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It’s Bandcamp Friday again, and for the third time they’re waiving their fees. Originally the Fridays were meant as support for bands who had to cancel shows and tours because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this time around many bands and labels have chosen instead to donate their proceeds. Ayloss from Spectral Lore explains:

“Together with 40 60 other metal bands, I’ll be donating every purchase at Spectral Lore’s Bandcamp page to the National Bail Fund Network. Support and solidarity to the demonstrators that fight for racial equality and against police brutality in the US, without any “but” or “if” or anything. This is a one in a lifetime uprising, even things that seem like they’ll last forever like racism can be overturned if we fight hard enough.”

The first 41 bands.

This initiative was started by Sarah from Smoulder. Here’s her message on behalf of the bands:

“Following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25, protests have erupted across the United States decrying police brutality and decades of institutionalized racism. As an act of solidarity, on Friday, June 5, 41 heavy metal, rock, and punk bands [plus a few surprises] will be donating proceeds from sales made on Bandcamp to the National Bail Fund Network.

The National Bail Fund Network organizes to end all forms of detention, criminalization, and surveillance. The charity uses community bail funds as organizing tools to free people and push to abolish detention. Go here for more information on bail funds.

To get involved, head to the Bandcamp pages below on Friday, June 5 from 12 – 12 PST and buy! More importantly, you can donate to the National Bail Fund directly here.”

Artwork by Loukas Kalliantasis.

Mystras is a new project from Ayloss. It’s a good deal rawer and more aggressive than recent Spectral Lore output. The obvious comparison is the majestic castle metal from Obsequiae. but Mystras comes without the romanticism. While the music is meant to “shed some light on unsung acts of valour and bravery from the Middle Ages”, Mystras’ focus is on the common folks instead of kings and nobility.

Artwork by Michael Whelan

Smoulder plays epic doom. Seriously good epic doom. Three things tells you exactly what the band is about: the motto “Love Metal | Hate Fascism”, the awesome cover art by fantasy great Michael Whelan, and the dedication of Dream Quest Ends to the memory of the mighty Mark “The Shark” Shelton from Manilla Road.

While compiling this list another 20 bands were added to the Network. All 60+ of them are listed below in alphabetic order. The initiative have gained popularity fast, but it bears mention that many other bands and labels are donating to similar causes. This is just one list of many that could have been made.

It’s Bandcamp Friday again, and for the third time they’re waiving their fees. Originally the Fridays were meant as support for bands who had to cancel shows and tours because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this time around many bands and labels have chosen instead to donate their proceeds. Ayloss from Spectral Lore explains:

“Together with 40 60 other metal bands, I’ll be donating every purchase at Spectral Lore’s Bandcamp page to the National Bail Fund Network. Support and solidarity to the demonstrators that fight for racial equality and against police brutality in the US, without any “but” or “if” or anything. This is a one in a lifetime uprising, even things that seem like they’ll last forever like racism can be overturned if we fight hard enough.”

The first 41 bands.

This initiative was started by Sarah from Smoulder. Here’s her message on behalf of the bands:

“Following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25, protests have erupted across the United States decrying police brutality and decades of institutionalized racism. As an act of solidarity, on Friday, June 5, 41 heavy metal, rock, and punk bands [plus a few surprises] will be donating proceeds from sales made on Bandcamp to the National Bail Fund Network.

The National Bail Fund Network organizes to end all forms of detention, criminalization, and surveillance. The charity uses community bail funds as organizing tools to free people and push to abolish detention. Go here for more information on bail funds.

To get involved, head to the Bandcamp pages below on Friday, June 5 from 12 – 12 PST and buy! More importantly, you can donate to the National Bail Fund directly here.”

Artwork by Loukas Kalliantasis.

Mystras is a new project from Ayloss. It’s a good deal rawer and more aggressive than recent Spectral Lore output. The obvious comparison is the majestic castle metal from Obsequiae. but Mystras comes without the romanticism. While the music is meant to “shed some light on unsung acts of valour and bravery from the Middle Ages”, Mystras’ focus is on the common folks instead of kings and nobility.

