Review KAMPFAR ‘Til Klovers Takt’

Not quite as relaxed and cheerful as the dancing people on the cover artwork is the new album from Kampfar, but the sounds of the dark side of power dominate the album. ‘Til Klovers Takt’ is the title of Kampfar’s new album which offers a home to a total of six tracks.

On the new album, the quartet does not flirt with the light-hearted sounds but delivers a dark and grim record with raging beats. The Norwegians are characterized by the fact that they do not just stubbornly push the tempo, but set accents with effective breaks. These are welcome distractions from the frenzy and give the album the required versatility. It is also necessary, considering that Kampfar songs are between 5 and 8 minutes of length.

Things start off with ‘Lausdans under stjernene’. Lausdans, or Halling, is a Norwegian folk dance where men show their skills. This is also done by Kampfar, but in their own way. The song is a furious starting point into the album, which is also not lacking of atmospheric elements.

A thundering bass starts ‘Urkraft’, which is more than just a song title here. This energetic track rolls inexorably forward towards the audience and it is an almost hypnotic basic arrangement that draws fans under its spell.

That Kampfar can build a dark atmosphere the band proves on ‘Flammen fra Nord’ and it is the frenzied elements that form a fine transition to ‘Rekviem’. Even though the song is with almost nine minutes the longest on the album it does not lack a high tempo. The quartet pounds their way through this song, creating a massive riff attack. A tempo reduction in the middle section serves as a great contrast, which is very beneficial to the flow of the piece.

To conclude, Kampfar have once again managed to make a great record that sums up and bundles all the experience of the last few years. Horns up.