THYRFING -

THYRFING - FARSOTSTIDER - REGAIN/CANDLELIGHT  
Thyrfing is back with another album, which like its predecessor has the band consciously minimize the synthesizers in favour of more ambience, melancholy, darkness and intensity. The Motörhead-like beginning riff might be a deliberate indicator of just that. There is still one too many moments of mechanical music, symphonic squander and folksy fanfare on the Swedish-penned Farsotstider, but those are wrapped with the context of a band writing songs with a purpose. This in contrast to most bands of the sub-genre, which simply follow a trend or stuff the cavities of the songs with keyboard after wave of keyboard. At times this sounds like Amorphis prancing around 1,000 lakes, at others it is Pink Floyd on steroids (the tail-end of the album) while during other moments an industrial vibe prevails. The very mechanical drums and detached vocals are most responsible for the latter. Having said that, Thyrfing can be passive-aggressive, deliberate, mystical or downright colossal. No matter what, Farsotstider is a journey and one undertaken this time entirely with Swedish lyrics. One only wishes that the sojourn would circumvent folksier tracks like Host. - Ali “The Metallian”