I have been following this Icelandic band for several years and have always appreciated their fusion of black metal, obscurity and folk-Viking elements. Now I receive with great pleasure from Fullblast PR their new album simply titled 9 like the songs on it.
First of all a few data about the band: Fortíð started as a solo project of Eldur in 2002 and released the Völuspá trilogy between 2003 and 2010; in 2010 Eldur moved to Norway where he recruited members for a full lineup with which he has already released Pagan Prophecies in 2012, a magnificent album. The contribution of the new members must have been important in some way, because the sound seems to be very renovated. Perhaps Fortíð have lost a bit of the obscurity that characterized them at the time of the Völuspá trilogy, but have gained in terms of new solutions and unpredictability. It is clear that the suond of Fortíð remains always genuinely extreme. 9 is an album full of epic choruses, enchanting chants, magnificent arpeggios, sometimes dreamlike atmospheres like the keyboard interlude in “Runír”; Fortíð do not even renounce harsh riffs, powerful blast beats and enthralling mid-tempos. Sometimes I think I hear influences from Helheim, which pop out here and there already in the first song “Hrafnar”, which begins with solid chords. “Viska” contains a guitar duet a la Iron Maiden, which then evolves into a beautiful solo. There are atmospheric arpeggios, as in “Hugur”, and brutality, as in “Nornir”; stunning also the section in mid-tempo with a chorus in “Hof.”
Another strong point of 9 is the masterful production with perfect and crystal clear sounds; Fortíð prove to be real experienced and technically gifted musicians, as demonstrated by the few guitar solos and the various technicalities in both the riffing that in the rhythm section.
9 is a true masterpiece, a complex and multifaceted album, but at the same time very addictive. It contains an intrinsic opening that is never predictable and always leads to personal and original solutions. It is an epic album with a deep Nordic, Viking feeling, not only for the music itself, but also for the beautiful sound of the Icelandic language that sounds like the recitation of old poems. If you like all this, and if you are eager to experience this cultural side of “Nordicity”, you will love this album. Grab it absolutely!
Notes:
Release date: March 27 2015 on Schwarzdorn Production. Fortíð means ‘Ancient Times’ in Icelandic; all the lyrics are in fact in Icelandic and go back to the Icelandic cultural origins.
Tracklist:
1. Hrafnar
2. Hugur
3. Nornir
4. Viska
5. Leit
6. 9
7. Galdur
8. Rúnir
9. Hof
Personnel:
E. Thorberg: Vocals, Guitars
R. Jonsson: Bass
D. Theobald: Drums
Ø. Hansen: Guitars
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
First of all a few data about the band: Fortíð started as a solo project of Eldur in 2002 and released the Völuspá trilogy between 2003 and 2010; in 2010 Eldur moved to Norway where he recruited members for a full lineup with which he has already released Pagan Prophecies in 2012, a magnificent album. The contribution of the new members must have been important in some way, because the sound seems to be very renovated. Perhaps Fortíð have lost a bit of the obscurity that characterized them at the time of the Völuspá trilogy, but have gained in terms of new solutions and unpredictability. It is clear that the suond of Fortíð remains always genuinely extreme. 9 is an album full of epic choruses, enchanting chants, magnificent arpeggios, sometimes dreamlike atmospheres like the keyboard interlude in “Runír”; Fortíð do not even renounce harsh riffs, powerful blast beats and enthralling mid-tempos. Sometimes I think I hear influences from Helheim, which pop out here and there already in the first song “Hrafnar”, which begins with solid chords. “Viska” contains a guitar duet a la Iron Maiden, which then evolves into a beautiful solo. There are atmospheric arpeggios, as in “Hugur”, and brutality, as in “Nornir”; stunning also the section in mid-tempo with a chorus in “Hof.”
Another strong point of 9 is the masterful production with perfect and crystal clear sounds; Fortíð prove to be real experienced and technically gifted musicians, as demonstrated by the few guitar solos and the various technicalities in both the riffing that in the rhythm section.
9 is a true masterpiece, a complex and multifaceted album, but at the same time very addictive. It contains an intrinsic opening that is never predictable and always leads to personal and original solutions. It is an epic album with a deep Nordic, Viking feeling, not only for the music itself, but also for the beautiful sound of the Icelandic language that sounds like the recitation of old poems. If you like all this, and if you are eager to experience this cultural side of “Nordicity”, you will love this album. Grab it absolutely!
Notes:
Release date: March 27 2015 on Schwarzdorn Production. Fortíð means ‘Ancient Times’ in Icelandic; all the lyrics are in fact in Icelandic and go back to the Icelandic cultural origins.
Tracklist:
1. Hrafnar
2. Hugur
3. Nornir
4. Viska
5. Leit
6. 9
7. Galdur
8. Rúnir
9. Hof
Personnel:
E. Thorberg: Vocals, Guitars
R. Jonsson: Bass
D. Theobald: Drums
Ø. Hansen: Guitars
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com