review: Firn - Frostwärts (German-language pagan metal from Thuringia)

This is a Horda Wolf (from Waldtraene and Odroerir) solo project. Given that I am unable to say anything intelligent about Waldtraene or Odroerir because I am not familiar with them, let’s just get to this album right here and see what’s up. This is German-language “pagan metal,” which means, basically, black metal with folk and epic components. Imagine a melodic, catchy form of black metal with memorable riffs, an abundance of melodies that are somber and easy to remember but not too sugary. The vocals are traditional black metal and also singing/chanting. This last element sometimes sounds like a choir and also a bit like monk chanting, or something similar. There are neosymphonic elements for a type of grandiose, melancholic sound. Some of the melodies may be reminiscent of classical music and also folk melodies in general. There is a (sampled?) sound of something like a flute (or keyboards) that adds a folk flavor to the songs. It is a soft and gentle sound embedded in the harsher overall sound. A few listens should be enough to get a sense of the lay of the land and of the quality of the songwriting.

A few words about this as a solo project. First, the production is below the elegance of the songwriting and the finesse of the music. This music, in my opinion, requires a clearer sound. For example, the drum (programming?) sound is a bit muffled and seems stiff, which is usually an indication of programming. Another matter that should be mentioned is the scratching sound of fingers sliding on the guitar strings. For this type of music, this scratching sound is too loud, enough to be distracting in some parts, distracting because the listener can hear the sound too much on too many parts of the songs. Both of these issues bring down the quality of the recording. Having said, the songwriting is so entertaining that it has not kept me from enjoying the album. This is one album that I have been listening to for weeks and weeks, and I am not tired of it in the least. However, I mention the problems above because readers should know that this is a solo project with some things that might bother some audiences. For my part, I have found the album to be exceedingly enjoyable with entertaining, stimulating and fun songs.

Frostwärts by FIRN

https://www.facebook.com/FirnPaganMetal