  
Napalm/Sound Pollution
”From the far north of Iceland, the Viking horde SKÁLMÖLD springs to life with a blistering album”. Thus begins the info sheet, but is it blistering as in swell or, as Captain Haddock put it, “Blistering barnacles!”? The concept circles around the dramatic events of the Icelandic Viking Baldur. A demon-like creature destroys his family and sets him on the trail of revenge together with his two remaining cronies. The final victory comes with a prize…
Let´s just say that this is better than TYR, so, that settles another presumed Icelandic fight. I quite like the “BATHORY-light” that SKÁLMÖLD produces, and the husky voice of the real life Baldurs of the band, one of them is really called Baldur, suits the music like a glove. I´d even go as far as to say that they perform some sort of Icelandic, fur-clad THE DOORS variety in “För”. The melodies, the various vocal parts, and the thick atmosphere are a must in these matters. The occasional more straightforward track, like “Hefnd”, is a welcome change, preventing them from being overly theatrical. But the major feature lies in the fabulous “Kvathning”. The use of an…oboe I believe, the archetypal harsh Viking feel and the atmosphere of a sedated interlude with calmer pace, all goes to prove there is still life in the genre. I bet SKÁLMÖLD agrees since my favorite song receives an edit treatment, of equal greatness, at the end. Long live the Icelandic force!
Track List
Heima
Árás
Sorg
Upprisa
För
Draumur
Kvadning
Hefnd
Daudi
Valhöll
Baldur
Kvadning (Edit)
www.napalmrecords.com www.myspace.com/skalmold
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