Disiplin
Radikale Randgruppe

"Radikale Randgruppe" marks the return of a true cult band; the Norwegian Disiplin! I speak of a cult band not by chance; Disiplin were one of the bands of the legendary, now defunct, Moonfog (a label owned by Satyr of Satyricon). Moreover, over time, former members of Emperor and Dissection have also been part of their line-up. Quite impressive!

After the closure of Moonfog, Disiplin, having become a one-man band, were recruited by the Italian label ATMF for which they released "Radikale Randgruppe," their fourth album and without a doubt also their most interesting release, considering that their previous works were rather immature and anonymous. In fact, as often happens, cult bands are somewhat useless projects that acquire such cult status only due to factors unrelated to the musical proposal; in this case, the reasons are those previously mentioned concerning the line-up and label.

"Radikale Randgruppe" significantly departs from the classic concept of Black Metal and goes on to explore much more extreme and niche territories concerning the most radical and experimental electronic music. Defining this album as Black Metal is undoubtedly erroneous; the musical proposal is decidedly closer to Harsh Noise, the rough, icy, no-compromise kind, the truly extreme and challenging kind. Black Metal is only the compositional and structural foundation of the tracks, but even such a base is so rough and crackling that it only merges with the electronic sounds creating a sound wall that is nothing short of abrasive. The sound of "Radikale Randgruppe" is undoubtedly difficult to assimilate and equally complex to digest, an album for the few, for enthusiasts, who will surely find what they're looking for. Although Disiplin are novices in these sounds, they manage splendidly without ever falling into the banal or appearing boring, thanks also to some extremely successful tracks among which stands out the diamond of the album "Me Ne Frego!" a track named after a famous phrase by D'Annunzio.

This is an album exclusively for lovers of the most extreme and uncompromising sounds; for all those who prefer to stay classic, I strongly advise against this work, it would be nothing short of indigestible. I also do not recommend purchasing it for anyone who would be disturbed or annoyed by imagery and an iconography with clear references to the extreme right, as can be understood just by looking at the cover or reading the track titles. Conversely, I would like to point out to all genre enthusiasts that "Radikale Randgruppe," besides being an extremely valid album, also features a highly curated aesthetic thanks to the splendid Digibook format.