Band: Fejd
Title: Eifur
Label: Napalm Records
Distribution: Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: October 29th 2010
Review: CD

Because of their interest in both Folk music and (Heavy) Metal, the Swedish brothers Patrik and Niklas Rimmerfors, along with some former Pathos-members, started Fejd in 2001. In 2008, the formation signed to Napalm Records from Austria, and soon after the debut Storm was released (posted on the site in April 09). I didn’t dislike it, yet this album was too ‘plain’ to please me.
To promote their debut, Fejd went on tour, performing on festivals like Ragnarök and Wacken, and the members started writing on new material. Finally Fejd entered Malmö, Sweden, based Roasting House Studios and the result is now available through Napalm again.

Eifur completely goes on in the vein of Storm. The album still combines traditional Folk Music with (Heavy) Metal, making use of traditional instruments like Jew’s harp, bagpipes, horn, flute, fiddler or bouzouki. Like it was the case with the former album, I need to laugh again with this ‘typical Swedish’ addition of instruments, like bouzouki; all together: hahaha!
Anyway, Fejd easily knows how to combine epic Folk-tunes with melodic Heavy Metal structures, and therefore I prefer this project in comparison to 99 percent of the current Folk-scene (which is sadly, pathetically overcrowded, as you might know). The average song quality exceeds the average level, and also the quality of Eld (the 2006-EP/MCD) and Storm gets reached easily. Yes, this time the album is more ‘full’ (going for both production and performance) and much more convincing, without too many annoying additions.
Because of the exploding / exploded scene, it isn’t that easy anymore to convince, or to get noticed, and the most ‘popular’ bands aren’t always the better ones. Fejd, however, prove again, with Eifur, to be able to create stuff that is just somewhat more intriguing and/or interesting than most colleagues.

For fans of Vintersorg / Otyg, Odroerir, Månegarm, Storm, Adorned Brood, Korpiklaani, Menhir, Týr or Tumulus, to name but a few – even Ingrimm, Ásmegin and Bathory (sporadically, but yes indeed – think the Nordland-saga) are names that come to mind.

76/100

Ivan Tibos.