It wasn’t too long ago that Napalm Records were putting out some really top quality stuff. Falkenbach, Summoning and Korpiklaani are just a few of the names that spring to mind. All had their own idiosyncrasies that made them stand out and offer something slightly different to the next band. But it wasn’t just some soulless gimmick; they were actually very good at what they did. There was something very natural; very honest about the music whether we’re talking about the boozy backwater folk of Korpiklaani, or the more ravaging sounds of Falkenbach. It all came across as effortless; as though it flowed out rather organically in the studio without giving it too much thought.
Recently there has been a deluge of these kind of bands, and all seem to be competing to create the most outlandish genre tag; Nordic Medieval Folk is what Fejd claim to be and I’m learning to be a little weary of these kind of attributes. The thing is, this isn’t a bad album per se but there is something about it that was really bugging me that I couldn’t quite place my finger upon. Why I just couldn’t seem to get drawn into the music in the same way as the aforementioned bands. It bugged me to the extent that I had a rather sleepless night running the album through in my mind, tossing and turning until…
Aha! That’s it! They are trying too hard. Rather than allowing the melody to flow naturally it’s as though they have sat down to work out every single move, and the result is an album that sounds rather flaccid and, with the exception of two or three tracks, makes for a rather dull listen.
There is none of that natural effulgence that comes across with the likes of Moonsorrow. I mean, no-one could really accuse such a band of being catchy in the sense of humming the melody on your way to work, or singing their songs in the shower because that is not really the purpose of this kind of metal; certainly not when your songs are 15 minutes long anyway! But there is something that draws you in and holds your attention while the music plays. Here, there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot there to really sink your teeth into.
Now that I’ve got through all of the really negative stuff, I must detail the positives; the moments where I sat back and thought “Well, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard.” ‘Alvorna Dansar’ stands up head and shoulders above the rest of the tracks here, with its dramatic build up that leads us into a pleasant, serene kind of folkiness. The real draw here is undoubtedly the bright and chirpy female vocals that lend a really warm glow to the track. With its strong, repetitive bass line, ‘Aril’ puts across a Tyr-esque progginess that is laden with atmosphere, while I really can’t help but think of ‘Clementine’ with the vocal melody. I like the urgency projected on ‘Skuld’ with its surge of staccato violin strokes that gush forth in a burning manner, and ‘Bergakungen’ is also worth a mention, with its pronounced military drum beat. This also has rather a lively, brisk pace to it that is quite uplifting, and has a fun, folky feel that takes you back to simpler times.
The vocals are one aspect which I do find myself liking; there is a very distinct annunciation here in the clean Swedish delivery, that is very low key and practically spoken through much of this, although every now and then he ascends into a bit of warbling that reminds me of Wintersorg. Okay, so this isn’t a fantastic album but it does have enough solid tracks to warrant making a purchase. If you’re after something soothing quite easy on the ears then certainly check this out.
http://www.myspace.com/fejd
