Kalandra "Beneath The Breaking Waves" (2017)

 

Seeking more of The Line's immense serine soundscapes has led me here. Beneath The Breaking Waves is lacking its keen persuasion. After many spins, the scent ruminates like a "warmup" EP, a group finding their footing. Released three years prior to their debut, the magic is either sequestered of lacking entirely. Don't get me wrong, this folksy six track charmer cruises in a parallel lane but the chemistry is yet to be arrived upon. Each musician brings beautiful sounds, textures and craft to their parts.

Lacking the drive to swell and croon together like a symphony, much of the music lays its ideas bare. Padded by interludes and gentle atmosphere building, the feistier surges and potent melodies are brief sparks in fields swept by the drab calms that simmer in their own quietness. Unlike the experience of encroaching growth that came with each listen on The Line, these tracks tired quickly. It seems the components are in place but missing an inspiration to bring Kalandra to life, I'm glad they found it.

Rating: 4/10

Kalandra "The Line" (2020)

 

This gem almost went amiss. Its subtleties slithered to a silence, a withdrawn instrumental softness letting this listener go by. Lacking gusto, bite or immediacy, only the striking resemblance to fellow Nordic queen Aurora held me in. If not another charmed, utterly gorgeous voice, the likeness would border plagiarism. Timbre, temperament, flow and inflections all swoon like a deja-vu. Its why I stuck around. With each listen I felt further from the words I initially wanted to share in this space.

The Line is a record of awe inducing landscapes, the resonance of which expressed aptly through its album art. Crimson skies lurch, whispering clouds part, the sunlight aches in to bless the primal earth beneath. We experience tits wonders as heathen inhabitants, devoid of technology and gods alike. Clearly a part of the growing Nordic Folk movement, Kalandra's strings pull on an endearing warmness. Unlike fellow contemporaries Wardruna and Heilung, they peer not into the northern darkness.

One could pen them as Soft Prog, gentle foragers of atmospheres with felicitous moments of Post Rock swelling and Etheral dreaminess. Tranquil, soothing and calm in nature, its rare flashes of hurried pacing, harmless brooding and climactic roars seem perfectly architectured, as if a force of nature. On its weathered journey outpacing the storm, occasions of rest incur with folkish tunes and tales. It all speaks to the ancestral human, married to mother earth, one that rumbles deep within us all.

And so with every passing listen, my initial foolishness, a deluded disappointment, fortunately grew distant. Somehow I was rustled by these "over indulged" instruments. Keen for vibrant melodies, a punchy baseline or tribal percussive groove, I was aloof to the atmospheric magic unfolding. Quiet is a strength, one that passed me by. The instrumental craft, a careful curation. Licks, grooves, riffs are subtly snug, every inch of aesthetic measured, fit together under a masterplan where nothing overpowers.

There are no particulars that leap of the page. Every song is a journey blossoming from a perpetual mellow flow. The record thus becomes river. Drop in, let its coolness wash over you and chill out. With at least a bakers dozen of spins under the belt now, it still grows on me. No doubts here, this could be honey that sticks for time to come.

Rating: 8/10

Aurora "The Gods We Can Touch" (2022)

 

For the last two and a half weeks I've been rather engrossed In Aurora's latest offering. Its a warm invitation into a keen world of bright enduring melodies and fantastical sincere singing. Forged with a little folkish charm, it remains grounded and authentic. Once again Aksnes's voice carries a tune so powerfully, illuminating the already glowing notation of her well crafted backing instrumentals. Much of the music rests on a subtler moody sombre side, with these periodic bold strides into Electropop territory, stirring an excitement she remedies with words sung sublimely.

Picking apart the particulars of ones voice is a service words can't quite achieve but she has swiftly become one of my all time favorites. On this outing the performance expands with lyrical themes becoming more personal and intimate than I recall before. A handful of songs feel rather direct and vulnerable, an insight to personal struggles. Its endearing, bringing more humanity and passion to the music, less lofty in concept and theme. Not a sole focus, it arrives in balance with ideas more common for her.

