Here we have the presentation of two demos from IRMINSUL, coming from Gothenburg of Sweden. The first three songs are from the Vinterskalder demo that was released in 2006 and the others from the Urberg demo that was released this year. The band started in October 2005 and now has signed a contract via Der Germanske Folket for three albums. Except all these we also have two presentations in the following compilations: Might Is Right - Nordic Warchants (with the song Haxhammaren) and Metal Message IV (with Vinterskald).
The music is a combination of classical guitars, growling vocals, violins, female chanting, and melodic male like singing ancient hymn, close to bands like KORPIKLAANI, FINNTROLL and other similar things.
The first song Svikaren is by far the best song of all six because of the nice vocal harmony it has. Vakaren and Vinterskald do their best to proclaim a Viking atmosphere to the listener but I guess the whole attempt is a failure, mainly for the growing Black Metal vocals. These vocals do not fit at all with the whole music, and if you stuck them with the whole violins and all these melodic parts the result is silly. In the second demo the use of violin may remind you something of SKYCLAD but again the vocals are ultimate doom.
In the ancient Saxon mythology 'irminsul' was the connecting pillar between the earth and the heavens. In this situation I'm afraid we have a connection between a festival of bards singing with violins and pretty girls dancing and whispering ancient sagas and a drunk Black metaller that has found a time traveling machine making headbanging and screaming. This image - at least in my eyes - is somehow tragic.
You can hear these demos in the site of the band, download them too, and have your own conclusions. For the fans of the bands I mentioned before I think Svikaren would be a nice song.