Waves softly crash upon the beach, displacing bits of sand and pulling pieces back with the water upon its retreat. This isn’t just the soundscape that begins Against This Weald, but thematically how the album treats the listener. The oceans repetitive attack on the land gives way to lilting keyboards before the attack of drums and guitars majestically cascade into range.
After Agalloch changed the game on what black metal can be, band after band have been stepping up to include new influences, offer new starting points and finally leaving behind a remnant of what is possible. Ifing are another band that mix different influences, but deliver something uniquely black metal.
Neo-folk elements shine through songs with soft acoustic guitars and even a recorder playing melodies, before the crashing of the guitars and drums crack the listener back to the reality of the genre. Coming in at 35 minutes spread over 3 songs, the album slowly awakens, makes its carrion call only to recede back to whence it came.
The duo of Tim Wicklund (drums and percussion) and Fritz Peterson (guitars, bass, vocals, synth, recorder) show a grasp on the genre with a differing outlook than their peers. They’ve absorbed the same influences, but interpreted them with a different key and come up with something new and refreshing. In the bands own words:
“The ancient Norse used their natural world and surroundings to create myths, Ifing use these same ideas to convey Viking anthems of creation, the end, life and death, the afterlife, and the dichotomy of opposing forces on our world and beyond.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Rating: ****
@BRAINxTRUST
BRAIN TRUST MUSIC 