Jordfäst – Blodsdåd och hor

After three years of relative absence, we were treated in recent months to a barrage of three singles. These tracks heralded the arrival of the new album by Swedish trio Jordfäst: ‘Blodsdåd och Hor’ — literally translated, ‘Bloodcrime and Whoredom’. Well then, that’s yet another reason to dive right in.

Where ‘Hädaneffer’ (2021) and ‘Av Stoft’ (2022) still leaned heavily on pure Black Metal, recent years have seen a growing infusion of Pagan influences creeping into the sound, resulting in a richer and more layered musical identity.

This is all packaged into two main titles, each consisting of four ‘chapters’. The previous albums also revolved around two titles, but in those cases, both were sprawling compositions averaging seventeen minutes apiece. This time, however, we get a total of eight distinct tracks.

We begin with ‘Ett altare av Skärvor’ (An Altar of Shards), where the new sound is immediately apparent. The combination of Elis Edin Markskog’s aggressive vocals with layered harmonies makes these four tracks feel compact yet potent. Particularly striking are Jocke Unger’s razor-sharp, tight drum patterns, rolling over the music like a relentless waltz. Thanks to the crisp mix, the music never loses its force; it thunders on, grinding the shards on the altar down to dust.

‘Dit gudarna trälar är’ (‘Where the Gods Are Slaves’) opens like a dark myth rendered in sound. The image of fallen gods bowed under a higher, unseen power is translated into a heavy, foreboding musical landscape. Slow, dragging passages alternate with furious outbursts, as if the music itself is torn between surrender and rebellion. The result is a track that commands reverence while conjuring a sense of inevitable ruin.

Personally, this new Jordfäst full-length made quite an impression on me. The Pagan influences are never overbearing, preventing the album from straying into Viking Metal territory, and instead adding something genuinely meaningful to the overall picture. I, for one, am curious to see what these three Swedes will have in store for us in the future.