Artwork by Michael Whelan

Smoulder plays epic doom. Seriously good epic doom. Three things tells you exactly what the band is about: the motto “Love Metal | Hate Fascism”, the awesome cover art by fantasy great Michael Whelan, and the dedication of Dream Quest Ends to the memory of the mighty Mark “The Shark” Shelton from Manilla Road.

While compiling this list another 20 bands were added to the Network. All 60+ of them are listed below in alphabetic order. The initiative have gained popularity fast, but it bears mention that many other bands and labels are donating to similar causes. This is just one list of many that could have been made.

When old bands reunite, and especially those who never advanced from the demo stage back then, it often ends with one album, fueled by a succesful festival apperance or something similar. Sweden’s Sorcerer has now delievered three albums since the band reformed, and it doesn’t seem like it will stop here. We have covered the band when they released both previous albums, “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”, and “The Crowning Of The Fire King”, and just like last time, singer Anders Engberg is the one faced with the task of answering our questions.  He seemed really proud of  “The Crowning Of The Fire King” when we spoke together last time, does he still have the same feelings about it?

– Yes, I have. I think you can hear us evolving from “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross” to “The Crowning Of The Fire King”. We evolved both in sound in the way we write the music. I am really proud of it, and I feel really good about it. It also took us a little bit further than the first album did.

There were clearly differences between the albums you mentioned there, while “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross” had an analogue sound, “The Crowning Of The Fire King” turned out a bit more modern. Where would you put the new one, soundwise?

– We are aware of that, and we wanted the first album to sound like an old, traditional recording with big drums, and a feeling of a lot of air inbetween the chords. When we went in to do the second album, we felt we needed to put it together a little bit more. We still wanted that big, bombastic sound, but we needed to tighten it up a little bit, get a bit more distortion out of the guitars and sound a little bit more modern. The new one I think is a mix between the two previous albums. We recorded really big drums this time. We still have that more modern feel to it, a kind of punch in the face-sound. I don’t think it’s as  big a jump between the new one and “The Crowning Of The Fire King” as there was between “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”. These two latest albums definitely sound more similar. I think the main thing is the drum sound, which really stands out on this new album.

Do you feel the term “doom metal” is doing justice to “Lamenting Of The Innocent”? I guess it might be possible to reach a wider audience by labelling it as heavy metal?

– Where we come from, you know the late eighties, beginning of the nineties, we were a doom metal band, no doubt about it. However, already on “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”, we took one step forward towards heavy metal and hard rock and now with “The Crowning Of The Fire King” and the new one, we took a further step across the river. It’s not something we think about when we write music though. If people want to label us, they can do that, and of course we take advantage of that on some occasions too. If I was to label us, I think we are closer to a heavy metal- or even hard rock band these days.

Still it’s a rather slow paced album.

– Yeah, that’s the music we like. We enjoy the melodic era of Black Sabbath, the stuff with Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin as well as the old Rainbow and Dio-stuff. We enjoy the heaviness and like to mix it with a little bit of progressive stuff, to try to make the songs a bit more interesting. We really  don’t look at other genres and try to imitate or anything, we just write the music we write. And there are more of us writing the music today than it was in the beginning. Peter (Hallgren, guitars) for instance, came in with song writing contributions on “The Crowning Of The Fire King”, he played the guitars on “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross” too, but he didn’t write any songs there. Justin (Biggs), the new bass player also makes music, so it’s more of a mash up today.

As you don’t write music yourself, what was the biggest surprise moment for you when you heard the music the others had made for this new album?

– Actually I was pretty anxious, because everybody said that the third album is the most important. We had two releases that both were “Album of The Month” in the metal press behind us, and we knew that this third one, had to be at least a good. I was a bit afraid when we went into the songwriting process. You know, hearing raw sketches of the music with with a drum machine, only one of the guitar players… and then sit down trying to do something with it, it can be quite a journey. It think we started to see that we had something really good after five or six songs. It fell together really nice, but in the beginning I was really unsure.

What made you feel that way ?

– The usual question: Is this good? When you write a melody for a riff or a song, and you listen back to it in the car when you go home after having worked hours to get it done, doubts can easily start creeping upon on you. But as I said, from the fifth or sixth song, we knew the album was going to be killer. There were no doubts from that point. It’s always difficult when you start with the first songs, because you know you have to write ten to twelve other ones.

