THE BEAST

@thebeast

Followers 93292
Following 93041
Updates 38917

Blog Categories Review Eldfaerd – Skymningsland - Reviewed By zwaremetalen!

Eldfaerd – Skymningsland - Reviewed By zwaremetalen! Sunday March 19 2023, 6:32 PM

THE BEAST
PLATINUM

Eldfaerd – Skymningsland - Reviewed By zwaremetalen ! Check it out here at this link: https://zwaremetalen.com/albumrecensies/eldfaerd-skymningsland

What is folk metal? I vote for whistles. If you don't have whistles in your music, you can't call it folk. It can be lavish, it can be in moderation. The Swedish Elfaerd goes for the whistle category to a very limited extent. The Swedes from Östersund make folk metal, with symphonic elements.

It's a first EP, and quite a nice one I must say. Opener Själafrid pays particular attention to the sung chorus. The quiet interlude at three minutes is a little too stretched out, taking the tempo out of the track. The throat singing is of added value, and is reminiscent of Hulkoff . And of course there are whistles. The guitar is a bit tucked away in the mix. It now sounds like a soft bed of compression, but I would have liked to see a little more pepper in the guitar sound. This music can handle that. Finally, Elfaerd does that chorus again, in which the drumming stands out in a positive way.

Title track Skymningsland is completely different. Tremolo picks and fast drums kick off the track. A melodic bridge is used and then the momentum picks up again. The chorus is still heavily ushered in with a dusty drum fill, but it doesn't quite manage to make you fall off your seat. The chorus sounds too soft with keyboards carrying the sound. The complexity of tones sometimes seems to get in the way of a really hard riff that kicks the listener's ass. At Djupa Skogars Havyou notice that the band is still looking for its sound. Not because it's not a good song, but because other tones are being sought out. The vocals have a completely different interpretation, and invasive violins can be heard here. I find it a bit confusing, and the chorus is also very stimulating. There's something epic about it, but it's like constipation: it doesn't quite come out.

As you can already hear, it is full of structures here, and that makes it easy to follow. Huldran starts as if it were a new song from De Kast . You know, De Kast , Syb van der Ploeg. I don't even frown. The pop rock of the intro is cruelly disrupted with a racing piece of black/folk. A nice waltz on the drums is started, after which things weaken again with a cowardly trumpet piece on the keyboard. The drummer is still showing off his footwork. Given that he manages to keep time with his fills, this is acceptable in its entirety. The song itself, on the other hand, is really long-winded. That alternation between fast and calm parts is a bit tiring, especially because the keyboard makes up its own song.

Sometimes you have EPs that are really hard to tell. Skymningsland is an EP with a story. A good story, which is sometimes inconsistent and sometimes tiresome. Eldfaerd is well on its way to becoming a full-fledged band. Here and there some more certainty and clarity is needed in the songwriting. This prevents each player from doing his own thing. For a first EP I think it's great work. Clear structures, strong drums and at times interesting ideas to create a sense of intensity. Especially the first two tracks are worthwhile. It is a band that is easy to understand, and that does not force. Elfaerd has the Noorderzon in its genes, that much is clear. zwaremetalen

Release Date: 23rd of December 2022

FFO: Månegarm, Amon Amarth and Insomnium.

Location: Östersund/ Sweden

Short Bio: Hailing from Östersund in the Northland of Sweden. With members from Myrah and Shikaka, Eldfaerd welcomes you on a journey through old norse sagas and other folktales, filled with mythical beasts, creatures, and great adventures. The sagas are told in their own unique ways with heavy guitars, symphonic might, thunderous drums, and emotional voices.

https://ditto.fm/skymningsland

Check out these videos!