Hardingrock

[Eindride]

A little recomendation.

Bought Ihsahns new record a couple of weeks ago, the folk-project Hardingrock and the album "Grimen", and i can only say: a fantastic piece of music.

Ihsahn has truly managed to come up with som very original and magic interpretations of norwegian folkmusic. I'm spellbound by this one. It has grown on me since day one and it still grows. The whole approach and also the detailed arrangement makes me discover new things every time i put it on. It's a very visual one. Relaxing at times. But fear not - there are som fierce metal in there to. Some of the guitarwork is magnificient.

And fear not, this is not "folk" in terms of "bear drinking dancing viking music", it has a much more deeper artistic vision then that. All the lyrics and narrations are in norwegian, but i still think that this piece might appeal to alot of people on this board.

Thank you Ihsahn for this one!

 

[KRaEzTaIuRmED]

I have it with a few months now and to be honest I didn't really like it that much. I felt like it didn't really know what it wanted to be, and was sorta all over the place at times. Though in saying that, there are a few brilliant tracks!

I was really looking foward to listening to it, so I guess I was kinda disapointed when I finally got to listen to it.

 

[Doomtroll]

Loved it when I bought it, listened to it non-stop for a good week or two, but in the end I just got bored, it's not a record I find really lasts.

 

[masaccia]

Love it! I could say... more than Peccatum, less than Ihsahn by himself. Knut skills on violins are wonderful, plus the compositions happen to be something quite original (or, at least, far from what I've heard before)... and of course, that -let's call it- extreme touch... so we get a wonderul mixture.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

I don't like it all that much. I mean, it's alright. Granted, I much prefer flutes to fiddles. Ihsahn's harsh vocals have just become horrible though. At this point I'd rather he just get someone else to do harsh vocals on his next album.

 

[FUBAR]

Great album, I love the cool mystical ambient parts.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

its a short album and Ihsahn needs to do more vocals on it, but its a solid little piece of art for what it is indeed.

 

[Thonolan]

Good stuff, as usual when you have Ihsahn on it. I'm not a big fan of folk metal but this album is an exception.

 

[Eindride]

I'm not a big fan of folk metal but this album is an exception.

thats my position also.

 

[KRaEzTaIuRmED]

Is that because Ihsahn is on it?

 

[Eindride]

Is that because Ihsahn is on it?

Hardly. I've never been a big fan of either Emperor or Ihsahns solowork. Had you asked me some years ago i would have called Emperor overrated, but lately some of their work has come to appeal to me. But Hardingrock is actually Ihsahns first output that i really liked from first listening. Why? Only because i think its well-done, it's as simple as that. I think he has managed to create those moods and atmosperics that at I least strongly associate with both the norwegian and my own swedish folkloristic landscape. I feel a strong identification with the music on there. "Grimen" contains som really great, spiritually up-lifting passages. One of my favourites is, by the way, the short piece "Margit Hjukse".

I don't know what Ihsahns influences more specifically has been on this one, but i wonder if he ever has listened to Nordisk natursymfoni 1: Strömkarlen (a really important record to me during my teens) by the swedish composer Ralph Lundsten (he did many nordic nature symphonies but the two first is the ones i hold highest in regard). I think there are some similarities in the use of actual nature sounds.

 

[KRaEzTaIuRmED]

Hardly. I've never been a big fan of either Emperor or Ihsahns solowork. Had you asked me some years ago i would have called Emperor overrated, but lately some of their work has come to appeal to me. But Hardingrock is actually Ihsahns first output that i really liked from first listening. Why? Only because i think its well-done, it's as simple as that. I think he has managed to create those moods and atmosperics that at I least strongly associate with both the norwegian and my own swedish folkloristic landscape. I feel a strong identification with the music on there. "Grimen" contains som really great, spiritually up-lifting passages. One of my favourites is, by the way, the short piece "Margit Hjukse".

I don't know what Ihsahns influences more specifically has been on this one, but i wonder if he ever has listened to Nordisk natursymfoni 1: Strömkarlen (a really important record to me during my teens) by the swedish composer Ralph Lundsten (he did many nordic nature symphonies but the two first is the ones i hold highest in regard). I think there are some similarities in the use of actual nature sounds.

I didn't really mean if like that. I just meant that if Ishan can make you like folk metal then you must really love Ishan. I don't think it's possible to only like one folk band otherwise.

 

[genocide roach]

i liked it alot, as stated in my review, and it being on my top ten list


~gR~