This is the third release from solo musician Jacob Björnfot. The debut release was amazing from memory, I missed the follow up so this is my second encounter, albeit the third release.

‘Traverse the Nether’ has a real Dissection feel, melodic, galloping and strong in presence and delivery, especially the riffing at the halfway mark before the solo. Overtly powerful and fast at its start, this track spins round a whirlwind of musical endeavour and gives the listener something sinister, something melodic and something memorable to get a real rhythm going. ‘Tornets sång’ has a raw punk edge to the song. The howling vocals, the additional thunderclap drumming for the first bridge coupled with some riffing that is as smooth as silk. I am not a fan of keyboards, but they work ok for atmospheric inclusion rather than being a focal point of the track, prior to a Middle Eastern feel from the guitars at a later stage. ‘The Ancient Gods’ has some real epic passages to it, very much like Windir did. You can hear where such influences may be intertwined and taken to heart. The drum pattern in particular is rather special to my ears. ‘The Perpetual Darkness’ is a gem for its sense of melody that has captured some trademarks tried and tested. This makes this a very memorable and likeable track, particularly to those whom might not be an avid fan of this sub-genre.

As you canter through the rest of the release, you may be reminded of the strong art of arrangements that are delivered; the striking artwork goes hand in hand with the quality of the material on offer. Whilst I would always go with your first blackened hearted love, this third release is a very strong musical piece from the mind of a singular entity with guest musicians helping during the recording.

(8/10 Paul Maddison)

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https://kvaenblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/the-formless-fires