Review by Sam on April 30, 2026.

Why isn't King Crimson considered a metal band? I guess that's probably because they've never fully embraced heavy metal as a life code. Although it could be argued that they indeed created the first ever heavy metal song, with 1969's "Twenty-First Century Schizoid Man", which is unimpeachably heavy both sonically and lyrically, their vast catalog is just too schizophrenic to be put into one genre. Ever heard their 1974 record entitled simply "Red"? Quite possibly heavier than what Black Sabbath were doing at the time, and most definitely weirder. King Crimson have done it all: jazz, rock, pop, metal, noise, you name it, and you'd be hard pressed to find a metalhead who isn't a fan. This brings us to the intriguing new album from Trelldom…

I was actually unaware that Trelldom were the first band of legendary frontman Gaahl. Forgive me, for my interest in black metal is cursory at best; I'm a death metal guy. I've never heard this band's early work but I gather that it could be described as True Norwegian Black Metal. What Trelldom rolls out here in the form of their latest studio effort is modern heavy metal for the modern listener, and I wouldn't call it black metal. Throughout his lengthy career, Gaahl has been renowned for his out of the box vocal stylings, and this trait continues with "...By The Word…" Perhaps the title could be an allusion to the spoken word vocalizations that are prominent throughout. The first utterances of the album are in a captivating speaking voice, over the jazzy and spacey soundscapes created by the band. When the double bass comes in, which has a rich, analog sound to it, things get nice and hefty. The entire album has a ponderous air to it, and not once does Gaahl do any harsh or rasping vocals.

The aforementioned King Crimson influence, if not already palpable, becomes apparent on second track "I Speak Forgotten Voices" as the saxophone Kjetil Mø ster features prominently here. This is a first for me, hearing the sax over blast beats, and I gotta say that it works, creating a unique experience. When brass instruments show up in metal things tend to get pretty zany, like with Gwar's "Saddam A-Go-Go" or The Melvins with "Bar X the Rocking M". This sort of eccentricity is in no short supply here and the music of "By The Word" absolutely qualifies for the description of "avant-garde".

Did I mention the analogous tone of the drums? Kenneth Kapstad's kit has been expertly represented with this recording, and his years of experience playing multiple genres shines through here. He is very adept at playing off kilter hi hat and ride patterns over crushing double bass, and he's not shy about getting creative with the rack and floor toms, which also have a rich, warm tone. Some of his finest work is featured on the title track as well as "Folding The Mind", which is driven by the percussive force of the toms beneath the otherworldly horns and and the commanding clean voice of Kristian Eivend Espedal.

This work has such strong King Crimson vibes with its strange, jazzy song structures and inclusion of things like saxophone and clarinet that I briefly wondered why the Brits are not included on Metal-Archives. An examination of their work from 1981 to 1985, though beautiful and transcendent, closes the door on that question. However, when the influence of KC meets with the combined forces of Gaahl and the expert heavy metal musicians surrounding him in Trelldom, what unfolds is something truly special.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10