Skaldr – Samsr

vote
7.5

• Band:
  Skaldr
• Duration: 00:42:52
• Available from: 31/01/2025
• Label:

• Avantgarde Music

Americans, around 2017, the Skaldr land on Avantgarde with this “Samsr” after a practically self -produced debut that has not left great tracks; According to the information provided, in fact, the three musicians involved have been part of the ASAGRAUM live formation in the past and therefore we are not faced with absolute debutants. What can I say, we are really happy that their most personal dimension is emerging, since “Samsr” is really a nice surprise.
Let's deepen the speech, however: with the skaldr it is not possible to use words like 'breath of fresh air', given that our own resume a very specific style, coded in the mid -nineties (and subsequent) by bands such as Dawn, the first dark tranquility or Parts of Dissection and Necrophobic.
Of all those mentioned, the first name is the most cumbersome, if we want, given that the skaldr perfectly follow the rather complex songwriting of the Swedes, always full of solemnity and emotion.
It is a not very rapid melodic black metal that of ours, which instead achieves the best results when accompanying the listener with its sound progressions interspersed with the classic acoustic guitar passages. “Samsr” is a record that brings back with the mind, a lot of seven songs for an overall duration of just over forty -two minutes of authentic melodic black metal.
Of all the individual tests of the musicians, we appreciated above all the subtleties in the battery parts that increase the dynamism of the compositions, the acoustic guitars that find space at various times but are absolute protagonists in “Liminal” and adequate, crystalline but not production Exaggeratedly pumped by the 'usual known' Dan Swanö and his uni -unisound studios.
Equally beautiful is “The Crossing”, a song that refreshes the best necophobic thanks to its refrain that can be easily memorized and finally interesting also those (few) situations in which clean rumors are used that really perfume of Scandinavia.
“Samsr” is a truly remarkable album in its clear adhesion to a musical model capable of having created a large fanbase over time. We strongly doubt that the skaldr want to obtain, in their path, more than what they are already expressing with “Samsr”: in front of completely derivative and almost celebratory works like these, in our opinion the important thing is to verify the emotional impact of music and little other.
“Samsr” from this point of view works really well because the songs are well written, well arranged and well produced. It is a record that excites and that is appreciated for clear compositional qualities; On the other hand, when you realize that you have listened to a album many times and not to be tired of doing it, the goal of the authors is really centered.
Therefore, if you do not look for avant -garde but a well -made and heartfelt re -proposal of a style, there is a lot here. Really a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wjkuitb3po