(Black Metal) Nidingr - Wolf-Father - 2010, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Norway’s Nidingr manage to do the unthinkable for me: they captivated me and entertained me with some fine black metal music that is some of the best I’ve heard in a while. While still retaining the black metal tag, the band has certainly branched out into a more black/death style that relies more of atmosphere and ambience in its black death as opposed to speedy guitars and guttural vocals throughout. This hybrid is exactly what the good Norwegian ordered.
Running through a thematic piece based on Norse mythology, Wolf Father takes us on a journey into the vast regions of cold, dismal memories of handed-down tales of lore and spiritual resonance. There are moments of slow, decisive introspection right alongside blasting beats of blackened superiority that sets Nidingr above the others in this category. What might be lost in translation to the more modern black metal “fanboy” is blatant and viable to the ardent fan of the genre. One listen to “Voluspo” or “Baldrs Draumar” lets you know that the music here is honest, attempting to put history to music alongside Burzum or Ulver (Garm makes an appearance on the album). “Hymiskvitha” is relentless and highly illuminating, creating a perfect visual of the wondrous Norwegian forests that make up the landscape of the country.
Most impressive to me about Wolf Father is Estrella Grasa’s vocals, which are unabashedly harsh and brutal, yet clear and discernable and resemble more of a gruff proclamation than a raspy shriek so overused in the genre. I could easily compare them to Primordial’s Naihmass Nemtheanga, though his are certainly cleaner. The rough delivery makes the songs that much more story-like in that they scream out historical prowess rather than offer it with a whimper and solemnity.
In comparison to 2005’s Sorrow Infinite and Darkness this album packs a more concise punch in stronger song structure, and that says something considering that the former was a damn fine effort in its own right. “Reginsmol” alone could easily blacken your eyes and leave much damage behind; it’s a Norse call to arms by marrying convincing bellowing over prideful music to create the perfect anthem for a mythological memorial. The shame is that the album is not even 25-minutes in length, but I suppose if you can say everything in the allotted time effectively, who am I to ask why? I will say that Wolf Father can reawaken the gods with its powerful and pure kick to the sternum.

Blargh Guitars, Bass
Cpt. Estrella Grasa Vocals
Hellhammer Drums
Teloch Guitars, Bass