by William York
Ved Buens Ende's sole full-length, Written in Waters, is an album of esoteric, experimental black metal that, years after its release, still sounds like nothing else. Much of what is here goes beyond what is typically thought of as black metal -- for example, Carl-Michael Elde's loose, almost jazzy drumming, Skoll's slithering, off-the-beat bass accents, and Vicotnik's frequently clean-toned guitar work (which has often been compared to post-rockers Slint). Together, the trio interacts more like a jazz-bred art rock group than a metal band. Elde's singing style is also unusual, not just for black metal, but for any kind of music, falling somewhere between a croon and some sort of gothic chant. This singing style has drawn criticism, and it is an acquired taste, but it is well done for the most part and fits with the cold, mystical, ghostly mood of the music. The songs, meanwhile, are mostly long -- averaging about eight minutes apiece -- and they take their time moving in and out of … » Read more