History & Biography The band was founded as Utgard-Loke in Saarijärvi, Finland in 1994 and simplified its monicker to Utgard in 1995 before becoming BurialMound in 1998. Seven years later, in 2005, Utgard was brought back. The band claimed the name change from Utgard was because the newer compositions of the time felt wrong. At the time of its founding the members could not play their instruments. Its rhythm section remained a part-time affair. Drummer Benjam Niininen moved to Utgard with the two official members however.
The band, as Utgard, had a demo called Northern Glory. Then came 1997’s Nightly Verses. Sweden’s Arte De Occulta issued BurialMound’s Horror 7” in 1999. It had been due in 1998. The 7” was originally intended to be a split, but a second band was not found. Sound Riot Records signed the band and spread Black Death in 2001 again after a long delay. Sweden’s Downfall Records had offered the band a contract. With that label biting the dust the band issued a 2004 demo called Devil's Work.
Loki of the utgard castle was a mythological giant in Norse mythology.
Reviews BURIALMOUND - BLACK DEATH - SOUND RIOT
An album name doesn't get any more obvious than Black Death. The trio of Raven (vocals), A. Saaksniemi (guitars) and B. Niininen (drums, guitar and bass) hails from Finland and surprisingly hold the line on pop and rock instrumentation. While a glance at the band photograph will reveal a face paint or two, this black metal act is not your typical Satanic group. Instead, the Finnish black metallers sing hymns to Satan which are accompanied by a music that crosses Belphegor and Cancer. There isn't much deviation from the sound either. Most songs are played at the mid-pace and only the odd blast beat or off beat solo show any deviance from the band's routine. If the band is to be commended for one thing it has to be the heavy snare sound, having shunned the light and hollow sound of many of their peers. Burialmound (born in 1994 as Utgard) is for purists only.
Interviews
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