Lumsk
Troll

THE REVIEW

The breeze of the Norwegian Sea between ancient rocks, dew-laden meadows, the cries of seabirds, and the taste of salt on the lips.

Like an enveloping summer storm around the island of Runde near Ålesund, we receive the second work of the Norwegian eclectic folk-metallers, bringing delicate medieval atmospheres gently paired with solemn and powerful doom metal riffs.

The seven Vikings from Trondheim deliver a masterpiece reminiscent of the sweetness of the Hardanger fiddle, the prog wanderings reminiscent of Anekdoten-Ritual (both Swedish) and the chivalric and metallic attitude of their fellow countrymen, the never forgotten, Storm.

The distinctive feature in our sound lies in the sweet and talented voice of Stine Langstrand and the imaginative violinist Siv Elena Waterloo, both authors of performances of great class. Stine combines the pompous moods of opera with the soothing notes of folk music, while Siv Elena paints harmonies at times warm and sinuous, and at other times tormented and wild. The guitars of Kjetil and Eystein grind out solid and powerful riffs yet do not forget the soft arpeggios of acoustic sweetness, while a special praise goes to Espen Warankov, a skillful weaver of symphonic prog sounds.

Majestic nocturnal keys fuse their shadowy allure in the twilight embrace of ethereal hammonds on the verge of ethno-ambient. The rhythm section proves precise among monotonous chimes of simple accompaniment and surprising turns of seventies prog technicality. The eight tracks are jewels of dazzling talent, delicately suspended between the drama from dark-metal origins and the dreams spawned by Celtic-Scandinavian folk with medieval contours. All this is supported by Stine's exhausting vocal performance, worthy of debuting in theaters dedicated to opera. The lyrical aspect focuses on Norwegian mythology, analyzing its most fairy-tale, mysterious, and dreamy aspects while the artwork refers to the romantic talent of the brilliant T. Kittelsen, among grotesque figures suspended in wooded and nocturnal landscapes.

A work to dream, to let oneself be carried away into the mysterious recesses of the past of wild lands. The soft alcove of dusk and the delicacy of a foggy dawn.