CLANDESTINE BLAZE - City Of Slaughter (CD)

This album holds a significant place in Northern Heritage's history as catalog number NH-100. While various ideas were considered to celebrate this milestone, including special box sets and gimmick releases, it became apparent that these options felt contrived. Therefore, the decision was made to have NH-100 mirror the label's beginning, which started with a Clandestine Blaze album (NH-001).

Northern Heritage's intention is not to give the impression that things have concluded or rely on nostalgia, commercial gimmicks, or desperate attempts to pique interest. The label continues to operate with a similar philosophy as it did at the outset. Achieving 100 releases in the catalog without any regrets is an accomplishment in itself, but the work persists, with new releases already in the planning for 2017.

Regarding the "City Of Slaughter" album, it's expected that some listeners will perceive it as sounding exactly like previous albums, while others may find it entirely different, to the extent that it appears as a different band. The reality lies somewhere in between. This album stands as the most aggressive and ferocious offering from Clandestine Blaze to date. Guitars return to the maximum-distortion grit of the early days, vocals possess greater force and tone than before, and the drums exhibit a slightly faster pace. Song structures occasionally deviate from traditional templates. Lyrically, the content is harsh and hostile, yet it contains substantial depth for those who explore it.

Both the label and the band share a disdain for the superficial curiosity about the "new" that often excludes genuine interest and true discovery. They reject gimmicks disguised as progress and imitations of trends disguised as original ideas. Instead, they emphasize the importance of sinking deep into understanding an experience, cultivating it, and seeking inspiration from what has been a potent and meaningful source of creativity.

Their approach is rooted in rejecting the aimless drift of shallow curiosity, focusing on understanding, fully experiencing, and wholeheartedly committing to something with profound significance, rather than merely chasing fleeting novelties. This commitment, they believe, leaves a lasting mark and can be genuinely transformative.