The album has a great sense of flow, many moments of Ethereal calm seem to intersperse the jovial strides, as perky melodies played on pianos, strings and all between ride the surges of energy that arise. The compositions are expertly crafted with percussion guiding the songs through organic calms to then give its main moments more punch. Production is wonderful too, everything feels snugly fit in with reverberations perfectly measured to give the music depth and resonance.

 At fifteen minutes, things do fizzle out. A handful of the last few songs feel underwhelming in comparison. Its final song, A Little Place Called The Moon, has an experimental temperament. Aurora makes it work but the end result seems so different from anything before it. Its a hazy passage that seems the record off on a ghostly note. The Gods We Can Touch isn't perfect but I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and its packed with some new favorites to return to on occasion!

Rating: 8/10

Burzum "Thulêan Mysteries" (2020)

 A year late to the party, this supposed final album from a musician of genius, wrapped in controversy, encompasses ninety minutes of estranged, spiritual and Nordic inspired ambient music. Labelled as a compilation, I initially passed it up. In fact its a compiled collection of original works from the six years since The Ways Of Yore. In the post-prison era of his career, Varg's ambient leaning creations had not sparkled with the magic of a Tomhet or Hliðskjálf. I wasn't expecting much but found myself pleasantly surprised to hear the peculiar sound that captivated much of my youth emerging again. Alongside a couple of reworked melodies from classic songs, much of this loosely arranged music dives into that special, lonely and timeless place.

With some solemnly spoken word and slightly sung sections, Varg brings a little Norse culture to a handful of songs that break up the flow with a tone rooted in heritage and mythology more so than the mystic. All his songs share the minimalist approach, a handful of simple melodies, steady in pace and calming in their presence. Repetitive and droning, many of these songs need little complexity to hold ones attention. Textural experiments with raveling distortions and whirling psychedelic synths droning on a handful of the longer tracks show he still has the knack for that deeply mysterious and nature inspired sound of a lonely darkness. Both chilling and soothing in its unforgiving starkness and archaic presence.

A Forgotten Realm stands out as a unifying track to bring all thees concepts together. Lumped in the midpoint its arrival is like all the others, without intention. The albums flow is unstructured yet enhanced through repetition as familiarity sets in. The lack of direction tends to aid the already lonesome and wandering mood these songs conjure. With many short one to two minute cuts in the first half there is an impression of ideas left unfinished. In the second stint where longer pieces reside, a notable shift to the denser tone fleshed with experimental reverbs and droning instruments takes place. In this stretch the music enters an entrancing meditative magic I simply adore.

I barely knew what to expect going into this record. His previous ambient works had been a disappointment. Given the nature of its release it strikes me as music inspired and composed without future thoughts to release it, despite that eventually happening. Given its lack of structure or focus the sound feels more lending to a mood than experience. It will be one to put on from time to time in search of that curiously esoteric yet relaxing sound linked to a Norse Mythology that only this guy can capture.

Rating: 7/10

Heilung "Futha" (2019)

Futha is more of an experience than a collection of formulated songs. It is what Heilung specialize in, esoteric, bleak and bewildering music that pierces a nomadic spirit with an atmosphere of fright and wonder. Primitive instruments, ritualistic chants and a tribal spirit forge inducing passageways of entrancing rhythms between heathen cries calling to the gods. These Norwegian have taken deep inspiration from a mythic take on their pagan heritage. Reading up on the use of bones, ashes and even antiques from temples as instruments, the music is as vivid as their dedication to it.

The best of the record comes with both the effeminate and male voices chiming, singing in native tongue over driving looped percussion with airy synths steaming into dense smothering atmospheres. With long and lengthy songs totaling seventy two minutes the repetitive nature sets in as a temporal, spiritual mood seeking the roots of a humanity that once looked very different. Futha takes its time, build ups are sluggish, some interlude ambiences steady forward with no sparkle or polish. It fits in so well to the vision but it is not always as captivating the initial charm on first listen.