Once again, “Lamenting Of The Innocent” is a long album that craves attention from the listener. At the same time, it’s a very relaxing piece to listen to. 

– We have always been writing melodies in a melancholic kind of style . We try to create an atmosphere in the songs that will draw the listener into the music. The songs are also long. We are not talking about three minutes hits here , it’s more a case of eight minutes hits. There are a lot of things going on, and I think the atmosphere as well as the melancholy in the songs, are a trademark for us really. That’s the way we do it! And the music is very melodic, even though it’s also hard and brutal sometimes. It’s important for us to have that catchy hook, catchy choruses and a big sound.

Your former bass player, Johnny Hagel was instrumental in getting Sorcerer back together again, and he was also the one I spoke with when we did an interview to cover “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”. Why is Johnny no longer part of the band?

– Johnny has actually written a couple of songs for this album, but he’s like a ghost member nowadays. We got two members in the band that are not part of Sorcerer live, one of them is Johnny and the other one is Conny Welen, who has been been co-producing all the albums. These two guys are really important for our sound. Johnny has the musical direction in his veins, so he holds us back when are too eager to stray away from the path we are on. He is, more than any of us, the original doom man in the band. If you a Sorcerer-tune, and you think it sounds doomy, it’s probably his song.

So I understand that he is still involved around the band, but why isn’t he a live member anymore?

– Johnny felt he didn’t have anything to give live anymore. He didn’t find it funny or entertaining anymore, so we had to respect that and let him move on. We told him that there is always a place for him in this band. He is handling things like our merchandise and the negotiations with the record label, and also writing songs so he is still very much involved. He is very connected to the band, and involved in every meeting we have and every decision we make.

Justin Biggs is the new bass player following Johnny’s departure, and Anders give us the short version on how he entered the ranks of Sorcerer. 

– As you might know, me and Kristian were in Therion many years ago. We were three guys and three girls in the choir. One of the girls is now Justins girlfriend. That’s how we got to know Justin. We knew Justin played bass and also knew he was a nice guy, so Kristian invited him to jam on a couple of songs at his place. It worked out really well.

After the release of “In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross”, you put out an EP because you had a lot of material that didn’t make the album. On “The Crowning Of The Fire King”, there were also some additional songs. Were there any tracks that didn’t make the album this time as well?

– Yes, we wrote fourteen songs. About two hours of music. Obviously we can’t release two hours of music. Sorcerer is a democratic band, so we voted for the songs we wanted on the album. We planned to include eight songs on the album, but we couldn’t make a decision, so in the end there are nine songs on the album, ten if you count the intro as well. We also have a bonus track that is for a box set, it’s a song called “Hellfire” wiht a mix done by Max Norman himself.

The fact that Sorcerer is quite democratic when it comes to picking songs, voting over which songs should be on the album and not, has it ever made Anders disappointed when a song he held in high regard didn’t make the album?

– No, not really. Because the songs we have written in the process are all songs we are very happy with. We simply can’t release two hours of music. It’s not always a pleasant process, but we always agree upon the songs in the end. It’s not like David Coverdale’s Whitesnake. We like the democracy, and we need everyone to be on the same page. It’s very important to us. Maybe we will re-release the “Black”-EP that we put out through Johnny Hagels own label via Metal Blade some day? We have got a lot of response on the EP, and we love it ourselves too. It’s definitely nothing wrong with the songs, we just had to choose some over others. It also has a little to do with the dynamics of the album, we can’t have five songs in the same tempo in a row, there need to be a good flow in the album, for the listener to have the patience to listen to it.

You told me earlier that being in an epic doom metal band, you can’t sing about women and love, but at least, the lyrics this time are about women?

– Yeah. Actually on the last album we had a song called “Unbearable Sorrow” which is also about a woman who dies from her husband, but this time there really are a lot of women in the songs. It’s not a concept album like “Operation Mindcrime” or whatever, but we have a central topic; the witchhunt that went on in the 16^th Century. We like to portray the women as the strong part in this ordeal and the church as the evil one. It’s a fight between good and evil, and there is a lot of songs portrayed by women on this one.

