Though Iceland’s Árstídir lífsins (meaning “the seasons of life”) is a relatively new group, the music they create is ageless – that which evokes the sights and sounds of towering forests watching stoically over shores of timeless oceans, the scents of burning wood and flesh from funeral pyres billowing smokily in dusky skies, the heat and chaos of steel-on-steel conflict between warm-blooded beasts. Indeed, Vápna lækjar eldr’s (a Norse kenning for “battle”) themes are as old as earth and as melancholy as the tales of those who live upon it. But there is also a fierceness present, a hardening of the husk that creates the perfect aura for Árstídir Lífsins’ earthy and atmospheric approach to black/folk metal.
Per the press release, Vápna lækjar eldr tells the tale of a family of settlers struggling to survive in the treacherous Westfjords of Iceland circa year 930 AD amidst a myriad of internal and external sources of turmoil. The disc/vinyl feature a lavishly ornamented 44-page booklet comprised of original drawings by vocalist Marsél and lyrics printed in 14th Century Icelandic manuscript. This much should tell you that Árstídir lífsins take their heritage seriously and have taken the utmost care to preserve and display it.
Musically, Vápna lækjar eldr is a journey through black, folk and ambient territory, with much emphasis placed on the orchestration of songs and the atmosphere created within them. A bevy of instruments are used (including a violin, mouth harp, keys and hand drums) — along with the sounds of wind, water and din — to recreate a harsh Icelandic setting. Also in use, of course, are quick-picked pagan black metal riffs, alternating gruff and hushed vocals and versatile drumming. Tracks such as “Blóð-Þorsteinn eystri“ (the name of the family involved in the blood feud with the storyline’s protagonists) and “Gylðis kind hefr aldrei dvalist á einum stað“ run the gamut from cruel blackened tones to light, lilting folk melodies and anywhere in between, all fitting smoothly within the same mood. Other tracks (case in point “Samkoma um sumar var sett á Þingeyri” and “Svo lengi sem Sutrs ætt ok ásmegir aðhafast, mun þessi jörð í ringulreið elta”) completely fuse all elements to create a blackfolk sonic assault, further pulling listeners into the rough of Árstídir lífsins’ world.
The weaving together of black and folk metal is certainly not a burgeoning concept, and its intricacies are not easy to achieve. Some groups toil at it throughout their careers; Árstídir lífsins have got it down to an art form at an early stage. Vápna lækjar eldr is a skilled and moving work that should be praised for its creativity in addition to its musical qualities.
8/10 Jodi Michael
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