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Perhaps the band's most mature, refined opus yet.-
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| Vintersorg: Jordpuls |
Folk Metal, Progressive Metal, Viking Metal
Napalm Records
April 12th, 2011
- Världsalltets Fanfar - 5:20
- Klippor Och Skär - 6:12
- Till Dånet Av Forsar Och Fall - 4:31
- Mörk Nebulosa - 5:23
- Stjärndyrkan - 5:06
- Skogen Sover - 5:54
- Vindögat - 4:34
- Palissader - 5:27
- Eld Och Lågor - 4:14
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| Review Information |
Release length: 46:41
Review posted on April 16th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 9/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Till Fjälls (1998) • Ödemarkens Son (1999) • Cosmic Genesis (2000) • Visions from the Spiral Generator (2002)
The Focusing Blur (2004) • Solens Rötter (2007) • Jordpuls (2011)
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| EP(s): |
Hedniskhjärtad (1998)
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| Review |
Vintersorg had gone through a good number of changes throughout the years since they first exploded onto the scene with their first full-length release, Till Fjälls. From band members to their musical approach, pretty much everything has been altered in some way or another up to this point, and chances are good the band will continue to make changes until the day they hang it up, which hopefully won't be any time soon. However, the only thing that hasn't changed over the years has been the quality of their releases. Jordpuls, the band's seventh full-length release, is no exception to this, as the band continues to focus on a strong Progressive element that incorporates a true Folk sound to the music, and the progress the band has made clearly shines through with this effort.
Practically immediately you are immersed into the band's sense of Viking and Folk Metal with "Världsalltets Fanfar", a song that starts with a very brief musical introduction before hammering right into some furious pounding Folk Metal. Aside the heavier, aggressive sound, the track manages to flawlessly shift at times to a more whimsical chorus through the introduction of Folk instruments bridging the main verse and chorus together. The clean singing sounds fantastic against the lighter Progressive inspired music that captures a truly spellbinding atmosphere that feels both beautiful and epic at the same time, especially thanks to when the clean vocals are accompanies by the harsh rhaspier style. This track immediately jumps out at the listener, and practically feels magical in it's own right, but still manages to capture a more down to earth approach that will have listeners picturing the group's wooded homelands and folk-rich tales really inspiring the group and giving them sort of a second wind on top of the first wind that had never faded to begin with.
The maical presence of the band continues with "Klippor Och Skär", another magical sounding track that will keep the listener lost in a fantastical world of Folklore through similar musical practicies, but a strong focus on lighter atmospheres that work very well to move the listener, and seem to do so just a little more then the previous track. Of course, this becomes the general vibe of the album, but some tracks, such as "Till Dånet Av Forsar Och Fal" really take the Progressive aspect and run with it, having a decent number of shifts in music, mostly to the speed being played to keep a fluid atmosphere to the song from start to finish, but also incorporate some technicality to the music at times that many other songs simply don't have. This track also leaves the heavier elements behind completely, which is a nice touch, and thankfully doesn't become the way of the entire release, even though it's phenomenal to listen to through great composition, performance, and atmosphere.
It's hard to sit and try to point out each track that stands out with Jordpuls, as each song on here typically feels as strong as the last and retains a fluid progression through each track. The only problem here is that the band often doesn't really try to do anything really different or drastic, and the atmosphere, as well as music played from the start essentially sums up the album with few random bursts of heavier music thrown in. That is something the listener will instantly pick up on and miss with the recording, and the faster, more intense moments on tracks like the start of "Världsalltets Fanfar" and the brief moment of aggression in "Skogen Sover" nicely break up the gradually growing monotonous patterned singing and lighter magical atmospheres to the recording. While that lighter vibe sounds great, the vocals are performed practically the same way with each softer part, especially in the chorus, right down to how the higher and lower clean singing is executed, which leads this album to become rather repetitive after a while, but still done so well that you'll keep coming back despite this flaw.
Jordpuls, despite the vocal repetitions, is a phenomenal Folk release, and one of Vintersorg's best releases. The atmosphere really captivates the listener and sets him or her in the exact setting that the band is going for here. The transitions between heavier and lighter moments are typically seemless, though sometimes can be a bit abrupt, and the band's more Progressive traits show nicely throughout the recording. Each track feels somewhat unique, lacking a pattern in the composition of the release, though the clean vocals can feel a little repetitive after a while, though soothing and well suited to the atmosphere and music being performed, working perfectly against the heavier vocals that appear throughout the recording. The music sounds fantastic as well, being clear with a modern production sound, but utilizing enough distortion to get the point across and give the music enough of a bite, or make it strong enough to transport the listener to a land best befitting the lyrical content. If you have yet to hear a Vintersorg album, Jordpuls is a great place to start, as it offers an album that will leave a lasting impact, and boasts enough solid material to stay lodged in your CD player or however you listen to your music, showing off what could very well be one of their most matured and refined offerings to date.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Napalm Records.
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