So why didn’t you make a concept album out of “Lamenting Of The Innocent”, it surely sounds like something you could have made a full blown concept out of?

– Well, it’s more difficult than you think. I’ve been involved with  a band called Section A, and I did a concept album there, called “Parallel Lives”. I can tell you, it’s really hard to get a good idea out of ten songs. I we felt we wanted to record one or two or maybe even four songs on the album that were standing alone.

As usual, I guess the lyrics are written by you and Conny. Describe how you work together when writing the lyrics.

– It’s different from album to album. On the first one, me and Conny wrote all the lyrics while we were writing the melodies. We came up with the song title, then wrote the melodies and the lyrics at the same time. On the second album we came up with the titles and then I did most of the lyrics, while Connny put his touch on what I already had done. On this new album Justin Biggs has also contributed, so he’s written two or three lyrics, and me and Conny the rest. So its been a different process for each album, but we usually write the lyrics at the same as we write the melodies. Due to the fact that this is some kind of conceptual album, me and Conny just made bullshit lyrics in the beginning, because we didn’t want limit Justins possibilites in any way.

There are some really strong melodies on the album. The chorus to the title track for instance or the one in “Where Spirits Die”, and some of these melodies carry a similar feeling. 

– I agree with you. I don’t know what it is really. I’ve been doing this for so many years now, and it’s just the way I write music. Me and Conny have been together for 20 years, doing melodies and we know each other inside out. I can’t explain it, but I am thankful that you feel there is a connection between the individual tracks, because it means that we have a sound that sticks out, something that is really important.

While most of the elements on the new album are well known in the context that is Sorcerer, there is at least one unusual element present, as there is a bit of growling on the album. Anders explains why the band has added a bit of this flavor this time around. 

– It’s Justin actually, that is doing the growling. It’s simply a new thing we wanted to incorporate on this album, trying to do something new, something interesting. Something you wouldn’t expect from Sorcerer. I think it came out really cool. On the first single “The Hammer Of Witches” there is some growling, almost like a choir of football supporter chanting: “Burn Witch Burn”. There is also a real growl part in there by Justin. I think it fits really well.

Being a proper clean voice heavy metal singer, what did you think of growling when it first became popular?

– I think it was horrible really. I didn’t like it at all. I still have a hard time with some of that stuff, but some bands, Tribulation for instance, do it in a melodic way, that I  really like.  As  long as you can hear what the vocalist is singing, I can enjoy it, but when it’s just a sound coming out, I have problems with that. I  am not narrow minded, I like a lot of different genres of music so, but in my opinion, growling is not really singing.

I am always very impressed by singers that can both sing very melodic and growl at the same time, people like your fellow Swedes Dan Swanö or Bjørn Strid for instance. 

– Yeah, how the fuck do they do it? I certainly can’t do it. I am very impressed too. I know Bjørn, I think he is a fantastic singer. He has both the growl, the high notes and the power. I certainly would need to go and learn it to be able to do it, but it’s not my style either.

It seems “Lamenting Of The Innocent” was planned for spring so you could do some summer festivals this year. How disappointed are you at the moment?

– We are devastated of course, just like so many other bands. I am good friends with the guys in Wolf, they had to cancel half their tour. It’s too bad, the only thing I can say is good in all this misery, is that people are hooked up to the Internet all the time. So when we released our singles and soon the new album, people are aware, more perhaps than usually. But regarding the shows, it’s really sad. We had some great ones planned, but right now I am unsure if any of them will happen. It’s plain miserable, but it’s the same for everyone, we’re all in a situation we don’t wanna be in.

I remember that you signed a deal for three records with Metal Blade, three albums that you now have delivered. Will you continue working with the label?  

– We will wait and see how the album will be received. So far it looks good, we have gotten some heads up from a few of the most important magazines. We have great respect for our record label, and are super happy about what they have done so far. I guess we have to sit down and find out how we can make the next step, if Metal Blade is ready to take it with us, we will surely sgin up with them again.

Sorcerer on Facebook

 

 

By Bryan Camphire.

Artwork by Misanthropic-Art.

