Artist: Glittertind
Title: Landkjenning
Type: Album
Label: Napalm Records
Terms like Viking Folk Metal these days tend to conjure up thoughts of Korpiklaani, Finntroll and Eluveitie, with Falkenbach at the mystical end, and you wouldn’t be far off with Glittertind’s ‘Landkjenning’ (Land in Sight). The album is in Norwegian, but my research led me to the unsurprising conclusion that it’s about journeys, heroism and overcoming the elements. I also learnt that Glittertind is the second highest mountain in Norway, so now you know too, if you weren’t aware of it already.
I should add that you don’t have to have any knowledge of Norwegian to enjoy this album. It’s refreshingly simple and varied. ‘Longships and Mead’, ‘Varder in Brann’ (Beacons Burning) and the track ‘Glittertind’ in particular, I found it hard to listen to and review as all I wanted to do was perform figures of eight round the room. Then on ‘Nordafjells’ (Mountains in the North) and ‘Går Min Eigen Veg’ (Going My Own Way), I was taking in the mystical sounds of Norwegian forests. ‘Går Min Eigen Veg’ is an utterly haunting track and strongly reminiscent of ‘Svart Djup’ on Finntroll’s acoustic album ‘Visor om Slutet’. Throughout the album, I was enraptured by the haunting tones of the flute, the occasional pipe and accordion, and other ‘traditional sounds, which may have been the resulting of programming, but hey, it’s the sound that counts. Although there’s a hint of it on some tracks, the songs don’t head down the unadulterated route of hey-nonny-nonny or raucous drinking. Yet for all their apparent seriousness, they’re simple, incredibly powerful and most of all atmospheric. As an experience, I found the songs uplifting and inspiring in their different ways, as they’re no doubt intended to be. The mood is light, sad and dark, if that makes any sense. The beauty is in the contrast. While ‘Nordafjells’ has a mystical element with its eerie and reflective sense of foreboding, ‘Glittertind’ is pure Korpiklaani, and is galloping and bouncy. ‘Jeg Snører Min Sekk’ (Lacing Up My Bag) is like ‘Wild Rover’ but re-worked into Viking Folk Metal with flutes. The distant and quiet chorus of warriors dominates ‘Brede Seil Over Nordsjø Går’ (Over the North Sea with Broad Sails Blowing). This comes from higher circles. It’s classic and provocative. By the end I was ready to take on the world.
The tracks are different and there so many highlights on this album. I personally loved the slower ones, but equally enjoyed the rumbustuous and bouncy songs. The fact is that they’re all little masterpieces, each creating their own unmistakeable ambiance. ‘Landkjenning’ is a wonderful showcase of atmospheric music. It captured my imagination. I suggest to you that it might capture yours too.
http://www.glittertind.net
http://www.myspace.com/glittertind
http://www.napalmrecords.com
Andrew Doherty
MTUK HOME
