At the tail end of 2013, Glittertind graced us with an absolute masterpiece in the form of Djevelsvart, their first album released as a full band (and their third full-length album overall). 2015 sees them return with their next opus Blåne for blåne, and whilst it’s a far cry from the darkness, heaviness and despair of Djevelsvart, it’s a momentous piece in its own right. Blåne for blåne is Djevelsvart‘s equal; featuring light where there was darkness, hope where there was despair and gentle melodies where there was nigh-on crushing heaviness.
Blåne for blåne is a light and carefree folksy-acoustic album with an absolutely wonderful vibe throughout, and sees Glittertind forge a brand new direction with their music, playing melodic/acoustic folk as opposed to the folk metal of past releases. However despite the change in genre, there’s no mistaking that it’s still Glittertind – it firmly has their stamp all over the music due to the sublime vocals and heartfelt instrumentation that has always been a staple of Glittertind’s music through the years.
Listening to Blåne for blåne gives the feeling that all your troubles are floating away; it’s gentle and soft, with an ethereal ambience to the music, and a particularly good example is the title track. The introduction to the track sets things up nicely before the vocals present themselves and although the song is a fairly simplistic one as a whole, the simplicity works in its favour – it will give you goosebumps as it’s one of the most atmospheric on the entire album and it features what is perhaps one of the most emotive vocal performances from Torbjørn Sandvik. The song as a whole is a tremendously powerful piece despite being one of the gentle and laid-back of the album and it really resonates in your mind after the closing chords ring out.
Another highlight of the album is the opening song, Ukjend land. A triumphant beginning to Blåne for blåne, it shows off exactly what the listener can expect from the rest of the album and sets the scene well – it grips you immediately and the music just sucks you in. Indeed, it barely even takes one listen of Ukjend land before it inevitably gets stuck in your head and you find yourself humming along to it, which is surely testament to some masterful song-writing if it can leave an impression on you after one single listen. What a way to start the album!
Blåne for blåne is different, there’s no question about that, but it’s different in a good way. It’s always good to see a band take risks – and it’s absolutely paid off for Glittertind because Blåne for blåne is a timeless and impressive album that people will be speaking about for a long time to come.
10/10
