Troll
Drott
From their EPK, "There is an ancient force. A neglected force. A force that has been linked to all that is inexplicable. It remains with the young and the old who tell each other tales of the unnatural. Some say this force comes from the North. Mountains and fjords are named after it. One word to encapsulate the mystery around us, a concept from old mythology that has been oppressed by the might of the church. DROTT are guests as they stand on the threshold of this realm and explore the Scandinavian myths through experimental soundscapes." The album has 13 songs.
"Troldhaug" is the first. It's a strange sound. A lot of ambiance opens the song, followed by the "Devil's Fifth" riff made famous by BLACK SABBATH's eponymous song. Harrowing elements carry the song. "Allting" features more heavy accents in the same key, with some backing keyboards. Again, it's a frightening song, and the heavy riff accents augment it. "Våkenatt" is even darker, marked by a dissonant riff accents and some vocals that bubble in the background, unintelligibly. Some of the music has a cold, Industrial tinge to it so far, but some eerie bits of melody also join the stew. "Til Stein" has a fat and scary riff that opens the song, along with some vocals brewing quietly. The main focus of the song is that harrowing sound, but some Progressive elements are also present.
"Solskodde" has a lot of ambiance, which the band lets ride through. It shows a more tender side of the band, but the song still has tense elements lurking. "Troll" by contrast is almost jovial in its cadence. It sounds like a proper German drinking song to me. Much darker tones come out towards the end, with a crushingly heavy riff. "Nattas Blot" has some more frightening tones from the main riff pattern, in a seven note pattern that repeats in a couple different keys. The riff gets heavier with the addition of distortion. "Sabbat" has a little more wide open sonority, still with very harrowing elements. To me, the album sounds like a soundtrack to a horror movie so far. It builds to a heavy crescendo with female vocals wailing.
"Fornjots Born" has a casual jaunt to go along with disturbing background ambiance. It slowly builds, with ominous spoken words. It then retreats, with cello notes in tow. "Grotten" is a very short song with clean guitars that echo with a certain measure of sadness. "Natt" closes the album. Tense but charming cello notes whisper on a breeze. Overall, this was a unique album that had 13 songs without much in the way of vocals. In these cases, you have to let the music seep in, and feel it, because vocals are an all too easy way to connect with music. Much of the album was marked with dark tones, and storm clouds, but there were moments of light. It made me feel connected to the more sinister side of myself, nearly daring to do things that go against my moral code.
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Troll" Track-listing:
1. Troldhaug
2. Allting
3. Våkenatt
4. Til Stein
5. Det Ser
6. Solskodde
7. Mara
8. Troll
9. Nattas Blot
10. Sabbat
11. Fornjots Born
12. Grotten
13. Natt
Drott Lineup:
Arve Isdal
Ivar Thormodsæter
Matias Monsen
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