ALBUM REVIEW: Ýdalir – Skálmöld
Between 2010 and 2018, Icelandic folk metallers SKÁLMÖLD were releasing material you could legitimately set your watch to; if the year ended in an even number, you knew there was a new record from the sextet appearing at some point over that 12 months. Of course, life and global issues have been more prominent and so, after bringing out five albums in eight years, they’ve kept fans waiting half a decade for their sixth. Entitled Ýdalir – which is a place in Norse mythology where the god Ullr resides – it’s out now via Napalm Records.
When one thinks of folk metal, the mind generally goes towards something quite grandiose and layered – think the violins of bands like TURISAS or the multi-instrumented force of ELUVEITIE. When it comes to SKÁLMÖLD, the more classic elements of the genre are present, but they take a back seat to more modern instrumentation and, indeed, the realms of death and thrash metal. The genteel, acoustic opening of Ýr, therefore, is something of a false pretence, especially as the title track succeeds it with chugging guitars, a combination of low and high screamed vocals and the wail of trad-metal licks in the middle, all of which marry together well. Urður leans into this as well, the guitars from Baldur Ragnarsson and Þráinn Árni Baldvinsson working well with Jón Geir Jóhannsson‘s drumming and blast beats. Quite ironically, the following song – Ratatoskur – doesn’t quite hit the same spot despite its jovial, more folk-like quality to the music.
As the album continues, the more progressive elements within SKÁLMÖLD‘s repertoire begin to take a more prominent position. Take Verðandi, which goes from melodic, almost power metal guitars into a stomping rhythm and then a quiet, softer section comprising just bass and keyboards that builds back into the structure that came before it. Then there’s Níðhöggur, which features Þráinn‘s father Baldvin Kristinn Baldvinsson on additional vocals and plenty of grandiose singing over tribal drums and what is now becoming the familiar chug of those guitars. The closing track Ullur, however, is where this prog leaning takes on more than just an aside; nearly 11 minutes in length, it’s officially the band’s longest song to date and, without question, the best track on the album. More deliberate in pace, it features choral vocals, a more expansive feel thanks to the keyboards underpinning the guitars, and contains a wonderful, fully clean and poetic singing middle with palm-muting and a crackling fire effect; it’s the closest SKÁLMÖLD have really got to being ‘folk metal’ and, unlike Ratatoskur, this time it works completely.
After their longest ever stretch between albums, it’s good to have SKÁLMÖLD back creating. Ýdalir is an exceptionally solid collection of tracks that bounce between various points in the metal spectrum, but always retain the mysticism that the band have harboured throughout their career. Whether or not they’ve released their best album to date is down to individual taste, but it’s at a high standard regardless.
Rating; 7/10
Ýdalir is out now via Napalm Records.
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