There is something reassuring about Icelandic Black Metal and its oppressive dark embrace. Generally ignoring black metal histrionics, Icelandic black metal opts for a more claustrophobic, crushing style building dense layers of dissonance to great effect. Forsmán are the latest progeny of the Land of Fire and Ice, joining the fray with their debut MLP ‘Dönsum i Logans Ljóma’. Clocking in at just over 25 minutes, these four tracks epitomise Icelandic black metal and its murky opulence.
Opening track ‘Falsgod’ erupts into a barely penetrable, yet magnificent, aural assault. It is unrelenting in its intensity, and yet accessible with an underpinning melancholy while the MLP’s longest track, ’Milli Eilífdar Og Einskis’ is a little more frantic, with violent melodies swirling around in an agitated maelstrom. Nonetheless, the overriding feeling remains one of claustrophobia as the track pulls you into its aphotic neurosis. There is no let up as ‘Vonarglaeta’ continues in a similar style, and it was at this point that I found myself thinking that these four tracks are probably best considered as one piece of all consuming nihilistic darkness rather than discrete chapters. A short piece of white noise links ‘Vonarglaeta’ to the closing track ‘Hamfarir’ where sweeping melodies emerge from the bleak cacophonies. Upon repeated listen, the music becomes more majestic, bordering on epic as sweeping melodies rise to the fore, seemingly crawling from the despondent abyss.
I’m sure it has come across already, but just for clarity, this is a stunning debut and is up there with the very best of them. I hope for a full length before too long and even more hope that there are live dates as soon as the pandemic allows as these tracks are going to be immense when played live!
(9/10 Andy Pountney)
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