Kampfar - Mare
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When Norwegian band Kampfar came out with their third full-length, Kvass, in 2006, it was after a nearly 7-year absence. The Norwegian word “Kvass” means “sharp” in English (as opposed to the Eastern European translation for the word, which means “a strong fermented beverage”), and “sharp” just might be the best title they could have given it. The years that followed Kampfar’s previous album, Fra Underverdenen, were beset by unspecified personal problems that the band had to work through in order to be a strong unit again. Kvass was (and is) one of my favorite black metal albums, but 2008’s Heimgang left me feeling rather unsatisfied. It wasn’t really because anything drastic changed in the sound, but more because it felt less focused, less cohesive. I liked songs off of it, but rarely listened to the whole album, unlike Kvass, which I usually listen to whole. As such, my feelings were mixed when I heard Mare was coming, but I pre-ordered it anyway.
The shift in production priorities is immediately apparent- play “Ravenheart” and then “Ildstemmer” and you’ll see what I mean. It may not be super-polished, but it is much more compressed, with a warmer, fuzzier guitar tone and much thicker drum presence (I probably shouldn’t be surprised, given it was Peter Tägtgren who produced the album). In some cases, this change is nice, as it lends weight to the more aggressive sections, but it can also be distracting and unnecessary.
Production aside, Mare sadly resembles Heimgang more than Kvass: well thought-out but ultimately rather hollow. It’s a pleasant bit of pagan black metal, but it doesn’t have the audible passion that made their earlier work more remarkable. It’s not a good sign that even as I listen to the album for the 15th time to write this review, I still find it quite forgettable.
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HEAR KAMPFAR
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY5YdwQ5GoQ
Kampfar – “Blitzwitch”
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Kampfar – “Baldogg”
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BUY MARE
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