Månegarm
Urminnes Hävd: The Forest Sessions

THE REVIEW

This is it. Often at the end of the year, something unexpected, strange, and intriguing arrives. This year it was the Månegarm's turn, a Swedish quintet formed over ten years ago, whose roots have always delved into the fertile ground of that Scandinavian death metal, which has brought fame to many groups from the far north.

As the Finntroll (and not only) have done in the past with "Visor om slutet," the great surprises are the sounds, the melodies, and the atmosphere breathed in this generous preview of what will be their next full album scheduled for next year: no "scream" vocals, no chugging guitars, no claustrophobic drumming, in what is certainly much more than a change of direction,

"Urminnes Hävd - The Forest Sessions" is an ancestral recording of almost irreverent sweetness, not only thanks to the band's latest addition: the superb violinist Janne Liljekvist (although already present in the last work), but especially for the accompaniment of the folk singer Umer Mossige-Norheim, their compatriot with an ethereal yet robust voice, which transports the listener to Celtic environments that are never dark and absolutely captivating.

A completely acoustic, harmonious, and high-level project, sung in the mother tongue, in search of tradition in pure medieval-folk style. A type of sound certainly overused many times, but this interpretation remains surprising for how easily it can be listened to from the first hearing, amid sounds of violent storms, icy winds, and the crackling of a warm fireplace.

Lovers of viking metal may not appreciate it, or at least may be bewildered by it, but for others, it could be a welcome recommendation.

Regards, Addison.