Review by JD on April 20, 2011.

Poland usually delivers really great extreme metal, and some of the most complex as well but there is always a twist in that sort of thinking. Ortank comes from that metallic breeding ground; blazing out, adding some eclectic ideas and extreme to the tenth power of pure nastiness - now come the truth.

Death/Goregrind outfit Ortank is a band that is all about pure and nasty heavy music that is as raw as three day old roadkill in one hundred degree weather... too bad this bands music smells as bad. This is one of those reviews for me because I hate to do this to any band- yet I always tell the truth as I see (or hear) it. This was beyond bad for me.

With only two songs, it is a very short Promo CD - which is the best news ever, considering the material. With a horribly tinny recording, extremely bad songwriting and seriously sub-pare playing to go along with it, I was glad that this album was so damned short. Grind has not been my favorite of metal genres, that is true - but this is just some of the worst music I have ever heard. There are small parts in both songs on the EP that are good, but the oh-so-many bad things just swallows it up into nothingness. Bowel movements sound more appealing than this.

The information I have is that Ortank has thankfully broken up sometime after their only full length album in 2001 was. I can't say that I am brokenhearted over it, but I hope that they will never decide to reform. That would not be good for music as a whole. Silence from Ortank would be worth more than gold.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:5
Atmosphere: 3
Production: 1
Originality: 3
Overall: 3

Rating: 3.0 out of 10

Review by Tara on January 13, 2018.

Heavy metal music has always been about pushing the boundaries and taking its fans to places unknown. There are some bands that seem to take us out further than others, to the blackest and most unimaginably bleakest depths in existence. One of those acts is Denmark's Nortt, who after ten years of silence returns from the murky depths of darkness and despair with his/their latest blackened funeral doom masterpiece, Endeligt.

Think of the phrase "When you stare long into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you" as a reference of sorts regarding Nortt's music over the past 20-years, the soundtrack to a hollow and pointless existence. Endeligt continues in similar fashion to previous Nortt releases by masterfully combining elements of black metal, funeral doom and atmosphere in a way that leads to a wholly unique sound. This is an album that must be listened to in its entirety in order to appreciate and understand the experience. It is the ultimate suicide.

While similar bands have accomplished the same feat, Nortt's vision and creativity have kept him relevant through the last two decades. His creativity and vision has certainly placed Nortt in a league of its own, miles away from the competition. Endeligt is not a huge departure from previous Nortt releases, and this is an absolute must have for anyone who enjoys a bit of doom and gloom in their speakers once in awhile.  

Rating: 9 out of 10