Midwinter, invincible immaculate, it shall be here soon. Already today in Philadelphia we are facing below freezing temperatures and miserable winds. We're going to need the right music if we want to face the terrors of this frozen winter. Fortunately we have Skalmold, whose new record, Med Vaettum seems to be the perfect offering to lay up in face of the almighty gods of a time forgot. Antediluvian in its majesty and epic in scope, Med Vaettum is an album that will take you an a journey across raging seas and roaring oceans into the heart of the North.
I think that a large part of what makes Med Vaettum so appealing to me is the way that the music is self aware of how epic it is, and capitalizes on it. Songs like Med Drekum evidence the crushing power of this band and their ability to carry you far away. The sense of grandeur that embodies this record is incredibly satisfying and will have you spinning it again and again. Viking and Pagan Metal have an inherent magic in that they can truly capture the glory of their pagan forefathers. These Icelandic metallers aren't wholly caught in the past though, they still have a few exciting ideas scattered around that allow for the music to stay fresh and innovative.
In short, the sheer amount of work that must have gone into the creation of this record is impressive, Skalmold is exciting and fresh, yet they will honor those who came before. The guitarmonies are delicious and the synth's expertly placed. Meanwhile, the mix of cleans and growls is truly majestic and at times reminiscent of bands like Heidevolk. Skalmold seem set to be the next big thing in folk metal, so now it's a matter of sitting back and praying that they get the attention, and respect that they and their ancestors so readily deserve.
Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/skalmold
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