Today I am bringing you a full length
review of Niflheims' debut album Personne. They have a sound that
combines more modern rock elements with folk metal. Its kind of hard
to describe, but somehow it works. The sound achieved here is rather
unique and very listenable. This is the kind of band I would show
someone if I was trying to get them into folk metal. They get how to
make trve folk metal, but also how to make real tunes that normal
people would like to listen too. This potent combination could garner
a huge market, I must say that it looks like Niflheim could have a
huge future. This is one of the few folk metal bands that doesn't
seem as snotty and elitist, with songs like “Holy Mushroom” and
“Happy drunk friend” the band members become a part of the
people. This is a pretty cool thing to see in what is typically such
an elitist genre.
The guitar playing is very tight on
this record. The riffs have a rhythmic complexity that is very
symphonic metal. The riffs are very swirling and have a power in them
that seems ancient. They call up old memories of a dark time gone by.
Yet for the majority of the record the guitar provides a solid
background to the folk instruments. Much like Elevuitie the rock band
elements are really more of a grounding for the other musicians to
base themselves off of. That is not to say that there are no cool
guitar parts. For example, the guitar solo in Watery Grave is
downright brilliant. Also some of the riffing is truly metal and
allows for a great headbanging party. One riff in particular that
shines to me is the one in the verse of Birth of a Succubus which
really gets me going every time I hear it. All in all the guitar on
this record is tasty and well executed. This is a fun album guitar
wise and I think it will be cool to see them execute live on Sunday.
The solid bass playing helps provide
some very folky rhythms while also backing up the guitars. The
implementation of the bass on the acoustic parts of the record is
pretty impressive. It adds some really great flavors and shows the
bassists true skill. Overall though, his solid, and even bouncy
playing provides a very solid backbone for the record and means that
the music will never bore you. Complimenting this is some of the
really tasty drum playing that we hear on this record. With a
combination of classic metal playing and more folky bits the drummer
shows himself to be a master of many styles. His playing is always
explosive and powerful. He knows how to make some really great beats
that get your body moving and your head banging. All in all the
rhythm section of this group is very together and adds a great feel
to the music.
The violin is very well implemented and
they add a lot of flavor to the songs. In fact, its' pretty clear
that it is running the show. Providing most of the melody and a lot
of the more Celtic feel it takes you on a swirling journey to another
country and another time. Its cool to hear the playing here, so well
executed. It makes everything seem very medieval and makes me smile
as it takes me to a time when things where quieter. Almost epic at
times the violin parts are very impressive for one solo instrument.
The arrangements also benefit the violin and help it truly shine. All
in all, the violin playing is a highlight of this record and shows
how good this band can truly be.
Finally the singing is just beautiful
and this bands vocalist really knows what she's doing. She sounds
like she has classical training, her voice has a lot of very
classical melodic qualities to it. Yet, it is also rather meaty and
full sounding. It provides a lot of strength to some of the weaker
parts and infuses everything with a powerful dose of passion. With a
voice that can be anthemic or beautiful, or better yet, both at the
same time she launches her self fully into the music. Its cool to
hear this singer being such a huge part of her band and the sounds
that they make. In particular the aria on Sailing South is pretty
much perfect. It shows how great her voice can be, but also takes you
back to a more medieval time. Its really cool to hear.
All in all Niflheim is a stellar folk
metal act, and I think that any fan of metal or rock would like them.
They have all of the classic elements of a folk metal band, but make
it a bit more accessible to the average joe. This is a band with a
huge future ahead of them, they could very easily top the rock charts
as well as the metal ones. Niflheim is powerful and dominating, and
while their sound might not call up the trvest viking metal of
Ensiferum its still very folky and filled with all sorts of great
melodies and lyrics. So go check them out!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Niflheim/317366779429
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