The nostalgic purity is alluring but that undercurrent of mother natures cold cruelty is always present. In the final stages the record bites its teeth in with a grimness as guttural vocals are drawn in word by word on Elivagar. Its like the beginning of a cursed ritual, ghostly voicing uttering out every breath with a textural viscosity that brews in intensity. It leads into the last two numbers like a portal to the past, one is at the center of a psychedelia induced blood ritual of entranced primitive sacrifice. Futha offers up a remarkable experience in fractions but isn't always captivating from start to end. It is certainly worth your time if cultural music of lost tribes is in anyway enticing to you.

Rating: 7/10

Myrkur "Folkesange" (2020)

Stripping out all Black Metal elements and purifying her Nordic folk inspiration, singer and multi-instrumentalist Amalie Bruun has forged a stunning, timely slice of naturalist music, devoid of an all to common "nostalgia". It feels present, spiritual and deeply rooted in tradition. This folk music conjures images of a simpler life, immersed in mother natures beautiful found among the fjords. It does so with a blissful clarity and heart that has each musical piece feeling as far from our modern world as could be. I've always been fond of folk elements but this has flawed me, It might be the most authentic experience Ive had in sometime, its a truly transformational experience.

A fine line is tread between simplicity and purpose as a masterful production captures Amalie's serine and soft voice and accompanying instruments in a gorgeous ambience of natural echo and reverberation. Its touch lets gentle and minimal melodies soak up their potential in atmosphere, resulting in a cold and pure indulgence for our imaginations. The array of obscure instruments, by modern standards, the nyckelharpa, lyre and mandala enrich this ancestral experience with a deep connection to traditions. A skeletal approach to percussion too carries this feeling forward with most songs receiving a measured muster of momentum from the power of one simple lone and deep drum striking with spacious intent.

The songs have varying retirements swaying from the dark to light and despite being rather different in these moods, all land a stark sense of connection. Her Nordic tounge is mesmerizing in its ambiguity, a beautiful voice with feeling felt beyond verbal comprehension. It makes the song House Carpenter perk up with English lyrics talking of Tennessee, a cover of a Joan Baez song. She brings a light to this unknown gem and the closing song Vinter, with its seasonal snowy piano too has an uncanny feeling of similarity. It is the most beautiful song on the whole project with its soft and gentle approach and stands aside from the folk narrative. Strangely it makes me think of the redemptive scene in Home Alone with the caretaker. Beautiful record, simply wonderful.

Favorite Tracks: Frager Som En Ros, Reiar, Gudernes Vilje, Vinter

Rating: 9/10

Wardruna "Skald" (2018)

Having enjoyed the Nordic ambience and cultural folk of Runaljod, I brought this album without a first listen. Its a departure from what I remember as Skald trades off depth and indulgence for a grounded minimalism that far better represents what this may have one sounded like. Einar Selvik stands as a dominate presence, a lone ancestral voice to guide us through the echos of heritage and its accompanying instrumentation, of which there is little. Naked and bare, his language is sung with inflections and an honest rawness to invoke what may have been in centuries past.

Purely by impression, his performance resembles runic scriptures and handed down heathen hymns. The poetry of cultures lost to time. His lone voice holds strong as simple single stringed instrument melodies repeat to set the tone. Only on Vindavla do the instruments switch to bring a darker, tense tone as the Lute alike instrument mostly delivers soothing and warm music. One can envision Nordic ancestors sat around a campfire as they exchange stories and sing poetry together.

At its end the record dulls with a fifteen minute accapella. His isolated voice not as charming alone. On my first few listens I struggled to be sucked in to this world but with patience it grew a little. The fault is probably with my own preferences as a richer instrumentation would have lured me in and cultural hymns are often not to my liking through human voice alone. It is however a remarkable performance in the right mood, a soothing and spiritual listen that will evoke historical echos of our humanity.

