Leidungr - De Nio Kraftsångerna (2013)

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At first sight, Industrial music is a genre one would expect to be far removed from the matters of Nature, paganism and ancestry. Yet it is indeed what the sound of Leidungr is usually filed under. In this regard, credit must be given to band members Henry Möller, Michayah Belfagor and Peter Ståhl for standing out among the more traditional Nordic Folk scene. The little-known trio hailing from Sweden features members of various Martial Industrial and Black Metal acts, although it is mostly the influence of the former that can be heard throughout this album. The artwork by Freki Wodenswolf sets the tone with traditional knit patterns, oak leaves, two subtle triskelions and a rustic sword. For it is indeed the might and strength of the individual warrior, the likes of whom can only be found in the Icelandic sagas, that are put forth and revered here. Leidungr describe their music as Nordic Ritual Folk and so De Nio Kraftsångerna, which translates to The Nine Songs of Power, is intended to evoke and pay respects to the heroic deeds of our forefathers. The music is eclectic, employing a wide array of samples as well as more traditional instruments and spoken word to achieve its dense and ritualistic atmosphere. To that end, repetition is often used, as is discordance, lending the music a certain sense of impeding doom which is intensified by the presence of languishing choirs and various string-like pads. One can clearly hear the hovering influence of classical music on some of the tracks, like an image of a glorious past forever gone. Marching relentlessly in the aforementioned Martial Industrial style are the percussions, which are mostly akin to kettle drums and add much tension and resoluteness to the music.

Ultimately, De Nio Kraftsångerna is a strong debut album that veers away from typical Nordic Folk in style but proves all the more relevant in substance.