Band: Svartsot
Title: Mulmets Viser
Label: Napalm Records
Distribution: Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: 26/03/2010
Review: CD

The Danish formation Svartsot were formed exactly five years ago, and after two demos (Svundne Tider, 2005, and Tvende Ravne, 2006), and many live performances, the band recorded its first studio full length, Ravnenes Saga, in 2007. Svartsot signed to Austrian mega-label Napalm Records, and the reactions on this debut were enormously positive.
Unfortunately, shortly after (as a matter of fact it was at the very end of 2008), some internal issues made the band almost split, with Cris J.S. Frederiksen left as the sole active member.
This guitarist and main composer and lyricist recruited some same-minded musicians, and with this renewed line-up, Svartsot entered the studio with Lasse Lammert (production, engineering, mix and mastering), known for his great job to Alestorm.
Mulmets Viser mainly continues the path of Ravnenes Saga, even though eighty percent of the line-up did change. The album brings about fifty minutes of catchy and powerful Metal, combining Folk with Death Metal. New vocalist Thor Bager’s grunts are deep and melodic at the same time, and his voice certainly is a surplus to the epic and rhythmic hymns. The band uses several ‘traditional’ instruments, such as whistles / flutes, accordion and mandolin – it seems as if has become more important this time. The energetic up-tempo songs sometimes are very inviting for an enormous drinking and head-banging session, yet the band doesn’t perform ‘just pounding Warrior Epic’; Svartsot do know how to keep the whole thing interesting until the end.
The more aggressive pieces might remind me, from time to time, to bands as Amon Amarth or Unleashed, yet with an own folksy point of view. The most folkish-oriented parts do sound ‘Scandinavian’ (especially Swedish) in its widest definition, yet again the whole does not just steal from one specific band or another.
Oh yes, there’s also a digi-pack release, including two bonus songs and different artwork, yet I guess this edition is rather limited???

80/100

Ivan Tibos.