Wednesday 11 November 2009

How Svartsot Defy Folk/Viking Metal Conventions

Svartsot have a lot of competition in getting recognised among the folk metal explosion they were spawned during.


Folk metal frenzy still grips Europe firmly with Napalm Records ostensibly churning out a new folk metal band each month, mostly useless fodder. However, whilst on Napalm Records, Svartsot (Old Danish for 'black sickness', an illness that causes skin to turn black - a significant killer in medieval Scandinavia [1]) are a Danish folk/Viking metal band that seek to be considered more than just another folk metal band. Formed in 2005 from the ashes of a short-lived folk/black metal band named Skoll, the group are essentially the standard metal five-piece embellished with flutes, mandolins and a couple other folk instruments. In 2007, they released their debut and only full-length album Ravenes Saga.

Impeccably produced, the album opens with 'Gravøllet' which commences with a formidable drum pattern that becomes sustained by a bass - already dictating a strong rhythmic section. The guitars are
essentially an interesting cross between melodic death and Viking metal. Melodic death metal ties in surprisingly well with folk metal as evidenced by Hollenthon and to a less impressive extent Eluveitie, but even these folk/melodic death bands do not fuse the sounds of these genres together in riffs. Svartsot have managed it successfully, even blending in the typical Viking metal punch into their guitar melodies. What is highly noticeable about Ravenes Saga compared to most Viking metal releases is the absence of black metal, cleverly substituted by melodic death metal.

Amon Amarth are a melodic death metal band whose lyrical themes handle Norse mythology and Vikings but musically they are not Viking metal. They can be compared to Svartsot by their growled vocals. Viking metal usually exclusively employs higher-pitched black metal rasps when growls are in order but Svartsot predominantly opt for the Amon Amarth-style standard death metal vocalisations. Interestingly enough, these sound less human and more 'troll-like' than the black metal rasps. Direct comparison can be made on songs such as 'Tvende Ravne' where black metal growls are utilised alongside the death metal vocals. The vocals have been deliberately arranged to emphasise the edges of the folk melodies most effectively so in many instances the vocals have the same rhythms as the melodies such as on 'Bersærkergang', as opposed to just filling in the mandatory position of 'vocals'. If someone wanted to sing these vocals cleanly, the melody of the vocal line would follow the folk moments exactly; they correspond that flawlessly.

Svartsot are a musically 'serious' band but Ravenes Saga handles conventional bouncy folk metal rhythms that one could imagine encourages jigs to break out in the audience in a live environment, frequently associated with Korpiklaani or Finntroll. 'Jotunheimsfærden' takes these folk metal rhythms and juxtaposes them with 'serious' Viking metal passages. The result is somewhat akin to Moonsorrow meets Månegarm, without the black metal sentiments of course.


It is not just black metal missing on this album that many other Viking metal bands feel comfortable with; the lack of keyboards should be noted. This is always interesting idea for Viking metal bands because keyboard deduction can forces these bands to be more creative and can drastically alter the mood of the music, for example, in the case of Kampfar it allows the music to adopt a more aggressive visage which compliments the black metal accents. Keyboards feature in many folk/Viking metal bands because it makes it significantly simpler to contribute an extra dimension to the music with symphonic metal keyboard chords. Nonetheless, Svartsot achieve this with their array of folk instruments to create some atmospheric and adventurous attributes in their music. The keyboard would only serve as a distraction from other instruments.

Possibly the most 'epic' song on this debut is the near-instrumental 'Hedens Døtre' which unfurls along at a slower tempo, much like a less ambitious version of Enslaved's 'Norvegr'. The song is picturesque and highly memorable. It clocks in at just over four minutes but Svartsot could have easily stretched it out like the aforementioned Enslaved instrumental, or countless Moonsorrow tracks but they have decided to go for concision. The song's smooth soundscapes strongly contrasts to the more abrasive moments on the album, particularly with a deficiency in growls. 'Hedens Døtre' also particularly highlights how the band have not taken the guitars for granted on this release, unlike many other folk metal bands who let the unusual instruments steal all attention away from the guitars which are left to play dull, heavy chords that add nothing to the music.

During the verses, it is a delight to hear the guitars literally interacting with the folk instruments rather than being forsaken in the background, just present to let the band qualify as metal. The stance of melodic death metal truly boots the appeal of guitars on this album. Of course, there are times when the band play pure Viking metal riffs, as can be heard on 'Skovens Kælling' and 'Skønne Møer' but the melodic death metal-infused passages are the most memorable and well-written.

How Svartsot wish to follow up Ravenes Saga is unclear but one can assume their sophomore album will sound rather different to their debut due to the fact that in December 2008, most of the band members left with the exception of lead guitarist Cris J.S. Frederiksen and Hans-Jørgen Martinus Hansen who only joined as a full-time member shortly after the exodus. They left "because of different opinions on how to run a band and how the music should sound." [2] This division of opinion is testament to how much the Danes can progress their sound and the answer should arrive late Winter/early Spring 2010.

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[1] Lord of Metal interview, 2007 - the band's name is discussed.
[2] Svartsot.dk, 17/12/2008