If you don’t already know, Cauldron Black Ram are living death metal legends from Oz. This band has been making uncompromising original death metal since 1996. Slaver, their new release for the venerable label, 20 Buck Spin, takes their sound to new heights. This band cooks more flavor into a single riff than most bands eke into entire albums. Theirs is the sound of a power trio taken to its fullest extreme.

Never a band to blast beat their way from start to finish, each composition on Slaver is packed with ever-changing rhythms and feels. This is what sets Cauldron Black Ram apart from other acts in extreme metal. In a single track, they’re liable to thrash it up at a gallop, only to slow things to a lurch, then lock into an OSDM style mid-paced stomp. Slaver continuously leaves the listener wanting more of each tasty riff only to outdo itself in intensity with what comes next.

The band’s know-how comes from experience. The members’ other active projects – Mournful Congregation and StarGazer to name just two of many – are legends in their own rights. Both of those bands have also been making high-test death metal since the mid-90s. What is so interesting about Cauldron Black Ram is that theirs is a sound that is always re-inventing itself. Unlike nearly any other death metal act comprised of elder statesman who’ve been making music for the past quarter century, Cauldron Black Ram’s material keeps getting more and more fresh with each new release. To date, Slaver is their masterpiece. The fat is trimmed. The menace is visceral. 

Favorite moments on this record include but are not limited to the following examples. The second riff in the second song, titled, “Smoke Pours From The Orifices From The Crematory Idol” (If ever there was a song title that conjures the ambiance of the music within, this is it): the disjointed drumming tramples forth like a violent stampede. Another blood curdling detail occurs and recurs in track four, “Graves Awaiting Corpses” (Another fittingly evocative title): The corroded arpeggiated guitar chord that creeps out of the rests during the verse and claws at you with its rusted hook. Memorable moments such as these abound across the entire wretched run-time of Slaver. The seasick rhythms, the gurgling tar-pit low end and the craggy guitars all punctuate the rough edges of this jagged, fearsome music.

This music originates in a scorched section of the Earth. Australia is home to some of the most extreme metal being made in this day and age. The unholy trinity of Portal, Impetuous Ritual and Grave Upheaval, in addition to StarGazer, Mournful Congregation, Temple Nightside, Consummation have all together significantly raised the quality standard of what extreme metal can be. Up to now, Cauldron Black Ram was perhaps the least well known of this pack, lurking in the shadows & toiling away with evil patience. Slaver stands to mark their name on the map indelibly, for all those who dare to venture to death metal’s darkest depths. The fact that the vinyl of the first pressing of Slaver already sold out on release day shows that people are taking due notice of this massive record.

By Bryan Camphire.

Artwork by Misanthropic-Art.

If you don’t already know, Cauldron Black Ram are living death metal legends from Oz. This band has been making uncompromising original death metal since 1996. Slaver, their new release for the venerable label, 20 Buck Spin, takes their sound to new heights. This band cooks more flavor into a single riff than most bands eke into entire albums. Theirs is the sound of a power trio taken to its fullest extreme.

Never a band to blast beat their way from start to finish, each composition on Slaver is packed with ever-changing rhythms and feels. This is what sets Cauldron Black Ram apart from other acts in extreme metal. In a single track, they’re liable to thrash it up at a gallop, only to slow things to a lurch, then lock into an OSDM style mid-paced stomp. Slaver continuously leaves the listener wanting more of each tasty riff only to outdo itself in intensity with what comes next.

The band’s know-how comes from experience. The members’ other active projects – Mournful Congregation and StarGazer to name just two of many – are legends in their own rights. Both of those bands have also been making high-test death metal since the mid-90s. What is so interesting about Cauldron Black Ram is that theirs is a sound that is always re-inventing itself. Unlike nearly any other death metal act comprised of elder statesman who’ve been making music for the past quarter century, Cauldron Black Ram’s material keeps getting more and more fresh with each new release. To date, Slaver is their masterpiece. The fat is trimmed. The menace is visceral. 

