Tag Archives: Norse Mythology

ALBUM REVIEW: Enslaved – Utgard

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Viking Metal started out by combining the epic energy of Black Metal with the mystical grace of Folk music. Enslaved is a band at the pinnacle of this heavy, Nordic sound. Starting out as teenagers, this Norweigian act has successively enhanced the Scandinavian metal scene for nearly thirty years. Their beginnings were more in the realm of the extreme, but over time Enslaved has not been afraid to dip into other genres like Prog Rock and Jazz. It’s encouraging to witness their ability to be undaunted by their explorations while still being true to their Viking roots. Their new fifteenth full-length album, Utgard (Nuclear Blast) verifies their astute ambition of experimentmentation and expression. 

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Byrdi – Ansur: Urkraft

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Metal has always truly embraced the adventurous into its ranks; from its captivating and well versed origins where it proved like nothing else of its time to the hundreds of varying offshoots it presents to this very day, it is abundantly clear that metal is as much a way of life and thinking as it is simply a style of music.Continue reading →


Spider Kitten – Behold Mountain. Hail Sea. Venerate Sky. Bow Before Tree

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If there is one thing that can be said about Welsh doomsters Spider Kitten it’s that they are not short on imagination. Their previous album Cougar Club (Rugland) saw the tale of an imaginary gothic sleaze bar of their creation, and in the near future another album will center around a psychopathic Welsh drifter in America called Yakbone Wolftooth. Even this mini album Behold Mountain. Hail Sea. Venerate Sky. Bow Before Tree (Undergroove) has a fascinating story that reaches beyond its tricky moniker, and unfurls a well-researched account of Norse mythology. Considering this is an album that was only meant as a stop gap, other bands really need to pull their fingers out it seems.

Despite its consisting of 3 tracks (the last of which being a near 15 minute long player) this mini album still has an approximate 30 minute duration of slow, grinding sludge and doom. Imaginative as their lyrical influences are, sonically this is fairly straight forward in formula for the most part. ‘Bearded Axe’ finishes off with some traditional, folk like instrumentation which continues into the beginning of the ‘Gore Swan’ but otherwise there is precious little deviation from the brute force of the riff.

Musically it may not be as breathtaking in scope as its story would maybe warrant but the album does generate a worthy atmosphere; as an example the addition of the ravens calling adds to the grim and gritty tone that the Norse mythology suggests; and for what wasn’t originally even meant to be a full-on project is quite a remarkable achievement.

 

7.0/10

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CHRIS TIPPELL


Wardruna – From the Bogs of Aughiska: Live At Queen Elizabeth Hall, London UK

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Wardruna03The Norse gods are watching over London as ambient folk metal band Wardruna arrive to perform on UK soil for the first time. With the unfortunate departure of Steindór Andersen and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson from the support slot on the bill, the challenge was left to From The Bogs Of Aughiska. Having described themselves as the musical equivalent of standing atop the majestic Cliffs Of Moher with a gale force wind in your face, it was certainly music with impact. The low droning rumble concealed vast soundscapes that struggled and blossomed into audibility before melting back down into the murk. Their choice to wear black face masks while performing diminished any chance of a connection with the performers, forcing the audience to fully engage with the music. This was not about personality but truly focused on sonically documenting the power of nature and Irish folklore. My only criticism would be the volume of the performance was too low to appreciate the full majesty of their sound.

Wardruna07Right from the first beat, the hairs on the back of my neck are on edge and shivers are running the course of my spine as Wardruna begin to play. For a short time the dark theatre, leather seats, and audience transform into vast forests, crystal lakes and imposing mountain edges. The soundscapes created by this band using old and traditional instrumentation alongside the sounds of nature are positively tribal, a reminder of old spirituality more in connection with the trees and the land. Starting off with songs of their first album, Gap Var Ginnunga they work from older to newer pieces building up from the calmer tracks to the more dramatically performed songs off Yggdrasil. Again, a choice by the band to perform in all black costumes allowed for the music to be the real focus of the piece, although splashes of drama were added through lighting for the more climatic moments. Wardruna is a truly unique experience live, leaving me emotionally exhausted through the sheer power of their performance. As the final noise fades, the voice of the gods recedes and we are left as we began, back in the darkened theatre and our leather seats.

 

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From The Bogs of Aughiska on Facebook

Wardruna and From the Bogs of Aughiska

Queens Elizabeth Hall

London UK

October 24th, 2013

Words: Caitlin Smith

Photos: Susanne Maathius