Rating: 5/10

Myrkur "M" (2015)

Blown away by their fantastic sophomore record Mareridt I tracked back two years for their debut full length. Simply titled M, we hear ideas and darkly sounds closer to inception, rawer, rigidity in place and without the craft they would go on to display. At this point Bruun was writing alone and recording in the studio with session musicians who had little if no input on composition. It may not be the lone reason but we hear the music in a far more brittle form, the darkness, its uplifting light and rooted atmosphere of folk sounds play out in turns with obvious shifts and turns. Its tracks bleed into one experience as they barely delineate from one another on many fronts.

This initially made the record difficult to get into, its eruptions of snarly screams and harrowing demonic voices forcefully turned the pace of the music as blast beats and shrill guitars would descend on the listener, casting sections of heavenly singing and pagan instrumentation to the side. These three phases are often the focus of the music, her angelic voice, singing softly, gracing over the instruments from an illusive distance. The forcefully harsh and abrasive blasts of ugly Black Metal and the calls of ancestor through horns, violins, fiddles and a helping of atmospheric synth.

There are many moments where these three pillars overlap but often the transitions are rigid, obvious and in sequence. It feels very inspired by the blunt and bold Black Metal of the 90s yet shows the need for the craft, care and inspiration they go on to show in the next record. Initially I focused on this to much and didn't enjoy the record much but with repetition its familiarity let the vibe and mood of the record sink in, which despite some short comings it does has a similar tone to its predecessor... In places... Tracks like Mordet feel cut from the cloth of yesterdays sound of northern darkness but the record charm of swaying from the arms of darkness to the roots of heritage eventually takes over.

All in all M is a decent record that would have been better enjoyed first. The potential it shows feels weaker in retrospect but its ability to cast a spell and create a lasting atmosphere is strong. The sways from black to light and then to heathenish culture are fun and enjoyable. The crafts of subtly and persuasion are not yet with them but blunt the plunges into hell are fun and its gothic edge is charming. Although this may seem like the start their is a short EP beforehand too. I will check that out next.

Rating: 6/10

Ulver "Kveldsjanger" (1996)

I've always been aware of Ulver, never quite found my way into his eclectic collection of records however the recent release of "The Assassination Of Julies Caesar" has cracked open the door. "Kveldsjanger" caught my ear as I was skimming through albums. Its part of the "Black Metal Trilogy" yet has not a drip of anything Metal in sight. Ulver's first record had both Black Metal and Norwegian Folk music woven into one, the following two records would split the styles and so this release is thirty five minutes of enchanting, mythic, Norse Folk to sink into.

Serine acoustic guitars, enchanting flutes, a deep brooding cello and absorbing vocals paint a wonderfully primitive and spiritual experience, capturing the spell bounding beauty of the cold natural terrain. Its wooden acoustics have a natural chill about them, very earthly. They strum out layered arrangements that sway their linage, ever changing, there twang a touch Spanish in moments but rarely that temperate. Garm's voice has a few intensities, sometimes loud and burly at the forefront, performing a folk tale, other times hes heard holding notes and words in the distance like a hymn behind the guitars. It always brings a spiritual humanistic level to the music and puts a soul within the landscape.

The nuances of detail are almost irrelevant in how vividly the vision of times gone by come across. The vast Nordic countryside is brought to life with a rural honesty, the mood doesn't steer into paganism, darkness or some exaggeration. It has a grounded authenticity that lets your imagination set the scene. A slight streak of sorrow runs through some tracks but nothing ever feels obvious, Its mood and tone command the setting with compositions that feel like old Folk songs have been fleshed out and expanded upon. "Hiertets Vee" steps of the path with the sound of vicious whirling winds and the end of the song, lonely flutes are heard through it, painting visions of travelers hunkering down to see out a storm. Its just a single moment that's a little more cinematic than musical and it fits right in. This record is a wonderful piece of folk art, a go to record for that atmosphere of the ancient past.