Favorite moments on this record include but are not limited to the following examples. The second riff in the second song, titled, “Smoke Pours From The Orifices From The Crematory Idol” (If ever there was a song title that conjures the ambiance of the music within, this is it): the disjointed drumming tramples forth like a violent stampede. Another blood curdling detail occurs and recurs in track four, “Graves Awaiting Corpses” (Another fittingly evocative title): The corroded arpeggiated guitar chord that creeps out of the rests during the verse and claws at you with its rusted hook. Memorable moments such as these abound across the entire wretched run-time of Slaver. The seasick rhythms, the gurgling tar-pit low end and the craggy guitars all punctuate the rough edges of this jagged, fearsome music.

This music originates in a scorched section of the Earth. Australia is home to some of the most extreme metal being made in this day and age. The unholy trinity of Portal, Impetuous Ritual and Grave Upheaval, in addition to StarGazer, Mournful Congregation, Temple Nightside, Consummation have all together significantly raised the quality standard of what extreme metal can be. Up to now, Cauldron Black Ram was perhaps the least well known of this pack, lurking in the shadows & toiling away with evil patience. Slaver stands to mark their name on the map indelibly, for all those who dare to venture to death metal’s darkest depths. The fact that the vinyl of the first pressing of Slaver already sold out on release day shows that people are taking due notice of this massive record.

By Calen Henry.


“Damn the Sky” was the first song where I got Beastwars. From that single track I was hooked and tore through their discography just in time, unfortunately, for them to go on hiatus then announce that singer Matt Hyde was (ultimately successfully) battling cancer.

After all that their announcement of a surprise comeback album, last year’s IV, was the most exciting musical moment of 2019 for me. The anticipation was well founded; it ended up being my favourite album last year. It turns out that wasn’t the only surprise the band had up their sleeve.

On May 1, Bandcamp’s second “all proceeds to artist” day since global COVID-19 quarantine efforts began and bands faced a cascade of gig cancellations, the boys in Beastwars decided to drop a live album. Not just any set either, their entire comeback concert from July 2018 at Wellington NZ’s San Fran. As a Canadian fan who is unlikely to be able to catch the band live, it’s an incredible gift. Not just a comeback album, but their comeback show, professionally recorded and mixed. It’s even got some nice dynamic headroom with a master clocking in at DR8.


Being a year before the release of IV the setlist is made up entirely of songs from their trilogy. They start the set with the Beastwars song “Damn the Sky”. From there they rip through some of the best tracks from the three albums in largely chronological order though they save two tracks from the first album, the savage stomp of “Red God” and mantra-like “Daggers” as the one-two punch to end the set. “Daggers” is such a perfect note on which to end the set, with its repeated refrain

Play that song
Play that one we know
Play it loud
Play that one we love

They sound like a different band from the snapshot of despair, grief, and hope captured on IV. By time they got back to the stage Matt was back to full demon-bellowing capacity and the set is a band with fire in their bellies ripping through their back catalog for their hometown crowd. It’s magical and kind of perfect for a band with so much mysticism in their lyrics to hear the moment they hit the stage after so much turmoil and a rebirth. To top it off the band have been kind enough to ask for absolutely nothing in return. It’s Name Your Price on the band’s Bandcamp page.

By Calen Henry.


“Damn the Sky” was the first song where I got Beastwars. From that single track I was hooked and tore through their discography just in time, unfortunately, for them to go on hiatus then announce that singer Matt Hyde was (ultimately successfully) battling cancer.

After all that their announcement of a surprise comeback album, last year’s IV, was the most exciting musical moment of 2019 for me. The anticipation was well founded; it ended up being my favourite album last year. It turns out that wasn’t the only surprise the band had up their sleeve.

On May 1, Bandcamp’s second “all proceeds to artist” day since global COVID-19 quarantine efforts began and bands faced a cascade of gig cancellations, the boys in Beastwars decided to drop a live album. Not just any set either, their entire comeback concert from July 2018 at Wellington NZ’s San Fran. As a Canadian fan who is unlikely to be able to catch the band live, it’s an incredible gift. Not just a comeback album, but their comeback show, professionally recorded and mixed. It’s even got some nice dynamic headroom with a master clocking in at DR8.


