Kampfar – "Heimgang"
Napalm Records/ release date: Sept. 26, 2008
Under
no circumstances could I imagine that Kampfar would be able to outperform their
previous albums with their new release. It has been unthinkable to me that any
song can be more catchy than for instance “Ravenheart”. There were only two
possibilities I could think of: But
as soon as I inserted the promo of “Heimgang” I became disabused. Propulsively
and slightly aggressive it is being continued with “Inferno”. The gruffly
but also pugnacious singing of vocalist Dolk gives you the creeps, while
impellent guitar riffing takes care of a rousing feeling. If
I had to visualise the music on Heimgang in pictures, I would probably end up
with clichéd but felicitous imagery like snow-clad hills in Norway’s
beautiful landscape or maybe a lone warrior who girds for the battle. But I am
sure the lyrics are actually much more intense and far-reaching than just such
general subjects. The lyric texts were not part of the promo copy, therefore I
can only give you a rough insight into a few songs as an example: „Mareham“ is possibly the most virtuosic and folksy song on the album. The singing herein is like the growled version of a folksong. Too bad the song wasn’t on the setlist at the previous gigs. Oh well... extravagant drumming and guitar riffs which demand much dexterity… maybe it takes a while until the band has rehearsed often enough to take this song to the live stages. But when the day comes…. the spirits will be high! Beware! „Vettekult“ is another highlight of the album. With very melodic passages it accesses your sentiment and emotives you with some exceptional extras. On the one hand Dolk’s hymn singing is copied and canon-like piled up. On the other hand his voice sometimes oddly flips downwards for a second. But most of all I have the acoustic illusion to hear a runnel … just scarcely audible…. but it seems to be all caused by the guitar sound, you just have to listen carefully. The
almost sad ending of the album is formed by the song „Vandring“. Here I am
confronted with the curiosity to
hear Dolk’s voice like if it came from an old vinyl record. I have no idea if
the swoosh is caused by a manufacturing error on my promo, or if it is an
intended gimmick for the song. To summarize: “Heimgang” offers you 10 fantastic Kampfar masterpieces, being sophisticated, mature, captivating and rushing adrenalin. The best folkloristic Pagan Metal album of this year so far! recommended track: "Mareham" rating: 10/10 review by Twilightheart Dolk/Kampfar live on stage:
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