Kampfar
Fra Underverdenen

The Kampfar, ethereal and sublime creation of the Norwegians Dolk and Thomas, are skilled like no other band in offering us a sound full of epicness and cruelty.

Formed in 1994, Kampfar sublimate Black Metal and Nordic Folk, narrate ancient sagas animated by gloomy Viking fatalism, with an eye towards celebrating the homeland. Despite the presence in their repertoire of pure musical gems like "Hymne" and "Norse," these Norse bards were born and still survive as a cult group, almost ignored by the masses.

The album I am analyzing in this review is their second full-length, "Fra Underverdenen" ("From the Realm of the Dead"), dating back to 1999. The atmosphere evoked is darker than ever, and the band's intentions are exemplified as soon as we press play on our stereo: "Svart Og Vondt" opens with the rhythmic flow of waves carrying unspeakable horrors of the past. The mid-tempo is anguished and never trivial, probing our memory to exhume visions of forgotten times; the ferocious laughter of unnameable creatures and Dolk's icy screams deeply disturb our conscience. Once the nautical nightmare ends, we delve into the depths of "I Ondskapens Kunst", a track with a strong medieval flavor, introduced by distinctly Folk acoustic guitars, direct heirs of Ulver's "Bergtatt" or "Kveldssanger". The Black Metal onslaught strikes like a lashing wind, but Kampfar demonstrate their marked inclination towards an extreme yet thoughtful Metal, in which control decidedly precedes power. Among piano inserts and Viking choirs, the track races by, leaving us stunned with its final, masterful seconds, full of inner devastation.

"Troll, Dod Og Trolldom" introduces us to a feral dimension; the call of the hunting horn awakens dormant instincts within us, while our minds introduce us to the dark caverns home to the Troll people. The epic flows through the notes of this composition; a fresco of despair and grandeur reveals itself to our eyes, now accustomed to the darkness of the Nordic lands where Kampfar lead us. But behold, a ray of pale sunlight strikes us just as we despaired of finding comfort: the already mentioned "Norse" bursts forth, and we are overwhelmed by the greatness of this eternal dance, a joyous and proud celebration of the Norwegian lands. But the sunset of the fleeting star that briefly illuminated us is near, and the end of the journey approaches. The apocalyptic "Mork Pest" is relentless in its pace, unsettling in the nocturnal majesty that surrounds it; it is the sad prelude to our journey into the world of the dead, which we embark on thanks to the title track. "Fra Underverdenen" is disturbing, conducted entirely by traditional Scandinavian instruments; it manages to completely estrange the listener, concluding this superb work in a fitting manner.

"Fra Underverdenen" is an album I feel compelled to recommend to everyone, and will certainly appeal to lovers of Folk, Viking, and the less True Black Metal.