A new Kampfar album is always a pleasure and an event as far as I am concerned. The Norsemen do not overplay their hand releasing an album every few years or so and despite having been around since 1995 this is only their fifth full length. ‘Mare’ is not the sound of a tired old horse but one in its prime at full gallop. Recorded at Abyss studio and overseen by Peter Tägtgren you are well aware that this is going to sparkle and as the title track thunders in you are pitched up into a cold dark pagan wasteland of ice and frost. Thankfully despite the band losing long term guitarist Thomas recently and drafting in session player Waltr there is little in the way of compromise to their sound. I had put this on a disc following on from the new Demonaz album and the two compliment each other perfectly with their thunderous and nebular swagger. As the first track bears down on you with insistent melody and Dolk’s furiously full throated vocal rasp you are well and truly in a mighty zone, full of passion and grandiose sweeps. Vocals are at times in English and as the front-man is yelling out “Its freezing” there is plenty here to send a shiver down the spine.
Having said that, the album has taken a fair few spins to really errr get me defrosted, perhaps that is due to the high standards set by the band in the past, for me ‘Kvass’ is still very much a firm favourite of its type and on the occasions I have seen the band live its anthem ‘Ravenheart’ has never quite been bettered. However ‘Mare’ as a song comes close and is a fantastic starting point here. Mournful keyboard heralds in ‘Ildstemmer’ but this is at odds from the main song which is full of triumph as the ill-tempered vocal assault is carried off on a jaunty melodic thrust, which again gets right beneath the skin. Throughout the album melody seems to intertwine and breed an air of familiarity but does so without being repetitive. Sinister sounding spoken words lead into the Vikingesque furrow of ‘Huldreland,’ the title may translate to ‘Fairy Land’ but there is nothing twee about this as it stomps away, albeit in a slower and more gravid fashion. Another slower number is ‘Trolldomspakt’ this witchcraft charter has some enigmatic and almost classical sounding keyboards lurking in the background and takes on a slightly different feel. Not so for the bouncing demeanour of ‘Volvever,’ which will be a great one for those who like to jump up and down on the spot at gigs. Counterpoising full on raging assaults to more sombre moments such as the maudlin keyboard parts of ‘Altergang’ the music keeps you on your toes before bounding away and suddenly bringing this last song to a sudden and stark stop, making you want to give it another spin straight away.
If you like well played Norse pagan black metal you are not going to find much better than this and having got all their other albums I have no qualms putting my money where my mouth is and picking this up on release day. It’s good to see that Kampfar have lots of shows and festivals lined up and I am looking forward to seeing them when they hit London on May 31st and seeing how some of these songs translate on stage.
http://www.myspace.com/norsepagans
http://www.underground-movement.net
