this department as the record crawls, blasts, charges, and stomps about. It should also be mentioned that bass plays a role in the record.
Clean guitars ring out alongside raging guitars/bass as vocalist El.Cpt.Estrella Grasa conjures the spells. Drumgod Hellhammer is not part of the record but Øyvind Myrvoll does more than a good job. Øyvind‘s drums are mixed to give it a very natural sound. Fans will be happy to know that ULVER‘s Trickster G AKA Garm AKA Kris Rygg makes another excellent appearance.
There is more than enough to digest and understand about Greatest of Deceivers, and that’s precisely its biggest strength. Props to NIDINGR for taking a big leap forward and expanding their world. No formulas, no gimmicks. Just Norwegian black metal for 2012. (Indie Recordings)
Norwegian black metal band, 
Svein Egil Hatlevik has been destroying minds for years in acclaimed Norwegian bands, FLEURETY and DHG. Now he has decided to take it to the next level with his one man band and his first full-length release, The Yawn of a New Age. This is not for pimple-face teenagers looking to dress up like their infamous Norwegian black metal heroes of years past. However, the album is for those looking for darkness but in a different form, specifically noise/electronic music. There’s a sinister vibe running throughout and there’s a seriously twisted way that Svein Egil Hatlevik is able to invocate all kinds of off the wall vibes and feelings within his music as well as in the listener. Whether it be eerie combinations of sounds panning back and forth, beeping in and out, white noise blasting at unexpected intervals, or layers of seemingly incongruous parts, you will feel what ZWEISS has for you. There is even an interpretation/cover of IMMORTAL’s “Blacker Than Darkness†as well as a guest appearance by fellow Norwegian black metal alumni, Czral, on “Your System Sucks.†ZWEISS is clearly not for everybody, especially metal fans who strictly stick to more “conventional†music. However, once you accept the challenge and enter the world of The Yawn of a New Age, there’s a mindfuck that awaits. (Vendlus Records)
DHG have been mostly absent for eight long years when they released the exceptionally bizarre 666 International album under their former moniker DODHEIMSGARD. Their new album, Supervillian Outcast, is both a step forward and a step back, so to speak. The Norwegian avantgarde metallers continue to fuse experimental, electronic, and industrial influences but with their caustic, progressive black metal attack of old. “Vendetta Assassin” blasts away in the raw yet in-your-face, guitar-driven style of their Satanic Art Mini-CD/EP. On the flip-side is “Apocalypticism,” which captures the more industrial/electronic side of the band with a more repetitive and near-danceable feel while still retaining 100% of the band’s black metal bite. Also, “All is Not Self” is comfortably genre-bending like anything on 666 International. In between are other delicious tracks, like “The Snuff Dreams are Made Of,” “Unaltered Beast,” and the epic “21st Century Devil” that meld all influences. Fans of the band will instantly appreciate their unwavering artistic vision…especially despite a largely different line-up featuring only original guitarist/vocalist Vicotnik (a.k.a. Mr. Fixit) and drummer Czral (a.k.a. Carl-Michael Eide). When the former DODHEIMSGARD put out their last album, black metal was arguably at its peak. Now eight-years later, the landscape is entirely different. Crafting yet another future-proof album in Supervillian Outcast (despite less-than-optimal production values) is a landmark feat. (The End Records)