ALBUM REVIEW: Norna – Norna

NORNA first burst on the scene in 2022 with the release of their oddly titled yet punishing debut Star Is Way Way Is Eye. Having formed in 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic, the project was an outlet for Swedish post-hardcore pioneer Tomas Liljedahl (BREECH, THE OLD WIND) and Swiss instrumentalists Christophe Macquat and Marc Theurillat (both of ØLTEN) to explore the realms of doom and post-metal and create something horrific. Constructed remotely with the use of file sharing with CULT OF LUNA’s Magnus Lindberg taking on production duties, it was a solid debut which achieved their original brief and then some.

A couple of years later, the trio are no longer restrained by travel and social distancing restrictions and have been able to delve deeper into the realms of possibility presented by the confines of slow tempos, repetition, harsh vocals and speaker destroying levels of distortion. The result is this stunning self-titled sophomore album, released on Pelagic Records, a label now synonymous not only with bands in that post-genre field, but with albums of extremely high quality. Once again recorded remotely with Lindberg at the helm and very much picking up where Star Is Way… left off, the band have clearly benefited from an extensive touring schedule during the writing process. There’s more chemistry, a renewed sense of vigour and a clarity of vision to these six songs that was only hinted at on its predecessor.

Samsara kicks things off in terrifying fashion, being built around a tumbling, looped riff that feels like many deaths repeating for eternity, which is apt given that the title is based on the Buddhist concept of the karmic cycle of rebirth, life and death. The punishment relents for a brief, haunting interlude filled with dissonant arpeggios before continuing until the song’s eventual conclusion. For Fear Of Coming begins with a barrage of one note hammer blows before a swirling, haunting melody underpins the savagery. It’s an exercise in building a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere with minimal notes played with maximum aggression. Again, it breaks down into a moody midsection, this time using eerie sound design and some spoken word samples to build the tension, before the hammer blows continue. 

Liljedahl’s fry screams across the album sound unhinged, his lyrics exploring themes of duplicity, morality and the darker side of humanity. The guitars are what give real heft to Norna though. Not only is there a vitality and aggression to the performance, but the tone is devastating. Each layer is drenched in crunchy fuzz, not a rounded, warm fuzz from the likes of a Fuzz Face or Big Muff, but the kind of pedal that’s made by some guy in his basement, with a name like ‘The Satanic Planet Devastator’ and a painting of some skulls on the casing.  

The crushing lead single Ghost is propelled forward by a churning doom riff, which once again gives way to a haunting midsection. There’s certainly a formula at play to the songwriting, however NORNA manage to keep things fresh by introducing new ideas on each repetition, be it through some inventive drum work or by dropping to almost clean guitars before stomping back on the distortion. Shine By Its Own Light dials back the aggression but ramps up the tension levels, with creepy backwards vocal samples and cinematic sound design underpinning a restrained diminished riff. A simple yet unnerving lead melody sees them exploring their post-metal influences, leaning more towards BOSSK and CULT OF LUNA than the likes of CONAN and YOB as they do elsewhere. 

This exploration continues on Shadow Works, which is built around a three-note motif that develops into a metallic onslaught of chromatic stabs, before close The Sleep sees them return to the realms of punishing doom onslaught. By this point in the album perhaps Liljedahl’s one-note vocal delivery does start to get a little grating, and perhaps a guttural growl or piercing scream here and there would have been well-received, as could a well-placed shift in pace rhythmically, but that’s only if we’re getting pernickety.

Otherwise Norna is an extremely well accomplished album that’s sure to be lapped up by doom and post-metal fans alike, and will no doubt see them laying waste to festivals across the continent next summer. 

Rating: 9/10

Norna is out now via Pelagic Records.

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