This is a Swedish set up with cited influences including Craft, Khold and Watain. This is dense, hypnotic black metal with rich sound textures exhuming multi-layered guitars, although the PR material suggests “icy rock n roll”, a term I must admit that I am new to! Close your eyes and bask in the surreal atmospherics that wash over you, this will set up you up for an immersive listening experience.
The release consists of just two tracks. The first, ‘Buren av Loppor’ is over 18 minutes long. The second track ‘Hädanefter’ is a mere 14-plus minutes! If we go back to ‘Buren av Loppor’, we start with tranquillity, very sparse, very distant in emotion. The track develops into an eerie distorted persona once the electric instruments start in earnest. After around 8 minutes, a spoken word section transpires, before slipping back into a hazy hypnosis then we move once more and burst into life. The sonic appeal is quite clever, Jordfäst use the same guitar riff but split over different time signatures and tempos. The addition of vocals adds further character and results in a more powerful musical presence. The track ends less ceremoniously, considering the strength and character displayed earlier, it’s almost pure disappointment, a) that it’s over and b) that it finished like the Sopranos!
On the final and title track, we go straight into the black metal music arena, hard guitars, harsh dynamics. After about the 5 minute mark there’s some haunting monk chanting (as I would describe it as!), not uncommonly found on Bathory’s Viking era albums. Then you have the blast beats coupled with multi-layered vocals. I should explain (taken from the PR material direct), “Jordfäst is an old Swedish word for being buried, loosely translated as “attached to soil” and their music channels the past cries of people with lyrical themes focusing on the meagreness of mankind when faced with the forces of nature”.
Overall, the arrangements are very strong, they immerse the listener and bring you to be part of the stories being told. Whilst some fans may look for dexterity in the music, you have to look hard for this here. There are flashes of this, such as the riffing after the 10 minute mark of the title track. However, that is not what this release is about. You also have to be on board for the full journey, skipping or jumping around the two tracks does not cut it. To appreciate the songs, listen to them intently, in their entirety. Jordfäst’s vision is perfect for dark quarters, enjoyed in seclusion, just simply go with it. The ride is worthy.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
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