Rating: 8/10

Graveland "Prawo Stali" (2001)

 

 It was back in the early days of my minecraft adventures that I discovered this record and a little nostalgia for the game always brings back fond memories of caving adventures and building for the first time while listening to this record on repeat. Rob Darken's "Graveland" holds a formidable reputation in the Black Metal scene. Emerging out of Poland in 92, before the scene flourished with exposure and controversy in Norway, Rob has been consistent releasing records, over 20 in total, since the inception. The quality is somewhat inconsistent, but on "Prawo Stali" he strikes a nerve with a glorious and immersive record defined by its unique theme of viking warfare, paganism and mythology as well as executing some of Black Metals most standardized principles in a unique and memorable fashion.

The beauty of this record is both in its aesthetic and writing, both of which excel, creating a rich, atmospheric record of dense mystic black which rolls over the ears with fuzzy high end guitars chiming with deep horns and a buried base line. Rob's vocal's are usually a little to shrill for my ears, but on this record he gets the balance right and utilizes the wordless screams with thick, echoing reverbs that create haunting chills, amplifying the intensity as the screams cry out from under the other instruments. The drums are a tad stiff and lifeless, but they hold a solid beat for the other instruments and never make much of an attempt to gain your focus. The key here is in the chemistry between the guitars and symphonic elements which continually create the best moments and drive home the strong sense of theme this record has.

There's a warlike feel coursing through these songs, set in mythic times one can envision the glory of conquest as the symphonics gleam victorious sounds of horns blaring the signals of attack across the battle field. The drums clash and pound like the rhythm of warfare while Rob delivers his battlecrys that echo and resonate under the thunderous noise. The progressions and notation used between the guitars and horns helps glue the record together with each ten minute epic feeling right at home with one another, yet each finding their own niche and mood to carve a different setting. The albums only flaw is perhaps its production and the drumming which could of been polished better, but its always a point of debate that the lack of fidelity falls inline perfectly with the records ancient and mythic feel which does an incredible job of uniting such strong themes together under the Black Metal banner.

Favorite Song: Tyrani Okrucienstwa

Rating: 9/10

Wardruna "Runaljod - Gap Var Ginnunga" (2009)

"Sound of runes, the gap was yawning" is the translated title of this fogy, foreboding record by Nordic Folk group "Wardruna" who formed in 2003 with a vision of creating music and sounds to captivate Norwegian heritage, Norse Mythology and nostalgia of forgotten times through Ambient music. The group distinctively pass the mark of general musical ambiance, creating wildly vivid and transforming soundscapes that paint a dark and tribal vision of cold, unforgiving north.

The record is ripe with cultural instruments, tribal chants and enchanting vocal choirs that play over a rigid backbone of foggy, dense violin-like sounds and the deep pulse of the drum that keeps pace in the backdrop. The sound is lush, capable of igniting the imagination for tribal life and mystic mythology in the snowbound Norwegian landscapes. The detail going as far to include the sounds of birds singing, and crows squawking in the distance as the sounds grow into visions of ritualistic behavior and worship of ancient gods.

The record has a powerful, and obvious drone as the feel of one song flows into the next, the pounding drum guiding the way, never giving in to any dramatic experimentation beyond the scope. Wardruna have a clear vision thats executed exquisitely. Its strengths make it a fine record when in the right mood, in others its droning nature and rigidity leave it a little dry and uneventful, but thats clearly not the intention. Every droning moment paints the abandon of vast empty landscapes and brings us closer to our mercy of nature. With caring production capturing the charm of the instruments and cultural voices "Runaljod - Gap Var Ginnunga" throws the listener deep into a vision of the past through the eyes retrospect and romances with the times forever lost.

Rating: 7/10