Heiðindómr ok mótgangr

Although never having achieved the same degree of popularity, Helheim may be best compared to Enslaved, not only in terms of their Viking ancestry and topical content, but also in regards to the way they have developed over the years. Originating as a fairly run-of-the- mill Viking black metal act, they have moved in an increasingly progressive direction with their sound. 'Heiðindómr Ok Mótgangr' represents another step in their career; a cleanly produced, diverse and impressive celebration of their culture.

Like Enslaved, Helheim focus their efforts on creating a vast, epic sound that attempts to capture the sound and custom of the Viking people. In this regard, Helheim are dedicated, and convey the pride of their ancestry powerfully. The album opens up with a combination of black metal canon and war horn orchestration, a pairing that pops up several times throughout the album. Arguably the greatest strength that 'Heiðindómr Ok Mótgangr' has going for it is that it takes the listener through a number of different moods and angles without sounding inconsistent or patchy. Based on much of my experience with this style, Viking bands tend to keep their songwriting narrow, composing a batch of incredibly similar pieces and drilling down one angle or mood of Viking culture until it's exhausted and begging for a coffee break. Most of the time, this 'angle' tends to revolve around the culture's penchant for warfare and alcohol consumption. I would not say that Helheim gives an all- encompassing glance into the culture- there's no reference here to the 793 AD equivalent to changing baby diapers- but the darker sound on the album is more successful at transporting a listener to what was decidedly an incredibly dark time in human history.

Helheim's production has developed with their musical style, and though black metal generally favours less bells and whistles in its production, 'Heiðindómr Ok Mótgangr' is remarkably refined. In terms of effectiveness, this is a bit of a double edged sword. The production does wonders for the more subtle arrangements such as the horn work and moments where Helheim go experimental with their sound, but the black metal feels robbed of some of its atmosphere. This does not draw away from the intensity of the music, however; the riffs are beautifully arranged and performed with vigour. Although the music on 'Heiðindómr Ok Mótgangr' rarely possesses the sort of composition quality that would thrust it into the realm of excellence, Helheim's varied approach to Viking metal stands out above many of their peers. There is anger, melancholy, darkness and light to soak up on 'Heiðindómr Ok Mótgangr', and the variety of styles only serves to give the work greater lasting value.

In these days, the tag “viking metal” scares of a lot of people because of several clowns out there that are purely making party music. This fear would be without reason as Helheim present themselves really matured, complex, and last but not least, black. Nevertheless, they are going back to the roots and present viking metal which can at least be seen in the lyrics as they refer to four of the great virtues: pride, openness of mind, vigilance, and awareness.

These virtues build the base frame and are the variations of the main theme Viten Og Mot, but these are not the only songs with thoughtfulness. Viten Og Mot (Sindighet) is the opening track and starts quite slow and droning, accentuated with the sound of a horn that can also be found in the other Viten Og Mot tracks. You cannot really describe the sound as it is really complex. Actually, you could say it is progressive. The opening track alone offers the full bandwidth of vocals as they progress from wild growls to clear vocals or even spoken passages. The whole song creates a mystic and thick atmosphere, but at the same time it is full of speed and cold genius!

The band is really skilled with their instruments and the whole orchestration is as complex as the vocals are. Every transition between two structures are really fluent and it does not matter if they progress from an aggressive passage to a gentle melody or from a simple structure into really complex stuff. The interaction between the two vocalists, V’gandr and H’grimnir, is as brilliant as usual so that there is nothing to complain about on a technical point of view.

The composition in general is as good as the orchestration is. This is because the songs aren’t just complex and progressive, but full of variation in themselves and on the whole length of the record. So they are complex and unique at the same time. The production is as clear as it could have been.

Conclusion:

Now the conclusion, as I would tend to end in adulation otherwise. If you thought viking metal is past its best times, you are clearly wrong and did not hear this record. It has refreshed the genre and it may be the best record Helheim ever released. It is difficult to describe the sound in detail as it is so complex, you should risk an ear and hear for yourself. It remains to be seen if Einherjer can pretend to the throne Helheim just mounted after they released their comeback record.
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nilgoun for http://threnodies.com

Although their end products might bear a only passing resemblance, I've always likened the progression of Helheim to that of their countrymen Enslaved. Unafraid to evolve themselves into varied configurations, but somehow managing to retain the razor disposition of their early works (Jormundgand and Av Norrøn Ætt), these Norsemen explore sound with absolutely no concern for the whining of a reactive audience. Chances are, if you're still on board with the band after 15 years, you're expecting some mild transformation through each of their full-lengths, and Heiðindómr ok mótgang, their 7th, is no exception to this, evenly distributing its creativity through passages of strained beauty and primordial strength.

The tones manifest here are consistently voracious, with an inherent depth delivered through the searing distortion of the guitars, charismatic and percussive rasp of H'grimnir and hard, steady drumming of Hrymr. Helheim never shies away from eccentricity, and in the very first track here, "Viten og Mot (Sindhiget)" we're treated to some blaring horn synthesis and wild effects over the lead sequence, which transcends the listener beyond the mere atmospheric black metal scriptures. Songs like "Dualitet og Ulver" channel a more measured, overarching melody which creates a beautiful desperation despite its predictability, and "Viten og Mort (Stolthet)" marries brooding clean chant vocals, narrative passages and crashing, wave-like rhythms to a hypnotic success rarely heard outside Enslaved. What's more, Heiðindómr ok mótgangr never really lets up: there are great tracks throughout the entire playlist, including the ghastly mid paced driver "Maðr", the somber escalation of "Element", and thundering tectonics of "Viten og mot (Bevissthet)" with their periods of strange calm.

If you're noticing a trend in several of the song titles, that's because the album follows a loose concept of Odinist captions that inspire the listener to meet their enemies at full strength. A motivational speech from one of Asgard's finest, if you will. An interesting idea, and one delivered without the pomp you'd expect from a shallower artist like Manowar. What I really loved about this album is how strangely loyal it is to the band's roots, despite the years of embellishments in production and variation that the band pursue here. It's not an entirely perfect work, as there are a few moments where the repetition or raw composition trail off in quality, but on the whole I'd feel safe in describing this as one of Helheim's strongest to date, superior even to a number of their cult classics. Recommended to fans of Enslaved, (earlier) Borknagar, and Burzum, but that almost goes without saying.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com