Napalm/Sound Pollution
Danes SVARTSOT really blew me away with their previous album “Mulmets Viser”, so my expectations are sky high for this their third full-length album. No line-up changes or other dangers, only catchy and spirited pieces of mediaeval metal…or?
Opening intro “Staden…” sets the stage. The album hovers on the subject of the Black Death´s arrival in Denmark in 1350. The atmosphere is there, the place is lively and…doomed. What follows is a pretty even history with standout tracks like the in the info sheet strangely unmentioned “Farsoten Kom” the closing tracks. The gloomy ballad, with clean vocals, “Spigrene” is a welcome change among all the growling. The heavier and somewhat speedier “Og Landet Ligger så Öde Hen” has a lot of pace changes, and a flow that was more common in the eighties. Inbetween I fin the tracks to be on another level compared to most of the competition. With the exception of the average “Den Fogänglige Tro” and “Den Nidske Gud”, that really have no advantages or any features above the rest, this is killer material. Perhaps the exotic instruments and the seemingly real interest in the happenings and backlashes of everyday life in the native Denmark is convincing enough. The growling is a tad tediuos at times, but the forgiving “hey-ho´s” in clean voices are there too. This is perhaps what bards and Morris dancers would have engaged in had they had electrical instruments back in the day. All in all, this is an inch below their previous outing, but still very much an album to own.
Track List
Staden…
Gud Giv det Varer Ved!
Dödedansen
Farsoten Kom
Holdt Net af En Tjörn
Den forgängelige Tro
Om Jeg Lever Kveg
Kunsten att Dö
Den Nidske Gud
Spigrene
Og Landet Ligger så Öde Hen
www.napalmrecords.com www.myspace.com/svartsot
