Truly dark metal...
-¦- | over here. | 04/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Writing a review for one of THE most influencial albums I've ever obsessed over is nearly impossible for me..
This is one of the most creative, technically impressive, original, atmospheric, paranoia-inducing, and hallucinogenic albums that came out of black metal's second wave...and it's one of the darkest albums ever released.
Ved Buens Ende truly defied convention in terms of what's acceptable for metal, and especially for black metal. For those who haven't heard this, expect macabre, unsettling jazzy/progressive metal with an overall black metal vibe.
The compositions here are fractured and strange...with an atmosphere not too unlike that of an organ-grinding turn-of-the-century creepshow. The guitars are splayed, dissonant and deceptive, while the bass is monumentally macabre and perfectly woven into what the guitar is doing...often becoming half of the melody itself. The drumming is precise and intricate. The vocals switch from oddly unnerving deep bravado to throat-killing screeching.
I apologize for the influx of adjectives, but this is the only way I can begin to describe this release. I dare say this is one of the most if not THE most interesting metal release of the 90s.
If this album doesn't grab you at first, give it some more time. I guarantee that it will germinate inside your head, rotting away corrosive, esoteric, haunting..."
Oslo's x-treme avant-garde hidden secret...
dEatI-I | 01/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What can someone say about this masterpiece?Ved Buens Ende..... (R.I.P.)have released along with Fleurety, Arcturus & Ulver a cult album,pretty difficult to understand...Combining elements of norwegian black metal, avant-garde (check out the accordeon...:))dark mesmerising metal (Czral(Carl-Michael Eide) almost cries singing his parts), jazzy drum rythms, melancholic-technical bass lines, high pitched vox, "Written In Waters" is a cult masterpiece for all the lovers of x-treme and strange guitar oriented music...Buy or Die (if you find it...:):))"
A Classic In Its League
Bill Lumbergh | Initech | 10/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ved Buens Ende were built on the black metal hotbed of Norway, the same place that spawned the likes of contemporaries such as Arcturus and Dodheimsgard (Ved Buens Ende also consists of members of both bands as well). However, while these bands have executed the style of avant-garde black metal, it was Ved Buens Ende that basically crafted the style with their only album, "Written in Waters", released in 1995.
And incredible it is. The band takes the trademark atmospheric black metal sound and decides to experiment around with it, adding elements of jazz, folk and progressive rock to make it all their own. The way the band also structured these songs is amazing as well, and the drumming, bass lines, and atmospheric guitar take great part in creating this extraordinary masterpiece.
A highly essential album for the avant-garde listener."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1