Negative-Existence - LONNDOM "Falen Fran Norr" CD

LONNDOM "Falen Fran Norr" CD
[Eisen032]

~~$12.00~~ $7.20

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Artist: LÖNNDOM

Title: Fälen Från Norr

Format: CD

Country: Sweden

Genre: Folk Metal

Record Label: Eisenwald

Proper re-release of this brilliant native folk influenced metal album. This re-issue features upgradet artwork and some new pictures printed on folder booklet on rough paper stock

_a journey through the deepest nordic forests and mountains_ Lànndom is not like any new evil-sounding outfit, well known musicans A. and S. (known from Armagedda, swedish Leviathan and LIK) captured songs that allow the listener to embark on a gloomy journey into the magical realms of the north, following the path in the forest during a cold winter day after the grip of frost.

A nostalgic and melancholic blend of Metal, Rock and fragile Folk music in the best way, engraved from the pure magic and mystery along with the outstanding beauty of the northern landscape, the whole atmosphere and lyrics create a dreamy yet hypnotising aura that absorbs the whole record until the end.

Lànndom contains a huge mix of thoughts from the past along with thoughts of today. They subdue relatively simple forms when performing the music, notes and pretentioubrqauchst musical terms are spared the minds. Enjoyment comes through feelings and NOT through quality !

To experience the full atmospheric values of this album without being in Scandinavia, we recommend a listen during winter or while sitting at a campfire in a plain, frosty winter landscape !

Tracklisting:

1. Vid Elden 01:38
2. Ripeluokte 06:24
3. Himlalågor 07:40
4. Tjåkkå 04:22
5. Stállo 06:03
6. Ripeluokte II 08:50
7. Nordafejd 05:41
8. På Fjället 04:22
Total playing time 45:00

Sounds:

Review:

Written by: PigfaceChristus [Metal Archives]

"Fälen Från Norr" isn’t really Lönndom's debut because Lönndom isn’t really a new band. Lönndom had its beginnings under the name LIK with the same general cross-genre style: hypnotic, folk-tinged, rock-ish black metal. By this description, whatever hold either band has on metal is tenuous, though LIK could be seen as the slightly more metallic brother of Lönndom. Naturally, this begs the question of whether or not Lönndom is better than its previous incarnation. Well, that’s debatable and, in some senses, an unnecessary question because both incarnations are incredible. The musicians had their own reasons to continue under a new name, and if they felt it necessary to do so then that’s fine. So long as the music doesn’t suffer for the transition, it doesn’t matter what they call themselves or what image they adopt.

As for "Fälen Från Norr," imagine if Fenriz’s project Isengard were given Wardruna’s mysticism and Drudkh-like expansive song structures, while keeping with trollish Scandinavian rock, and you might have an idea of Lönndom’s style. It’s certainly a unique blend of rock, folk, and metal, but the album doesn’t ignore the atmospheric depth that is needed to make a good album great. What we’re left with, then, is not something that can be pigeonholed to one genre, but is a hypnotic blend of the strongest qualities of each style involved: the atmosphere of folk, the power of black metal, and the simplicity of rock. By atmosphere of folk, I mean the shamanistic character of "Fälen Från Norr" that connects the album to a primal spiritual tradition. By power of black metal, I’m referring to Lönndom’s focused allegiance to an evil beneath the surface. And, lastly, by simplicity of rock I mean the band’s accessible style of composition that most easily produces trance-like effects.

If fog were put in music form, it would sound exactly like Lönndom’s guitars. The guitars are expansive but soft and fit perfectly with the vocalist’s Agalloch-like "ooo’s" and "aaa’s." Specifically, this is in reference to the opening of "Ripeluokte" where layered tremolo sets the stage for a magical experience, but the guitars do more than foam in the background. In keeping with the folk style, they take on very trollish melodies that lumber in and out of focus or go a more acoustic route, as in the climax of "Himlalågor." "Himlalågor" is a perfect example of the sort of directionality with which Lönndom compose their music. Its trollish beginnings eventually lead into an acoustic calming of the storm, where the vocalist speaks over intertwined melodies and rolling drums.

As is Lönndom’s general approach, the vocals and instrumentation have an understated quality to them. The vocals are deep and ambivalent. Even when they go into black metal territory, they only take the form of spoken rasps, which happens rarely regardless. Instead, they most often assume the trance-induced chanting of an ancient spiritual leader. To be sure, it’s in the nature of hypnotic music to dazzle the mind as well as the ear, and Lönndom capture this effect by keeping things simple. However, that doesn’t mean that the music remains one-dimensional. The beat of the drums is always simple, but it is trollish when it’s backing up the shamanistic chants of "Stállo" and "Nordafejd" and more expansive when the atmosphere calls for contemplation, as in the opening of "Ripeluokte."

All this talk of shamanism and folk might make a listener think that "Fälen Från Norr" abandons the evil of black metal for fairies and elves. In fact, "Fälen Från Norr" sounds incredibly evil because it does not play to overused gimmicks. The whole atmosphere is one of a lurking evil, which Lönndom are either trying to resurrect or to contain. It’s not exactly melancholic, but it certainly is contemplative, such that the album has transformative control over the imagery it creates. "Fälen Från Norr" isn’t music for rainy days or for cold winter nights or even for the coming of autumn. Despite its warm sound, this is a season-less release, though if you’re not already primed for this sort of atmosphere you might relegate the album to background music. In the end, however, Lönndom have channeled a different kind of evil, one more primal than the typical Satanic facade.

If there’s a weakness to "Fälen Från Norr" it’s that there are a few filler tracks. The album begins and ends with fireside chanting. While having thematic relevance, the tracks in question, "Vid Elden" and "På Fjället," aren’t exactly the most captivating of Lönndom’s compositions, if they could even be called compositions. Similarly, "Tjåkkå" amounts to the same thing as Burzum’s "The Crying Orc." It’s nothing but a guitar proceeding gloomily along a seemingly improvised path. All three tracks aren’t distracting or completely irrelevant, but they don’t seem necessary in the grand scheme. Lönndom’s style is already so laidback that a break between songs isn’t entirely needed, and the main tracks already contain so much chanting that the intro and the outro seem superfluous. In any case, it’s enough to keep the album from being perfect.

"Fälen Från Norr" is one of those albums whose business is entirely atmospheric. There’s a great risk in that approach of not being able to keep the listener’s attention or not being able to sustain longevity. "Fälen Från Norr" is saved, however, by its unique shamanistic character, and the album’s high quality of music doesn’t suffer from its spiritual enterprise. Even though it’s arguable whether or not Lönndom is just another form of LIK, "Fälen Från Norr" doesn’t need the legacy of LIK because it escapes trivialization by its own merits. It holds up perfeclty well on its own.

Links:

myspace.com/lonndom

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 17 October, 2010.

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