Being a year before the release of IV the setlist is made up entirely of songs from their trilogy. They start the set with the Beastwars song “Damn the Sky”. From there they rip through some of the best tracks from the three albums in largely chronological order though they save two tracks from the first album, the savage stomp of “Red God” and mantra-like “Daggers” as the one-two punch to end the set. “Daggers” is such a perfect note on which to end the set, with its repeated refrain

Play that song
Play that one we know
Play it loud
Play that one we love

They sound like a different band from the snapshot of despair, grief, and hope captured on IV. By time they got back to the stage Matt was back to full demon-bellowing capacity and the set is a band with fire in their bellies ripping through their back catalog for their hometown crowd. It’s magical and kind of perfect for a band with so much mysticism in their lyrics to hear the moment they hit the stage after so much turmoil and a rebirth. To top it off the band have been kind enough to ask for absolutely nothing in return. It’s Name Your Price on the band’s Bandcamp page.

Hamferð was the last band I saw before the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down. With nothing in between, their set has stuck with me to this day. It was a welcome release at the end a somewhat underwhelming festival. It was one of the best sets I have seen and a different experience from most other metal shows.


Hamferð turns the metal band experience on its head. All members dress in jacket and ties. Even the drummer wears a white shirt, a vest, and a tie. When a song stops, the stage lights are immediately turned off. There’s no contact with the audience between songs. After our applause we can spend a few seconds contemplating what we just heard before the next one begins. The mood is somehow both solemn and very joyous.

Jón Aldará has both a deep full-throated growl and a majestic clean voice. He sings in Faroese and sounds alternatively like an emissary from Hell or a chanter of otherworldly sacred songs. He’s far from the typical extroverted frontman. During the beautiful encore, the person in front of him gets a brief pat on the shoulder, and the rest of us get a quiet “tak.” And that’s the extent of his interaction with the audience.

The drummer, Remi Johannesen, is more active than most drummers playing music this heavy and sad. There are passages where we’re almost in drum solo territory, at least briefly, and it sounds so good. Now and then the lighting is used to great dramatic effect, like the time when Aldará switches from crooning to growling and is instantly bathed in firelight. The sound is just perfect. At times I get so carried away it feels like I’m not touching the ground.


Hamferð is signed to Metal Blade Records. Their second full-length, Támsins likam, and the live EP, Ódn, are on Bandcamp. For their debut EP, Vilst er síðsta fet, and their first full-length, Evst, you can go to the Faroese Tutl Records, and they will ship them to you, literally, aboard a boat from the Faroe Islands. Recently, Aldará was announced as the new vocalist of Metal Bandcamp favorites Iotunn, and I cannot wait to hear how that turns out.

Hamferð was the last band I saw before the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down. With nothing in between, their set has stuck with me to this day. It was a welcome release at the end a somewhat underwhelming festival. It was one of the best sets I have seen and a different experience from most other metal shows.


Hamferð turns the metal band experience on its head. All members dress in jacket and ties. Even the drummer wears a white shirt, a vest, and a tie. When a song stops, the stage lights are immediately turned off. There’s no contact with the audience between songs. After our applause we can spend a few seconds contemplating what we just heard before the next one begins. The mood is somehow both solemn and very joyous.

Jón Aldará has both a deep full-throated growl and a majestic clean voice. He sings in Faroese and sounds alternatively like an emissary from Hell or a chanter of otherworldly sacred songs. He’s far from the typical extroverted frontman. During the beautiful encore, the person in front of him gets a brief pat on the shoulder, and the rest of us get a quiet “tak.” And that’s the extent of his interaction with the audience.

The drummer, Remi Johannesen, is more active than most drummers playing music this heavy and sad. There are passages where we’re almost in drum solo territory, at least briefly, and it sounds so good. Now and then the lighting is used to great dramatic effect, like the time when Aldará switches from crooning to growling and is instantly bathed in firelight. The sound is just perfect. At times I get so carried away it feels like I’m not touching the ground.


Hamferð is signed to Metal Blade Records. Their second full-length, Támsins likam, and the live EP, Ódn, are on Bandcamp. For their debut EP, Vilst er síðsta fet, and their first full-length, Evst, you can go to the Faroese Tutl Records, and they will ship them to you, literally, aboard a boat from the Faroe Islands. Recently, Aldará was announced as the new vocalist of Metal Bandcamp favorites Iotunn, and I cannot wait to hear how that turns out.

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