Firienholt – White Frost and Elder Blood

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From their EPK, “Following the success of their debut album "By the Waters of Awakening," FIRIENHOLT return with another full-length record of majestic epic Black Metal. With their sound now truly established, "White Frost and Elder Blood" brings forth their most anthemic choruses and soaring instrumentals to date, dueling with an ever-present blackened edge and haunting doom.” The album has four songs.

“Trails of Destiny” is the first. The opening melody line is quite charming, even though the harsh vocals are grating. The harmonic cleans are very nice, and they play along well with the melody. They lay on the melody line for much of the song, driving the melancholy sound home. After the half-way mark, the sound drops to just simulated keys, with a similar melody, but darker. The sound returns at the end with regal qualities. “The Wolf and the Raven” has a more powerful and somber sound, like a vista opening up to majestic mountains and soaring clouds. Harsh vocals cut against it like a sharp knife. Your emotions grow weary as the song continues. A wolf symbolizes “loyalty, strong family ties, good communication, education, understanding, and intelligence, while a raven loss and ill omen. Yet, its symbolism is complex. As a talking bird, the raven also represents prophecy and insight. Ravens in stories often act as psychopomps, connecting the material world with the world of spirits.”

“Shadows of the Great Flame” begins with jovial symphonic elements, but that sober quality is still omnipresent. The three songs take as a whole so far are a little bit too similar, although the sound is very nice. The song continues to gather in delicate layers throughout, heightening your sense of the world around you. The lengthy “Tedd Deireádh” closes the album. Harmonized clean vocals lead the charge, with a prophetic quality to the message. It refers to “the end of time.” This song has that sort of hasty sound to it…say your goodbyes, and leave everything behind, because the end of time Is naught. You wouldn’t know this was Black Metal if it wasn’t for the occasional harsh vocals. The genre is very expansive these days regardless. The album has a somber, folky tone. Although the sound was rich and somber, the four songs all sounded similar. For that reason, the rating suffers a bit, but I did enjoy the album.

Songwriting: 7
Musicianship: 7
Memorability: 7
Production: 7