Månegarm - Urminnes Håvd
68%
Oh, I’m so glad I was given the responsibility to review this album. Despite the fact that it’s not that close to my personal music taste, Månegarm seems to be one of the most interesting bands I’ve ever come across with. After their viking album, they now come up with an (acoustic!!!!) folk album. Not a totally different change, but still, the contrast between the last record and this one is amazing.
Just to make it easy for you: the seven songs contain acoustic guitars, a little guidance by the drums, some special effects (like sounds of thunder) very cool percussion in its purest form (not that electronic stuff) a flute and a violin. Actually that’s all, at least from what I am able to notice. The vocals are mainly performed by a female singer with another female (probably herself as well) and a male(s). Although any perfectionist would argue the fact that all the songs are totally different, it is not hard to notice that the emphasis on all the songs is the same; namely to tell a story.
Of course my thoughts immediately go back to the middle ages. I imagine a castle of a king with many guests sitting around the immense table. At the point of the evening where everyone is totally filled with food, a woman stands up and starts singing about the early ages or about…the forest. Everyone will be quiet, but only for a little time. But it sure has its impact.
It’s such a different perspective, the chaotic, dark and obscure viking metal to the more or the fragile, emotional and sensitive acoustic folk songs. I still think that the album as a whole doesn’t have that much to offer. Fans of this genre should reckon this as an album they can only relate to in situations of (extreme) relaxation, but still it kept me thinking about the band a lot. You may not personally like the different musical influences but the combination of all of those scenes that Månegarm came up with is truly worth having a look at. And isn’t that precisely what great musicians should do?
