Luteoks: Barely True Norwegian Black Metal | Vikings On The Attack
(2023 – Nordic Mission)
The history of Black Metal is closely linked to Norway, home of the genre and inspiration for many of the stories and atmospheres that bands of this genre have brought to the world. And Luteoks is no exception to this explanation. On the contrary, it embraces the idea of Norway, Black Metal, and the Viking concept. Nothing that others haven’t tried before, but it’s still worth paying attention and giving this interesting material a listen, as Luteoks’ originality lies elsewhere, in a comical and sarcastic side that has never been attempted in this style before.
Thanks to the kindness of the Nordic Mission label, we were able to get a copy of “Barely True Norwegian Black Metal,” which, from the title alone, gives us a preview of what Luteoks is all about. It’s a kind of sarcastic parody of a genre characterized by the seriousness and sobriety of its approach, with lyrics that border on nonsense.
In principle, the name of the project has no specific meaning, but it is enough to know that it is made up of former members of Antestor, Grave Declaration, Vaakevandring, Arvinger, etc.; all bands focused on the most extreme side of metal and with a long history in the rich Norwegian scene. Well, here things seem to be on a different wavelength, especially from a conceptual and lyrical point of view.
Nothing seems to be serious on this Luteoks album. It is a mixture of absurdities, crazy fantasies, and sarcasm everywhere, all inspired by the big names of the Norwegian Black Metal scene (Mayhem, Satyricon, Old Man’s Child, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Antestor, etc.). Fortunately, or not, most of the songs are in Norwegian, so unless you’re local, the rest of us mortals won’t understand much of the crazy stories that Luteoks tells in each of their songs, unless, of course, you know Norwegian.
And then, of course, there’s the music, which, by the way, is excellent no matter where you listen to it. “Drittfjell” is the song that gets us in the mood. With pure blast beats and deadly guitar riffs setting the pace, and with choral harmonies, Luteoks attacks us right from the start. Halfway through, “Sekken” appears with a style much closer to metal and an excellent guitar solo setting the pace.
The beginning of “Langbortistan” is purely sarcastic, but what follows is an energetic piece of black metal more in the style of Dimmu Borgir, with sublime orchestration in the background, intermingling the typical guttural vocals with other cleaner vocals. The epic tone leaves its mark, as does “Svart,” which, with a much slower tempo and sharp riffs, reveals one of the most interesting pieces on the album.
Much more epic and Viking-like is “Vemod,” and “Prikkedoden” should not be overlooked, with its dizzying constant speed changes and beautiful guitar orchestrations and grandiose choirs, which, if it weren’t a joke, we would say is one of the best things I’ve ever heard in Black Metal. With a warrior-like air, “Blâ” is next, with a relentless war march and relentless battle cries that, however, do not hide the sarcastic intention behind everything that is Luteoks.
“Tvinnleik” is the next track on the album, with the classic sound of Nordic and Norwegian Black Metal, which also takes us through the dark landscape of “Ljâen,” with more blast beats and a truly captivating tonality. And speaking of Nordic landscapes, “Snerk” makes us feel the cold of the “snow” (that’s what it means in Norwegian) with intricate riffs and chords, and a compositional structure that makes it one of Luteoks’ most pretentious pieces, at least from a musical standpoint.
Unlike the rest, “Granskauen” appears to be in Swedish, not Norwegian. A small concession from the guys in Luteoks. With a frenetic rhythm combined with blast beats, its structure at times ventures into territory other than black metal, perhaps making it something different. A similar situation occurs with “Skjegg,” where the Viking narrative seems much more present, but with some breaks and riffs that make it much more interesting than it seems, not to mention the guitar solo, which is excellent and in keeping with the sound of the song itself.
That would be the complete album, but there’s more. Three bonus tracks have been added, including “Valhalla Halls,” which is entirely in English, like the rest of the “extras.” It’s simply brilliant, except that it’s an irony about the mythical place where warriors go to rest after their death, according to Norse mythology. With certain traces of epic Power/Speed Metal, this track strays a little from Luteoks’ musical concept. On the other hand, “We Sail” takes on the character of “Viking Black Metal” that Luteoks attributes to the entire album, or almost (let’s not forget the album title). Finally, “Shaved Vengeance” takes us into melodic territory, guided by guitar and synthesizer orchestrations that provide the necessary atmosphere to carry us, once again, through a pleasant, warrior-like, and epic song.
If “Barely True Norwegian Black Metal” were nothing more than a joke about Norwegian Black Metal, it would surely have received much more attention, but leaving that aside, musically Luteoks delivers quality in every song, with a clear sound, without too much guitar overload and an enveloping orchestration at every moment. The complex compositional structure is evident in songs that make versatility and changes their best resource. It’s true, there are influences from the best the genre has to offer, and even the members of Luteoks have been part of that scene, and everything has to do with everything else. The result could not be anything but excellent. Then there is the other part, which, well, everyone will know whether to take seriously, get angry about, or just laugh a little about.
The artwork is simply great, perhaps not original, but it is in tune with Luteoks’ proposal and also has exceptional graphics. It is an interesting task (actually, I don’t know if it makes sense) to discover the characters aboard the Viking ship on the cover. Inside, you’ll find the lyrics to the songs, several photos of the band, and an exceptional statement by Markus Solstad of Nordic Mission (the label that released this work) regarding the absurd nature of the album.
There are no indications or technical details about the recording of the album. Despite this, it can be said that what abounds here is sound quality, and the mix resulted in an album that is pleasant to listen to, even for those not accustomed to the extreme sound of Black Metal.
This album is the only one released by Luteoks to date. Will there be new music from them? Who knows, but for now, climbing aboard this Viking ship and taking a trip through the Norwegian fjords and forests seems like a good plan.
Here are the contact details for the label that dared to release this extreme marvel, the coordinates to find Luteoks on social media, and, of course, a sample of this album so you know what we’re talking about…
https://www.facebook.com/nordicmission
https://www.facebook.com/luteoks
