EP REVIEW: Dönsum i Logans Ljóma – Forsmán

Formed amongst the volcanic splendour of their haunting and beautiful homeland of Iceland, newcomers FORSMÁN are the latest members of a somewhat isolated but entirely unique scene. Following in the footsteps of igneous trailblazers such as MISÞYRMING and SVARTIDAUÐI, their debut EP: Dönsum i Logans Ljóma has arrived. With expectant glances and raised eyebrows already fixed upon them, will they be able to carry the torch even further for Icelandic black metal or could this be an uncharacteristic falter?

The EP begins with Falsgod, a deeply cold and jarring introduction which builds thick atmosphere before melting away into tense and discordant riffing reminiscent of DEATHSPELL OMEGA. It is immediately clear that the production is not overdone by any stretch of the imagination, It is clear and no details are lost yet there is a fierce rawness to it that feels undeniably old-school, perhaps even comparable to what some old stalwarts often refer to with misty eyes as the “Necro Sound”.

This is a theme explored into the next track, Milli Eilífdar Og Einskis, which is arguably the EP’s strongest moment. Discordant and savage, giant angular chips of furious melody regularly jut through the track’s blackened chassis, which is in itself full of varied and exciting riff work. It is filled with tiny details and fills that whistle past the listener at breakneck speed and are very easily missed. This is not intended as a criticism however, as it means that on repeated listens new layers reveal themselves, adding depth and rich textures to an already well-structured work.

Third track Vonarglaeta is the EP’s emotional head. There is a kind of hanging mood of sorrow that haunts the song, despite it being near buried in convulsing blast beats and icy riffing. This is a theme that builds towards the very end, peeling away layers of frost-burned metal until the emotional heart of the track is laid bare and can no longer be ignored. It showcases a great deal of emotional maturity for these newcomers, coupled with a skilled hand at balancing this against the cold fury of it’s frame without losing the effect of either. This is something of a rare feat which can often go unlearned and/or untested by other bands for entire careers, but in this case has been utilised extremely effectively.

Bringing up the rear is Hamfarir, which begins with some of the more barbaric and forceful riffs on the EP, before throwing out some of the most tight and well-written passages on display across the full runtime. It almost works as a condensing of the previous tracks, coalescing the moments you have known and loved so far into an easily digestible format. FORSMÁN wrap huge reams of barbed-wire riffing around an insurmountable emotional core, while ensuring it remains drenched in atmosphere as dense and unwelcoming as ash clouds from the volcanoes of their homeland.

Dönsum i Logans Ljóma is a promising start for the intrepid Icelanders. In terms of intent and construction it would be difficult to pick fault, however the critically minded would point out that while there is some excellent work done here, the EP is only four tracks long and clocks in at a paltry 25 minutes. It feels as though it ends just before hitting its stride and when the scope of the music is so vast, it really feels like it would benefit from a longer runtime. Perhaps FORSMÁN would have been better served sitting on this release until there had been enough material to pad out an album, as in its current state Dönsum i Logans Ljóma makes hungry where most it satisfies. The side effect of this however, is that fans of discordant and atmospheric black metal, or the Icelandic scene in general, should wait with baited breath for FORSMÁN’s first full length, as it’s likely to be an absolute stormer.

Rating: 7/10

Dönsum i Logans Ljóma is out now via Ván Records.

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