The proud icons of Norwegian Viking black metal Kampfar celebrated in 2014 the twentieth anniversary of their formation with the release of Djevelmakt, their sixth full-length. It is also the first album with the .new guitarist and composer Ole Hartvigsen, already known from Mistur.
The refined Viking, pagan sound distinguished Kampfar from the beginning of their career and has become a sort of a trademark over the years. Djevelmakt continues and brings to perfection the path opened in 2011 with Mare, consisting in the band broadening and refreshing their musical palette. In a sense, this process is crowned with Djevelmakt, which I consider superior to Mare. Djevelmakt is more reflective, meditative and mature , while maintaining the epic mood of albums like Kvass and Fra underverdenen. Two examples are the opener “Myder”, which begins with piano chords, and “Kujon”. Dolk’s furious and hoarse scream in “Mylder” is engaging and gives the shivers, but we are surprised by a passage in acoustic guitar and flute that is as unusual as effective especially when the distorted guitar enters so starting a new section which then returns to the opening riff. It is a good example of the new progressive vein of the Norwegians. The listener will also find songs full of dense atmosphere like “Swarm Norvegicus” and “Our Hounds, Our Legion”; the latter starts with an folkish acoustic arpeggio vaguely in the style of old Ulver.
As regards the production, we don’t even need to talk about it. Suffice it to say that behind the mixer there was no one but Peter Tägtgren, responsible for the mixing, while Jonas Kjellgren was responsible for the engineering.
Djevelmakt marks also a veer in the contents; they are no longer inspired by Norse mythology, but throw angry anti-religious barbs against the contemporary Norwegian society.
The new guitarist Ole might have been decisive in the new course of Kampfar; former guitarist Thomas had a more folkish background. Djevelmakt, although new and different from the old albums composed by Thomas, is anyway a majestic and trve album. Masterpiece.
Notes:
Release date: January 27 2014 on Indie Records. Djevelmakt translates in Norwegian for ‘Devil Power’.
Tracklist:
1. Myriad
2. coward
3. Blood, doom and gloom
4. Swarm norvegicus
5. Perdition
6. The Dead Tab
7. Black Souls hymn
8. Our Hounds, Our Legion
Personnel:
Dolk – Vocals
Jon Bakker – Bass
Ask – Drums, Vocals
Ole Hartvigsen – Guitars
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
The refined Viking, pagan sound distinguished Kampfar from the beginning of their career and has become a sort of a trademark over the years. Djevelmakt continues and brings to perfection the path opened in 2011 with Mare, consisting in the band broadening and refreshing their musical palette. In a sense, this process is crowned with Djevelmakt, which I consider superior to Mare. Djevelmakt is more reflective, meditative and mature , while maintaining the epic mood of albums like Kvass and Fra underverdenen. Two examples are the opener “Myder”, which begins with piano chords, and “Kujon”. Dolk’s furious and hoarse scream in “Mylder” is engaging and gives the shivers, but we are surprised by a passage in acoustic guitar and flute that is as unusual as effective especially when the distorted guitar enters so starting a new section which then returns to the opening riff. It is a good example of the new progressive vein of the Norwegians. The listener will also find songs full of dense atmosphere like “Swarm Norvegicus” and “Our Hounds, Our Legion”; the latter starts with an folkish acoustic arpeggio vaguely in the style of old Ulver.
As regards the production, we don’t even need to talk about it. Suffice it to say that behind the mixer there was no one but Peter Tägtgren, responsible for the mixing, while Jonas Kjellgren was responsible for the engineering.
Djevelmakt marks also a veer in the contents; they are no longer inspired by Norse mythology, but throw angry anti-religious barbs against the contemporary Norwegian society.
The new guitarist Ole might have been decisive in the new course of Kampfar; former guitarist Thomas had a more folkish background. Djevelmakt, although new and different from the old albums composed by Thomas, is anyway a majestic and trve album. Masterpiece.
Notes:
Release date: January 27 2014 on Indie Records. Djevelmakt translates in Norwegian for ‘Devil Power’.
Tracklist:
1. Myriad
2. coward
3. Blood, doom and gloom
4. Swarm norvegicus
5. Perdition
6. The Dead Tab
7. Black Souls hymn
8. Our Hounds, Our Legion
Personnel:
Dolk – Vocals
Jon Bakker – Bass
Ask – Drums, Vocals
Ole Hartvigsen – Guitars
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com