ALBUM REVIEW: Ynglingaättens Öde – Månegarm
Have you ever woken up in a tent somewhere in Europe, with your tongue replaced by a piece of carpet, a bowling ball rattling around inside your skull and no memory of the night before? Chances are, it was MÅNEGARM’s fault. The Swedes have a sound that marries traditional folk music with pagan black metal but could just as easily be described as “drunk in an Austrian field at 2am.” They’re the type of band you discover by accident once the main stage headliners have finished and end up jigging to with several shirtless men in kilts.
That said, this is not one-dimensional party music. Ynglingaättens Öde is a beer-raising knees-up, but it’s also darker than the average KORPIKLAANI album and far more expansive too. Folk-metal can’t help but be energetic and entertaining, but there’s a depth to MÅNEGARM beyond copious alcohol consumption. They spin epic tales of Norse warriors, ancient Kings and Scandinavian blood feuds, all set to an elaborate musical backdrop that features not a single English lyric. This may be off-putting to all but the most committed folk-metal diehards but make no mistake, this is a hugely enjoyable collection of songs.
They start things off with a wicked hat-trick. Opener Freyr’s Blod is a grand old epic with a ten-minute runtime. It’s an ambitious introduction that wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack to The Last Kingdom, mixing violins, acoustic guitars and soaring vocals into one big, extravagant blackened anthem. It’s followed by two shorter but no less engaging songs; Ulvhjärtat and Adils Fall. Both are fast-paced, sky-punching rabble-rousers and they’re likely to be live favourites once the band get back to touring again.
En Snaara Av Guld though is when the full extent of MÅNEGARM’s ambition comes to light. This one is a slower, more atmospheric number with a grandiose, cinematic vibe. Close your eyes while listening to it and you’ll see snow-capped mountains, ancient forests and ravens flying in slow motion. Hell, if they turned the guitars off, this could easily pass for a song that’s over a thousand years old.
Throw in the jaunty Stridsgalten, the razor-edged Auns Söner and the majestic medievalism of Hågkomst Av Ett Liv and you’ve got one hell of an involving folk-metal album. MÅNEGARM should be very proud of Ynglingaättens Öde, it’s clearly had a lot of effort put into it and they’ve done a remarkable job.
And while it may sound dense and inaccessible on paper, it’s also loads of fun. There are multiple layers to uncover here, but even on the first listen, the melodies are infectious and the faster bits are whiplash-inducing. There are going to be a lot of Viking re-enactment societies and wasted festival-goers who’ll vibe with this, even if they don’t remember the band’s name when the sun rises.
Rating: 8/10
Ynglingaättens Öde is set for release on April 15th via Napalm Records.
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