Frost

Frost is a Freenet client program, based on a friendly skinnable GUI. It is capable of file uploads and downloads, searching for files, and has message boards (!) A truly novel application.

It works somewhat like the "Freenet version" of Freegle, except that it is a stand-alone Java application, not an applet. In other words, Frost has a single keyindex that people using Freenet share and query. It is not a standard Freenet keyindex, though - it is stored as a file that is compressed and also includes file metainformation.

The message boards use system called Text over Freenet (TOF).

Home page: http://jtcfrost.sourceforge.net/

Released in 1994, that year of black metal history which also unleashed Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse and Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger, among others, Frost is Enslaved's second album, and arguably their best. While later releases like Eld would focus on the warrior aspect of the Viking culture, Frost is pretty much all about the folklore and mythology of the Scandinavian people. With song titles like "Loke", "Fenris" and "Yggdrasil" you'll know what I mean.

It begins with one of the most atmospheric introductions I've heard, which conjures up the very image of "Frost", as it's titled. It builds up into the first song "Loke", which also happens to be one of the oldest songs by the band. It is one of their best songs, with a lot of atmosphere, and some excellent riffs and dynamics. Nearly all the songs on here drip with atmosphere, sometimes dreaming, other times brutal and razor edged, displaying the band's black metal roots. Taking a que from Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods era Bathory they seamlessly combine acoustic guitars with heavily distorted guitars, while not falling into the same sound that melodic bands like Dissection had. The use of keyboards also astounds. Having previously heard Ivar Bjornson's work on the first Borknagar album, I have been aware of Ivar's talent at creating beautiful atmospheric sounds with his keyboards. He is also incredible at his guitar, providing some complex and interesting riffs. Trym, who would later go on to spend much time in Emperor after Bard Faust was put in jail, provides his talents onto here as well, however he doesn't over do his blast beats and double bass as he would in Emperor. Grutle Kjellson as always provides amazing vocals and lyrics, and his bass isn't anything to scoff at either.

The lyrics (provided as both their original Norwegian and in English) are perhaps one of the best parts of this album. As with the music, each piece of lyric writing perfectly supports the mythological Viking framework. Kjellson displays a large knowlage of the Viking mythos. There is some anti-Christian, Heathen sentiment in some lyrics, but there is nothing quite as intense as on Graveland's releases. What you will find is on the same level as Bathory, who will remain a large marking point for the mood that Enslaved seem to be attempting to capture. I think on this release they capture the dark, fertile imagination and mythos of the Norse world perfectly. Their next album, Eld captured the Viking war song quite well, with some other mythological songs, but not as many as on here.

This is a beautiful release, and is one of the most atmospheric and wonderful things I have heard. It easily stands at the top of my list of early Black Metal releases, and would look quite good along side the aforementioned Darkthrone release and Emperor, all three having similar feels of the dark, mythological and beautiful Norse mythos. Really, this was the great thing about early Black Metal; all three bands have little in common, but they share the same feeling, the same beauty. This is one of the best albums I have heard, and has changed my feelings about Enslaved immensely. However I'm still not sure if I can get into the later music, I'll give it a few more tries. Buy this.

Track Listing
1: Frost
2: Loke
3: Fenris
4: Svarte Vidder
5: Yggdrasil
6: Jotunblod
7: Gylfaginning
8: Wotan
9: Isoders Dronning

Frost (?), n. [OE. frost, forst, AS. forst, frost. fr. freosan to freeze; akin to D. varst, G., OHG., Icel., Dan., & Sw. frost. 18. See Freeze, v. i.]

1.

The act of freezing; -- applied chiefly to the congelation of water; congelation of fluids.

2.

The state or temperature of the air which occasions congelation, or the freezing of water; severe cold or freezing weather.

The third bay comes a frost, a killing frost. Shak.

3.

Frozen dew; -- called also hoarfrost or white frost.

He scattereth the frost like ashes. Ps. cxlvii. 16.

4.

Coldness or insensibility; severity or rigidity of character.

It was of those moments of intense feeling when the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow wreath. Sir W. Scott.

Black frost, cold so intense as to freeze vegetation and cause it to turn black, without the formation of hoarfrost. -- Frost bearer Physics, a philosophical instrument illustrating the freezing of water in a vacuum; a cryophous. -- Frost grape Bot., an American grape, with very small, acid berries. -- Frost lamp, a lamp placed below the oil tube of an Argand lamp to keep the oil limpid on cold nights; -- used especially in lighthouses. Knight. -- Frost nail, a nail with a sharp head driven into a horse's shoe to keen him from slipping. -- Frost smoke, an appearance resembling smoke, caused by congelation of vapor in the atmosphere in time of severe cold.

The brig and the ice round her are covered by a strange black obscurity: it is the frost smoke of arctic winters. Kane.

-- Frost valve, a valve to drain the portion of a pipe, hydrant, pump, etc., where water would be liable to freeze. -- Jack Frost, a popular personification of frost.

© Webster 1913.

Frost (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frostted; p. pr. & vb. n. Frosting.]

1.

To injure by frost; to freeze, as plants.

2.

To cover with hoarfrost; to produce a surface resembling frost upon, as upon cake, metals, or glass.

While with a hoary light she frosts the ground. Wordsworth.

3.

To roughen or sharpen, as the nail heads or calks of horseshoes, so as to fit them for frosty weather.

© Webster 1913.