The Somberlain
Encyclopedia
The Somberlain is the debut album by Dissection
, released in 1993. It proved to be a highly influential release for both black metal
and melodic death metal
. The band dedicated the album to Euronymous
, who was murdered the same year.
The album was reissued in 1997 by Nuclear Blast Records and again in 2004 by Black Lodge
. Black Lodge also released a special edition
set in 2005 limited to 666 copies, packaged in a wooden box along with a T-shirt
and a sticker. The album was re-released most recently in 2006 by The End Records
in a two-disc set, containing the original album, an unreleased live recording from 1995, the Into Infinite Obscurity
EP
from 1991, a demo
from 1992, The Grief Prophecy demo from 1990, a rehearsal from 1990, and the Satanized
rehearsal from 1990. All content is remastered, packaged in a slipcase
, and is touted as the "Ultimate Reissue".
This is the only album that features the band's original lineup. The cover art was done by Kristian Wåhlin
.
Dissection (band)
Dissection was a black metal band from Strömstad, Sweden. The band was formed in 1989, by Jon Nödtveidt. The band released its first EP in 1991. They disbanded in 2006, after Nödtveidt's suicide.- Band overview :...
, released in 1993. It proved to be a highly influential release for both 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....
and melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
. The band dedicated the album to Euronymous
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth , who went by the pseudonym Euronymous, was a Norwegian guitarist and co-founder of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
, who was murdered the same year.
The album was reissued in 1997 by Nuclear Blast Records and again in 2004 by Black Lodge
Black Lodge
The Black Lodge is a fictional setting featured in the television series Twin Peaks. It is an extradimensional place which seems to include, primarily, the "Red Room" first seen by Agent Cooper in a dream early in the series...
. Black Lodge also released a special edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
set in 2005 limited to 666 copies, packaged in a wooden box along with a T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
and a sticker. The album was re-released most recently in 2006 by The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
in a two-disc set, containing the original album, an unreleased live recording from 1995, the Into Infinite Obscurity
Into Infinite Obscurity
Into Infinite Obscurity was the first EP recorded by the Swedish blackened death metal band Dissection, first released on September 5, 1991 in a limited edition of 1000 copies by the French record label Corpsegrinder Records. A second edition was released in 1999 by Nuclear Boom Records.-Track...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
from 1991, a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
from 1992, The Grief Prophecy demo from 1990, a rehearsal from 1990, and the Satanized
Satanized
Satanized is the sixth studio album release by Black metal band Abigor. It was released in 2001.- Track listing :# The Legacy - 5:56# Re-Pulsor - 5:13# Battlestar Abigor - 4:51# Galaxies and Eons Decline - 5:35...
rehearsal from 1990. All content is remastered, packaged in a slipcase
Slipcase
A slipcase is a four or five-sided box, usually made of high-quality cardboard, into which binders, books or book sets are slipped for protection. Special editions of books are often slipcased...
, and is touted as the "Ultimate Reissue".
This is the only album that features the band's original lineup. The cover art was done by Kristian Wåhlin
Kristian Wåhlin
Kristian Wåhlin is a Swedish musician, graphic designer, and album cover artist for many bands in the extreme metal scene worldwide. He is often credited under his pseudonym, Necrolord....
.
Track listing
2nd CD (Reissue)
Credits
- Jon Nödtveidt - Vocals, Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Acoustic guitar
- John Zwetsloot - Rhythm guitar, Classical GuitarClassical guitarThe classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
- Ole Öhman - Drums
- Peter Palmdahl - Bass guitar
- Niklas Andreasson - Co-composer of "Into Infinite Obscurity"
- Necrolord - Cover artwork
- Dan SwanöDan SwanöDan-Erland Swanö is a Swedish musician who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale as well as the Owner of Unisound but he achieved fame as the vocalist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Edge of Sanity.As a multi-instrumentalist he is...
- Engineering