Jord are a Swedish Atmospheric Black Metal band who started out as a one-man project back in 2020, but after two previous albums have expanded into a 3 piece, been picked up by Hammerheart and are really starting to define and enhance their sound with “Tundra”. Jord craft songs around a mood, letting the arrangement take the listener along, adding and subtracting what is necessary on its journey to make that song complete, and it’s clear that the addition of a guitarist and drummer to Jurg’s already accomplished Bass and Vocals have allowed Jord to explore more and more elements within their chosen genre.
A decent comparable starting point with “Tundra” would be the hints of Borknagar past and present as well as touches of Vintersorg. Structurally you may hear the progressive leanings of an Enslaved or In The Woods… alongside the dark atmospherics a band such as Empyrium would bring, but also so much more of the band’s individuality as the album unveils itself. The Solefald style keyboards of ‘The Fall’ for instance also bring to mind the dark atmospheric Gothic Metal trappings of early and modern Beseech – and coincidentally, former Beseech vocalist Erik Molin appears as a guest vocalist, lending a further Gothic edge to his contributions. On the whole however, Jurg’s harsh venomous vocals are the norm and executed expertly. Night Crowned vocalist Ken Romlin also puts in a guest appearance too.
Another strength of this album is the band’s ability to build an interesting, attention holding track around an initial refrain or riff. ‘Snöfödd’ for instance kicks off with a fabulous groovy Green Carnation-esque guitar riff that instantly hooks you in, the song chops around a little, takes you on an ethereal atmospheric break as well as a passage of blast-beat laden Melodic Black Metal, whilst always paying homage to its original starting point and remaining a cohesive and balanced track from start to finish. With diverse drum patterns and intricate guitar parts throughout the album, you get the feeling that each band member is bringing something to the table and Jurg’s songwriting seems to have benefitted from this freedom. It’s obvious that great care and attention has gone into making the songs on this album work as a unit and this album on its new record label feels like the band have embarked on an exciting new chapter, which they certainly have the talent and material to push onward with.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
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