Artist: Solefald
Label: Indie Recordings
Release: 2010
Length: 54:01
Rating: 4.8/5
The Nordic, and above all Norwegian, black metal movement has spawned a small sea of more or less notorious acts, but among the well-known names in this corner of the spectrum Solefald are definitely up there. They’ve spent a good, fat ten years (and a bit more) racking up the scalps of random but stunned listeners. Solefald means fallen sun, or sunset, and this time the twilight is dedicated to reviving old traditions, memories of the nation’s beginnings, and a big middle finger to every commandment and norm, musically expected ones included. The main thrust of the persuasion doesn’t lie in the blackness of low-calorie production, thundering rage and hellish fury. Instead, on their seventh studio masterpiece Solefald take you on a progressively saturated odyssey down the byways of the cold north. This masterpiece of sound is woven by the fingers of two musical oddballs, both undoubtedly very gifted multi-instrumentalists. The first is vocalist, guitarist, poet, writer, main lyricist and mastermind of the band, Cornelius von Jackhelln, who besides this deviant musical treat is also “to blame” for records with G.U.T. and Sturmgeist. The second “accomplice” is a multi-layered, successful vocalist, pianist and above all a seasoned musical tomcat, who has so far worked with Carpathian Fores, Borknagar, Asmegin and a few other names from the black pagan underground.
The result of this rather stormy creative partnership is the seventh record, Norrøn Livskunst, which translates literally from Norwegian as the Nordic art of living. The philosophy of primal contact between man and native soil drains away all the superfluous ideological junk and offers an alternative to a world after the fall of the gods. This isn’t Satanism, and the historical bond with the past builds up the concept of Nordic polytheism with the feel of a modern airing-out of an outdated pantheon. Tradition seeps from every pore, and the main story revolves around a series of songs written in the manner of høgnorsk, the traditional Norwegian lyrical standard, with the album effectively being the musical version of a poetry collection. Most of the songs, except Waves Over Valhalla and Stridsljod / Blackabilly, which are written wholly or partly in English, are in the conservative language of High Norwegian, which was replaced in 1917 by the current written form of New Norwegian, or nynorsk. In the lyrics Cornelius leads you across a barren, dreamy wasteland into the ice-bound north, with a slightly altered vocal oratorio that is at moments more aggressive than on past releases, while the condensed meanings shift from melodic tunes into extreme metal passages. Solefald wave their musical magic wand at the early 20th century, when the young Norwegian nation was searching for its roots, and writers, artists and patriots remembered the sagas, the Edda and ancient mythology all over again. In the villages the eaves of houses built in the old Viking “dragon style” technique rose once more, growing out of forgotten old graveyards. For fame and quick profit, those ice-shackled landscapes were settled, but in the seeds of a renewed reconnection with the somewhat forgotten Nordic gods and the nation’s forefathers lay the foundation from which real, solid, pagan-to-the-bone black metal could sprout.
After the color-coded takes of the two parts of their Icelandic odyssey, the albums Red For Fire: An Icelandic Odyssey, Pt. I and Black For Death: : An Icelandic Odyssey, Pt. II, Solefald move and drift away from more epically conceived concepts, but only to get closer to their roots and the core of their rebellious identity. What convinces and shakes you are the thick layers of rich sound. Besides the fury, the record serves up a quality performance of progressively exploratory prog rock, jazz and metal, and the hybrid of it all means that, black metal stamp or not, the band can win you over and fill the gaps in your mind and in your heart, usually left unfulfilled and withered by quick musical gratification. The vocal harmonies are a mighty part of the booming fascination and conquest (and addiction) of skeptics’ ears. From the opening track Song Til Stormen, based on Olav H. Hauge’s text Glør I Oska, all the way to the closing act of homecoming across the raging ocean with Til Heimen Yver Havet, you’re guaranteed to be swept up by a caressing, merciless stampede of words you don’t understand, and you don’t worry about it. All that counts is freshness, innovation and a penchant for refined overindulgence. Every song opens the door to its own cosmos, and all the sharp edges are there on purpose.
This blend of fiery passion still has plenty of the black gleam of the darkest onyx. The duo, bent on boundless creation, weaves it together with a string of outstanding guest musicians into a package that will surely be a big letdown for all the darkened panda-metal fanatics, but a must-listen for audiophiles truly devoted to music and for musicological hitchhikers who live for free, unburdened surrender to quality music. Norrøn Livskunst is a serious masterpiece, yet with a sense for humorous little touches that brighten your day. It’s undoubtedly a sonic high point in a genre that only the boldest dare to enter. Solefald can surely hang my scalp on their predatory belt, which I hand over humbly and with a thoroughly cathartic, cleansed conscience, since all their (musical) arguments hold water and are completely convincing!
This review was created in collaboration between RockLine and Rock Hard Slovenija.
Lineup
Lazare – vocals, sound synthesizer, electronic drums, drums and percussion
Cornelius – vocals, guitars and bass
Guest musicians:
• Agnete Kjølsrud (ex-Animal Alpha, Djerv) – vocals on the 3rd and 7th tracks
• Benedicte Maurseth – vocals (on the 1st, 8th and 10th tracks) and hardanger fiddle (on the 1st track)
• Kjetil Selvik – saxophone (on the 4th, 5th and 7th tracks)
• Vangelis Labrakis – guitar (on the 6th track)
• King – credited with “wah howle” on the 4th track (King is a musician character who plays in the band Chilihead in Cornelius Jakhelln’s novella Vogusville)
Production
Solefald
Track list
1. Song Til Stormen
2. Norrøn Livskunst
3. Tittentattenteksti
4. Stridsljod, (Blackabilly)
5. Eukalyptustreet
6. Raudedauden
7. Vitets Vidd I Verdi
8. Haugferdi
9. Waves Over Vallhalla (An Icelandic Odyssey Part 3)
10. Til Heimen Yver Havet
