On their second full length album “Eifur” the Swedish quintet FEJD delivers rock & metal influenced folk music with a freedom-loving traditional spirit which makes me remember the late Nineties’ efforts of Garmarna and Hedningarna. Yes, this is a compliment!
In contrast to most contemporary folk metal bands, FEJD have a huge folk music background and thus they rather play some new kind of folk music than playing folk melodies with metal instruments. Although the performance of the band as a whole is truly tight on this well produced album, it’s undeniably the Rimmerfors brothers Patrik and Niklas with their strong and slightly (very slightly) roughened vocals who enrich the soulful tunes with great personal empathy. The vocal style is quite traditional in a sense that even if you’re not familiar with the Swedish tongue, you immediately understand by your heart that the vocalist has to tell you something, similar to your (grand) parents when they read folklore stories to you when you were still a kid (if you ever had the great luck to experience this). What makes this record a joyful listening as well is the truly uplifting character of the songs and the dynamics; yes, this is groovy folk music which greets spring and hides the dark and cold season with balanced metal power away. Yes, you can even bang your head – or some trolls’ or huldras’ heads – to this music! Among the many combinations of folk and metal instruments FEJD stick out with a feeling for folk music that only few other bands in metal share, e.g. Skyforger and Cruachan. If you now ask what makes this record worth presenting it just here, I must answer that FEJD transport a traditional spirit with new power and that this band is one of the best examples of keeping the fire burning instead of just staring into the ash pile.
-Thor Joakimsson
VITALS:
Release: Winter 2010
Label: Napalm Records
Avantgenre: Rock & Metal Influenced Swedish Folk
Duration: 50:29
Origin: Sweden
Official site: http://www.fejd.se
Review online since: 22.02.2011 / 08:27:42
TRACKLIST:
01 – Drangen Och Krakan
02 – Farsot
03 – Jungfru I Hindhamm
04 – Alvas Halling
05 – Arv
06 – Eifur
07 – Ledung
08 – Gryning
09 – Varstav
10 – Aring
11 – Yggdrasil
12 – Trollfard
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