From the cold Sweden comes this duo whose name means 'ruin'. Fördärv started off in 2013 with the EP The Echo of Emptiness and proved to be an atypical band in the Swedish scene; they propose a black metal which is mainly inspired by the Norwegian old school, firstly Darkthrone and Burzum of the early 90s. Fördärv, however, does not repudiate its Swedish roots, as is evident from the clear and recurring melodies; but it is not the typical polished and a little cloying Swedish sound, on the contrary Fördärv chooses a raw but studied production, almost as if they wanted to convey a primordial and uncontaminated black metal .
The Echo of Emptiness contains five tracks for a total playtime of 26:37 minutes; the proper songs, however, are two, the other ones are an intro, an outro and an interlude. The Echo of Emptiness begins with “The Breathless Sound of Silence ...”, a very beautiful intro with a guitar riff and an evolving rhythm pattern. The second song is “The Echo of Emptiness Part I”, which is characterized by a catchy melody that recurs throughout the song, maybe a bit too much; perhaps a minor weakness of this song is the insisted exploitation of the same tune. “Void” is an acoustic instrumental interlude between “The Echo of Emptiness Part I” and “The Echo of Emptiness Part II”; the latter song is harsh and rough, in my opinion the best one on the disc. The scream of vocalist and drummer Gast has personality and is very effective. The fifth and final song is “... in a Neverending Whisper”, an outro that repeats the notes of the intro, thus closing the single like a circle, i.e. just like it has begun. The titles of the intro and of the outro form actually a complete sentence: “The Breathless Sound of Silence in a Neverending Whisper”.
As for the lyrics, the title of the EP is emblematic; the EP is a concept revolving around themes such as emptiness, silence, abandonment. These themes are portrayed through the evocation of desert landscapes. Landscapes and nature are certainly a source of inspiration for Fördärv, but it is an empty, deserted interiorized nature. As stated by Gast in an interview with Unholy Black Metal, the texts of Fördärv depict landscapes in order to describe moods that cannot be described with words: “Sweeping soundless winds / Create a firm cold breeze / The bells of the deep Abyss / Toll in the spaceless Space …” (quoted from “The Echo of Emptiness Part I”).
In conclusion, except for some minor imperfections that the duo will surely improve, The Echo of Emptiness is still a good debut, whose unusual old school sound is nowadays remarkable. The debut EP of Fördärv is a journey into the past, a return to the primordial purity of black metal. It is definetly worth a listen!
Notes:
The Echo of Emptiness was released on December 6, 2013 through Nigredo Records. If you want to listen to “The Echo of Emptiness Part I” just click here; to listen to a sample from the upcoming album click here.
Tracklist:
1. The Breathless Sound of Silence... 03:09
2. The Echo of Emptiness Part I 08:53
3. Void 02:26
4. The Echo of Emptiness Part II 09:13
5. ...in a Neverending Whisper 02:56
26:37
Personnel:
Gast - Lyrics, Drums, Vocals
En - Guitars, Bass
The Echo of Emptiness contains five tracks for a total playtime of 26:37 minutes; the proper songs, however, are two, the other ones are an intro, an outro and an interlude. The Echo of Emptiness begins with “The Breathless Sound of Silence ...”, a very beautiful intro with a guitar riff and an evolving rhythm pattern. The second song is “The Echo of Emptiness Part I”, which is characterized by a catchy melody that recurs throughout the song, maybe a bit too much; perhaps a minor weakness of this song is the insisted exploitation of the same tune. “Void” is an acoustic instrumental interlude between “The Echo of Emptiness Part I” and “The Echo of Emptiness Part II”; the latter song is harsh and rough, in my opinion the best one on the disc. The scream of vocalist and drummer Gast has personality and is very effective. The fifth and final song is “... in a Neverending Whisper”, an outro that repeats the notes of the intro, thus closing the single like a circle, i.e. just like it has begun. The titles of the intro and of the outro form actually a complete sentence: “The Breathless Sound of Silence in a Neverending Whisper”.
As for the lyrics, the title of the EP is emblematic; the EP is a concept revolving around themes such as emptiness, silence, abandonment. These themes are portrayed through the evocation of desert landscapes. Landscapes and nature are certainly a source of inspiration for Fördärv, but it is an empty, deserted interiorized nature. As stated by Gast in an interview with Unholy Black Metal, the texts of Fördärv depict landscapes in order to describe moods that cannot be described with words: “Sweeping soundless winds / Create a firm cold breeze / The bells of the deep Abyss / Toll in the spaceless Space …” (quoted from “The Echo of Emptiness Part I”).
In conclusion, except for some minor imperfections that the duo will surely improve, The Echo of Emptiness is still a good debut, whose unusual old school sound is nowadays remarkable. The debut EP of Fördärv is a journey into the past, a return to the primordial purity of black metal. It is definetly worth a listen!
Notes:
The Echo of Emptiness was released on December 6, 2013 through Nigredo Records. If you want to listen to “The Echo of Emptiness Part I” just click here; to listen to a sample from the upcoming album click here.
Tracklist:
1. The Breathless Sound of Silence... 03:09
2. The Echo of Emptiness Part I 08:53
3. Void 02:26
4. The Echo of Emptiness Part II 09:13
5. ...in a Neverending Whisper 02:56
26:37
Personnel:
Gast - Lyrics, Drums, Vocals
En - Guitars, Bass
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com