1349 – Winter Mass

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://1349som.bandcamp.com/album/winter-mass

Captured for posterity four years ago at the Parkteatret in Oslo, this ungodly conjuring of Norwegian black metal by long-running ensemble 1349 is an exciting live document that shows how well their compositions translate to the stage, and the fact that they performed on home turf in front of an appreciative audience only adds to its malevolent charm.

Whether the pandemic had anything to do with it or not is up for debate, but these skilled musicians and their furious yet dynamic brand of black metal explode right out of the gate, and the quintet plays with more determination, confidence, and fierce attitude than what one usually comes across when immersing oneself in (and reviewing) a live album. Immediately apparent is how much of a force this blackened constellation is outside of the studio, and the muscular sound coupled with the impressive musicianship makes for a pretty fucking good cocktail. Ravn appears much more versatile and engaging vocal-wise on this disc compared to the first two or three studio albums by the hellish-sounding act, and cuts such as “Cauldron,” “Dødskamp,” “Serptentine Sibilance,” and set-closer “Abyssos Antithesis” strike a great balance between tension and release, which in turn makes them some of the standout moments.

Winter Mass is neither an essential listen nor a mandatory purchase unless you consider yourself an ardent fan and admirer of the band, but from the perspective of one who has seen the outfit wield their relentlessly aggressive hymns to the dark on numerous tours and festivals in the past, the record does indeed capture the atmosphere and sinister vibe of actually experiencing 1349 live on stage. On top of that, many of the tracks included here benefit greatly from being played live in an organic setting as they contain a vibrant touch and an ominous aura that are somewhat lacking in their studio counterparts.