Band: Kampfar
Title: Mare
Label: Napalm Records
Distribution: Napalm Records – Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: March 25th 2011
Review: CD

No doubt: during the first part of the nineties, Norway was undeniable THE country when it came to Black Metal. Enslaved, Satyricon, Darkthrone, Arcturus and hundreds of others; without these bands the current scene would not be what it has become right now.
One of the better bands back then, yet at the same time pretty ‘small’, were Mock. Personally I do consider the mini-album Vinterlanded as a mile-stone.
Dolk, the guy behind Mock, started Kampfar after he disbanded the first one. And as from then on, he did even more impressing things with this new project. Damn, Kampfar did never disappoint at all; I do really like every single recording ever released in the past. It’s not that much in number of releases, but quality prevails on quantity, of course.
Anyway, it took another couple of years to release a new monument, but the result is of superior quality again. Recorded this time at the Abyss Studio with Peter Tägtgren -what a rather strange decision, and yet somehow comprehensible- the production is somewhat denser than before (at least in comparison to the Silvertone-recordings).
The hymns are, of course, truly Kampfar. Kampfar once created an own, characterising sound, which is the leading part on Mare too, of course. A mostly remarkable difference, even though not that decisive, is the decrease of folksy parts – undoubtedly due to the departure of long-time member Thomas. Kampfar still implement Pagan / Viking-oriented elements (especially the riffs), and especially the lyrical approach is purely Nordic-oriented.
As a matter of fact, I can repeat things from the past: lots of tempo-changes, a mystic and obscure atmosphere, power and pride, majesty and victory, epic epic epic, great greater greatest…
Some minor, new differences: the addition of spoken words, a few subtle keyboard lines and the accession of sordid Doom-laden riffs.
Yet anyhow, Kampfar are one of these bands that stayed true to their roots as from the very beginning, not getting seduced by commercial trends or popular hypes. And on top of it splendidly written, composed and performed songs and a colossal sound, making this album another magisterial Kampfar-epos.

90/100

Ivan Tibos.