Jarnvidr - Landzplågor

JARNVIDR - Landzplågor (FALLEN TEMPLE - CD 2015)

It’s been a while since Fallen Temple released anything, but I think I can say that so far the majority of the releases from this small label / distro was really great... The seven inches from Necromantical Screams, Hin Hale and Eternal Rot are my favourites, but also Monstraat album was something I especially appreciated. At the same time I must say that Fallen Temple did not avoid mistakes, which in my opinion was the 10” split of Devil Lee Rot and Ajatus – truly a weak stuff, really. I am afraid though that also this new CD, of Swedish band called Jarnvidr, is another piece, which I am not so much fond of.

I know that “Swedish black metal” is one of those trademarks, which can be a good selling point and bring immediate attention, so I am not surprised that so many Swedish bands, even as mediocre as Jarnvidr, get their music released on CD and LP. But come one! There should be some decency and quality and in my opinion “Landzplågor” hardly delivers either of them. Each song follows the old, well known, recipes for obscure, cold and harsh black metal: simple, mostly fast riffing, lo-fi bunker production, croaky, raw vocals… Primitive black metal, so many times played and heard before. “Landzplågor” doesn’t really offer anything exceptional and I doubt it will bring a lot of attention and praise, unless the old Thule / Taake demos are your favourite recordings of all time. There’s some variation within the album (but I would definitely get rid of all those useless intros!), even some really not so bad fragments (like “Vapenoffer”), where Jarnvidr shows some potential, but the majority of this album is simply dull and uninspiring. As said already, you’ve heard it countless times before, many times in way better execution, but also some even worse stuff. Jarnvidr is somewhere in between… average harsh cold black metal. If you need another such album, then get “Landzplågor”, as there are only 333 copies, but if you’re more demanding listener then simply let it go and grab something more worthy. By the way, I laugh when I read that guy from this band says “I’m not into black metal of today, no good bands anywhere, good records” blabla… well, it surely fits well his band and his album, as it surely is no good at all. And I am so glad to know dozens of way more killer black metal bands of today than Jarnvidr.

Standout track: “Vapenoffer”

Final rate: 55/100