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Artist: Glittertind |
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In the past couple of years,
the rise in popularity of Scandinavian pagan and folk metal has been
impossible to ignore. From the genre’s leaders Turisas, Korpiklaani
and Finntroll right down to newer bands such as Eluveitie, Kivimetsan
Druidi and Tyr, everyone seems to be getting in on the act. And now to
add to the fast-growing list of bands to check out from this genre we
have Norwegian one-man band Glittertind and their latest release 'Landkjenning'
or ‘Landfall’ to give it’s English translation.
Whereas a few of the genre’s big names concentrate on either singing in English to achieve a wider appeal, the vast majority of Glittertind’s songs are in Norwegian but the main thing one notices upon listening to 'Landkjenning' is the difference in musical style. As the years go by, the aforementioned "big 3" of pagan & folk metal are gradually moving towards a more metal-orientated sound, pushing the folk elements further into the background and having them as an accompaniment rather than a driving force. And while Glittertind no doubt have an array of aggressive punk riffs in their songs, mainman Torbjorn Sandvik has clearly taken great care not to neglect the traditional Norwegian folk music that was clearly his inspiration and throughout the album there is a fairly even balance between the two styles – the clearest example of this being the album’s title track with its counterbalance of straight-ahead riffing and folk poetry with some almost druid-like chanting thrown into the mix. There’s more than enough to keep fans of the genre entertained here and for every methodical and poetic song there are ones that just dare you not to jump around like a loon and dance to. The infectious melodies of catchy numbers like ‘Longships and Mead’ and ‘Jeg Snorer Min Sekk’ are simply too good to be enjoyed fully from the comfort of your armchair and should be fully appreciated with a flagon of mead in hand, jigging around your living room. A definite must for fans of pagan/folk metal wanting to expand their collection. Review by Adam G |
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| Tracklisting:
01.
Landkjenning
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