Nortt
Encyclopedia
Nortt is a Danish
one-man black funeral doom metal
band formed in 1995. The band's sole member, who similarly goes by the name 'Nortt' (a pseudonym
, his real name is unknown), describes his music as "Pure Depressive Black Funeral Doom Metal". In terms of lyrics and imagery (for instance the use of corpse paint
) he is akin to other black metal
acts, while the sound of his music is closer to doom metal
.
On his official website Nortt reveals a fascination with darkness
, night
, nihilism
, solitude
, misery
, misanthropy
and death
. In an interview he remarked: "Death ... is viewed as an inevitable and alluring phenomenon. Death is described from the perspective of the dying and from the dead. The uncertainty of death is preached as more thrilling than the well-known pain of life." He is a self-proclaimed nihilist
, and thinks that religion
is for the weak. He takes pride in being a strong individual and repeatedly degrades "weak" individuals. While he despises religion, he views the occult
and old (pre-Christian
, pagan) religions with respect. Nortt believes that it takes strength to be a Satanist
, because of its existentialism
and free thought.
For his third full-length album, Galgenfrist
, he signed with Italian
underground label Avantgarde Music
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
one-man black funeral doom metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band formed in 1995. The band's sole member, who similarly goes by the name 'Nortt' (a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, his real name is unknown), describes his music as "Pure Depressive Black Funeral Doom Metal". In terms of lyrics and imagery (for instance the use of corpse paint
Corpse paint
Corpse paint or corpsepaint is a style of black-and-white makeup, used mainly by black metal bands during live concerts and photo shoots. The makeup is used to intensify the bands' imagery of evil, inhumanity, and corpse-like decay. It is most commonly used just on the face, but also on arms and...
) he is akin to other black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
acts, while the sound of his music is closer to doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
.
On his official website Nortt reveals a fascination with darkness
Darkness
Darkness, in contrast with brightness, is a relative absence of visible light. It is the appearance of black in a color space. When light is not present, rod and cone cells within the eye are not stimulated. This lack of stimulation means photoreceptor cells are unable to distinguish color...
, night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
, nihilism
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
, solitude
Solitude
Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, i.e., lack of contact with people. It may stem from bad relationships, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of employment or situation .Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one...
, misery
Misery
Misery is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1988, and was later made into a Hollywood film and an off-Broadway play of the same name.-Plot summary:...
, misanthropy
Misanthropy
Misanthropy is generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature. A misanthrope, or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. In an interview he remarked: "Death ... is viewed as an inevitable and alluring phenomenon. Death is described from the perspective of the dying and from the dead. The uncertainty of death is preached as more thrilling than the well-known pain of life." He is a self-proclaimed nihilist
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
, and thinks that religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
is for the weak. He takes pride in being a strong individual and repeatedly degrades "weak" individuals. While he despises religion, he views the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
and old (pre-Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, pagan) religions with respect. Nortt believes that it takes strength to be a Satanist
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
, because of its existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
and free thought.
For his third full-length album, Galgenfrist
Galgenfrist
Galgenfrist is the third full-length album by Danish one-man Black/Funeral Doom metal band Nortt, released in 2008 on Avantgarde Music. In English, the term "Galgenfrist" translates as "last respite".-Track listing:# Galgenfrist - 3:41...
, he signed with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
underground label Avantgarde Music
Avantgarde Music
Avantgarde Music is an Italian record label, formed as a continuation of Obscure Plasma Records, focusing on black and doom metal artists. The label has a sub-label called Wounded Love Records, which has released albums by Dolorian and Taake....
.
Line-up
- Nortt (real name unknown) – vocalsDeath growlA death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drums, keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
Full-length Albums
- GudsforladtGudsforladtGudsforladt is the first full-length album by the Danish one-man black/funeral doom metal band Nortt. It was released in 2004 on Danish label Diehard Music.-Track listing:# "Graven" - 2:41# "Døden" - 6:01# "Glemt" - 4:54# "Gravfred" - 5:30...
["Godforsaken"] (2004) (containing previously released tracks, as well as new material) - LigfærdLigfærdLigfærd is the second full-length album by Danish one-man Black/Funeral Doom metal band Nortt, released in 2006 on Total Holocaust Records.- Track listing :# "Gudsforladt" - 4:04# "Ligprædike" - 8:36...
["Funeral March/Journey of the Dead"] (2006) - GalgenfristGalgenfristGalgenfrist is the third full-length album by Danish one-man Black/Funeral Doom metal band Nortt, released in 2008 on Avantgarde Music. In English, the term "Galgenfrist" translates as "last respite".-Track listing:# Galgenfrist - 3:41...
["Last Respite"] (2008)
Demos
- Nattetale (rehearsal version) (1997)
- Nattetale ["Night's Tale"] (1997)
- Døden... ["The Death…"] (1998)
- Graven ["The Grave"] (1999)
Split Albums
- Nortt / XasthurNortt / XasthurNortt / Xasthur is a split album by the American one man band Xasthur and the Danish one man band Nortt. This split album was re-issued on CD and LP by Southern Lord Records with different artwork...
(with XasthurXasthurXasthur was a Californian one-man black metal band formed in 1995 by Scott Conner, who goes by the pseudonym "Malefic". Although similar in terms of low-fi production and the wearing of corpse paint, musically and lyrically Xasthur's focus is usually not on paganism, Satanism or anti-Christian...
) (2004) (containing tracks from Hedengangen EP)