Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly dark metal..., April 14, 2003
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...
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Way ahead of its time, September 16, 2006
This album was way ahead of its time. It seems like some black metal bands, like Deathspell Omega and Negative Plane, are finally catching up to it, but it took about 10 years. Listening to it today, it still has a unique sound that is completely unlike anything else out there. Weird chords and drum patterns, a strange jazzy feel, bizarre melodies, all submerged in a very sinister black metal atmosphere-- there really are no points of reference for this, like it was conjured out of thin air. The vocals are completely original, and are probably an acquired taste (which maybe I haven't quite acquired, since I still find them mildly annoying at times). They mostly consist of a sort of odd crooning or moaning, with occasional black metal screeches thrown in there for good measure. Very avant-garde. This pushed the boundaries of black metal into uncharted territory-- I only hope a few more bands will follow their lead. Probably not for the conventional black metal fan-- many people probably would hesitate to call it black metal-- but I think it is for anybody who is open-minded and likes forward-thinking metal with some weirdness to it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic In Its League, October 16, 2007
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.
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by Ved Buens Ende 
