From the cold wastelands of Norrland, in the far north of Norway, Iskald, the melodic black metal duo from Bodø, are back with a new beautiful album.
Nedom og Nord (2014) contains all the typical ingredients of the style of Iskald: intricate, intertwining riffs, melodies, tempo changes; yet it is different from the previous album The Sun I Carried (2011). Nedom og Nord is a mature, profound, deeply epic album, which can give expression to a variety of feelings and moods from rage to sadness. I believe that it is precisely this meditative and melancholic nuance that distinguishes Nedom og Nord from the previous album; but above all it sounds like an artistically mature and more self-aware work. The new release is many-sided: the songs have a complex structure, the scores themselves of the various instruments are very complicated, which is why Simon Larsen and Aage Krekling prove to be outstanding musicians. But the music on Nedom og Nord is not just a display of technique of an end in itself. The production is perfect, the sounds are clear and polished, and well blended and fused together; the battery is probably triggered. All of the six songs on this album are very beautiful and one immediately understands to be in front of a masterpiece. The fourth track, “The Silence”, stands out a bit over the others as the best song, right thanks to its intense and melancholic melody.
If you want to listen to an album about the far North, this album is for you. As can be seen from the title, the main theme in the lyrics is the North. It is not a coincidence that the two band members live in Norrland. This is the first Iskald’s album with a title in Norwegian, in which also half of the lyrics are in Norwegian. The song entitled after the band, “Iskald”, is defined by the band as “a monumental hymn dedicated to the surroundings and to the people of their home; Norrland.” Nedom og Nord is described as “a tribute to the northern parts of Norway, with the arctic surroundings that have always a part of the lives of guys” (I’m quoting the band’s statement on their official page).
Finally, Nedom og Nord is a fantastic masterpiece, a step forward on their very original artistic path. Don’t miss it.
Notes:
Iskald means ‘ice cold’. Nedom og Nord was released on January 14, 2014 on Indie Recordings. Mastered at 210 Studios (Berlin, Germany). Recorded between September - November 2013 in Bodø at Iskald's own studio. Produced and arranged by Iskald.
Nedom og Nord (2014) contains all the typical ingredients of the style of Iskald: intricate, intertwining riffs, melodies, tempo changes; yet it is different from the previous album The Sun I Carried (2011). Nedom og Nord is a mature, profound, deeply epic album, which can give expression to a variety of feelings and moods from rage to sadness. I believe that it is precisely this meditative and melancholic nuance that distinguishes Nedom og Nord from the previous album; but above all it sounds like an artistically mature and more self-aware work. The new release is many-sided: the songs have a complex structure, the scores themselves of the various instruments are very complicated, which is why Simon Larsen and Aage Krekling prove to be outstanding musicians. But the music on Nedom og Nord is not just a display of technique of an end in itself. The production is perfect, the sounds are clear and polished, and well blended and fused together; the battery is probably triggered. All of the six songs on this album are very beautiful and one immediately understands to be in front of a masterpiece. The fourth track, “The Silence”, stands out a bit over the others as the best song, right thanks to its intense and melancholic melody.
If you want to listen to an album about the far North, this album is for you. As can be seen from the title, the main theme in the lyrics is the North. It is not a coincidence that the two band members live in Norrland. This is the first Iskald’s album with a title in Norwegian, in which also half of the lyrics are in Norwegian. The song entitled after the band, “Iskald”, is defined by the band as “a monumental hymn dedicated to the surroundings and to the people of their home; Norrland.” Nedom og Nord is described as “a tribute to the northern parts of Norway, with the arctic surroundings that have always a part of the lives of guys” (I’m quoting the band’s statement on their official page).
Finally, Nedom og Nord is a fantastic masterpiece, a step forward on their very original artistic path. Don’t miss it.
Notes:
Iskald means ‘ice cold’. Nedom og Nord was released on January 14, 2014 on Indie Recordings. Mastered at 210 Studios (Berlin, Germany). Recorded between September - November 2013 in Bodø at Iskald's own studio. Produced and arranged by Iskald.
| Tracklist: 1. A Fading Horizon 2. Underworldly 3. Iskald 4. The Silence 5. Nidingsdåd 6. Nedom og Nord | 07:04 07:38 07:19 08:57 07:14 10:02 48:14 |
Personnel:
Aage André Krekling - Drums
Simon Larsen - Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Keyboards, Songwriting
Aage André Krekling - Drums
Simon Larsen - Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Keyboards, Songwriting
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com