Hardingrock - Grimen

[genocide roach]

Hardingrock - Grimen
Candlelight - CDL382 - September 25, 2007
By Ryan Starr



Boy, Ihsahn sure is busy. Emperor reunions, his solo work, and now his latest project Hardingrock. The idea behind Hardingrock is a pretty interesting one. Taking old Norwegian folk songs and reworking then with metal and classical electronica to give us new interpretations of the old days. The end result is quite fascinating and completely different from other bands going the folk metal route. While bands like Turisas and Finntroll have decided to focus on more of an epic style, Hardingrock is very mellow. And while this album can get aggressive, in a fashion similar to Ihsahn’s solo work, it’s not for very long. And it’s a good thing too, because if they tried to make it any harsher, it would completely ruin the music. What metal influences are in this album are done tastefully, usually taking the form of lead work to compliment the Harding fiddle. The one criticism I have though, is sometimes the fiddle work gets buried, which is a shame because Knut Buen does a fantastic job on the album.

Another aspect of Grimen I really like are the spoken word parts. Even though I don’t speak Norwegian, it adds a great vibe to the album, making it feel like we’re all sitting around a campfire and listening to our grandfather tell stories about the days of old.

I don’t know what it is, but everything Ihsahn does really clicks with me, and this album is no exception. I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for next year (rumor has it, there is a second solo album coming soon)

Official Candlelight Website

[FUBAR]

Great review, this album is really beautiful. I love the mystical ambient atmosphere of it, fingers crossed for that 2nd album!