Metal has always truly embraced the adventurous into its ranks; from its captivating and well versed origins where it proved like nothing else of its time to the hundreds of varying offshoots it presents to this very day, it is abundantly clear that metal is as much a way of life and thinking as it is simply a style of music. As a result there are many cases where on the surface, artists may not ultimately share obvious musical character traits to be considered ‘metal’, but through aesthetic or approach still fit under the umbrella. Much like artists such as Wardruna, Norwegian duo Byrdi delve into colourful Scandinavian folk music which is both rooted in tradition but also offers tone that will suit an extreme metal fan’s collection.

On their second album Ansur: Urkraft (Trollmusic), the pairing of Nash Rothanburg and Andreas Paulsen offer a wide palette of sentiments through a spellbinding journey of Norwegian heritage and history; and its arrangements are striking too, matching its lore. Complex and textured arrangements provide backdrop to vocals which range from sumptuous leads to eerie chant like passages and layered harmonies. Far from a simplistic journey, Ansur: Urkraft veers through emotions; from the woodland serenity of ‘Tid’ through to the ominous atmosphere of ‘Ren’, this truly conveys a multi-sided view of a style which is often mistaken for being purely and continually joyous.

With a rich sonic platter on show, Byrdi have delivered a hugely engaging album which conveys beauty and images of forests and campfires whilst also highlighting a darker, sinister side; much like the Norse Mythology and roots that it takes its inspiration from. Rich in atmosphere, hugely nuanced and utterly mesmeric, Ansur:Urkraft will resonate with much of the metal community on its artistic merits alone.

7.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL