For most of the world, Christmas time has a happy, warm and jolly vibe. However, things can get quite dark in Scandinavia, as Christmas has a bit of a dark past. Most of the world has forgotten about it, but up in the northern countries of Europe, the dark side of Christmas is very much imprinted in local folklore.
During the holidays, Trollfest set out to channel this spirit, and worked to create a brand new project named “Norwegian Fairytales,” which will officially see the light of day on January 18th, 2019.
Ever since the band got their start in 2004, they’ve definitely stayed busy, releasing eight full-length albums, as well as performing many well-received shows.
The band set out to kickstart the new year with a massive bang. The album features songs that have a stark cinematic power, like the hymns and chants of yesteryear. Each track focuses on a different legend or myth, straight out of the ancestral storytelling traditions of the country of Norway. The folkloristic nature of the band blends in with ferocious metal influences.
Trollfest’s music is fierce and powerful. The band’s sound often features instruments that are quite unusual for the genre, such as saxophone and accordion. More importantly, the band adopted a very distinctive trademark. They use Trollspråk, to sing most of their lyrics. This language is the evil sound of Trolls speaking, which is a really intricate mixture of Norwegian, and German.
Throughout the span of 11 studio tracks, “Norwegian Fairytales” comes off as a very diverse album. The songs are very well-performed and remarkably produced album. A must for any fan of folk-metal with a very uncharacteristic twist.
In addition to the band’s excellent music, it’s hard not to mention the incredibly appealing and detailed artwork. The images that accompany this release are aligned with the themes and concepts of the storytelling found on these tunes. As with some of the band’s previous work, the visuals were actually created by Jonas Darnell, with Terje Johnsen’s design contribution.
It’s really cool to see the band staying true to their aesthetics! Unlike many other folk-metal bands, Trollfest doesn’t have a menacing presence. On the other hand, the group has a fun and creative outlook on their music and presentation, making for an engaging approach.
Norwegian Fairytales is a great start to the new year for Folk Metal. It’s definitely one to pick up.