Ah.......Black Metal! It's one of those genres that I could not stomach on the first few listens. But when I gave it a chance it grew on me over time. And my acceptance of Black Metal was also something that depended on the band that was playing it. Just like any band that plays any kind of metal, there are those that do it very well and some that don't. In either case Black Metal is something that I really need to be in the mood for. It's usually something I would most likely listen to at night or when it is raining and cold or snowing like a blizzard outside. Those are the kind of conditions that I associate with Black Metal because there is a certain darkness and evil associated with it's aggressive nature yet there is also beauty and melody that is mixed in as well, giving it a light within the darkness.

SorgSvart began as a one man project back in 1999 somewhere in Hagland. Sorg is the genius behind this endeavor. He writes all of the songs and plays all of the instruments. Those instruments include guitars (lead, rhythm, acoustic) basses, keyboards (synth, piano), vocals (clean, grim, choir, voices, conversations, whistling, animals), percussion and additional battery, Norwegian native instruments (seliefloyte, lur, munnharpe and sheep bells effects).

VikingTid og AnArki is SorgSvart's second full length album. At times SorgSvart's music reminds me of early Vintersorg, but only longer. SorgSvart's music is mostly epic in nature and mixes in alot of folk influences with black metal. Some of the lyrical themes deal with anarchism, suicide, agony and hate. Although I cannot interpret the lyrics to his songs, I was immediately drawn to the music.

The music is enchanting at times because of the length of the songs. You really lose track of time when you immerse yourself with the music. At that point you start creating visions in your mind and a musical journey begins. It's kind of like watching a Lord of the Rings movie. Sorg balances different musical elements very well. The harshness of his grim vocals is complimented by his cleaner ones. The music is aggressive at times with the black metal style guitar riffing and drum blast beats, only to switch to more melodic structures and passages using acoustics guitars, keyboards and a variety of Norwegian instruments. There are emotions that range from sad and painful to majestic and proud.

I think VikingTid og AnArki could have sounded bigger with a much more grand production. The drums are a little thin for me and I wish they were a bit more bombastic. I love the guitar sound on this album as Sorg really nails the black metal style. The mixing was done very well where nothing overshadows anything else. The quality of the recording is very good.

I highly recommend VikingTid og AnArki to anyone that is a fan of Epic Viking Folk/Black Metal. It's one of the better ones that I have had the pleasure of experiencing as of late.