MÅNEGARM

With a quarter of a century of Viking-related bombast under their studded belts, MÅNEGARM have achieved the kind of longevity that turns hard work into legend. "Edsvuren" is the Swedish crew's 12th studio album, and while fans of their subtly unique blend of windswept paganism, fierce black metal and gently progressive folk elements have always been well served, this latest collection of earthy hymns marks a significant step forward. Grand, gritty and surprisingly emotional, these songs are the best Erik Grawsiö and his henchmen have conjured nearly two decades.

MÅNEGARM have long been the connoisseur's choice of Viking metal warriors. 2007's "Vargstenen" remains a powerful benchmark for the whole subgenre, with only the likes of MOONSORROW and EINHERJER coming close to its atmospherically definitive brilliance. Recent albums have had plenty to commend them, and Grawsiö's songwriting has never dipped below an admirable level of quality, but "Edsvuren" easily slaps the shit out of 2022's "Ynglingaättens Öde" on every level. Bigger, broader in scope, and noticeably more diverse, everything from the opening "I skogsfruns famn" onwards resounds with renewed confidence and mountain-sized melodies. Scabrous, blackened riffs take a more prominent role this time around, but it is also self-evident that MÅNEGARM are aiming higher and harder than ever before, particularly when it comes to those rousing, weather-beaten choruses and horned-hat gang vocals that drive everything forward. "Edsvuren" is no less heavy or brutal than its predecessors, but it has a sophistication that has only been half-realized in the past. Songs like "Lögrinns värn" and "En Blodvittneskrans" exhibit an IRON MAIDEN-like accessibility that suits the Swedes perfectly; Grawsiö's gruff proclamations contrasting sharply with guitar-powered hooks that sweep the listener along as if tethered to the mast of a marauding longboat. The momentum on display is exhilarating. In truth, MÅNEGARM have seldom sounded more convincing, nor their ancient evocations more timeless.

An essential part of this record's charm lies in its creators' employment of vocalist Ellinor Videfors on three of its most impactful tracks. "Rodhins hav" is a beautiful, stormy, acoustic confection, with Videfors's elegant soprano leading the way like a blazing torch, and MÅNEGARM's folk influences brought right to the fore in a gorgeous duet with Grawsiö. It is followed by "Till gudars folje", which again eschews riffs in favor of wistful, acoustic melancholy that hangs in the frosty fog like some mischievous spirit. Similarly, both "I runor rinstades orden" and "Skild från hugen" explore this band's subtler, emotive side with more commitment to the idea than at any point in their history. The latter's bilious fury is a full-throttle encapsulation of everything that sets them apart from their innumerable peers: the use of electricity aside, this is exactly the kind of soul-stirring, fiddle-fired muscularity that would have sent warriors into battle with death-defying bravado. A few dreamy, progressive touches only add to the effect. It is only outstripped by the title track, which features bewitching vocals from FREDLOS's Liv Hope, and a near-chewable sense that the sky is full of ominous storm clouds, and the ground stained with enemies' blood. Elsewhere, "En nidings dad" is the album's brutal, uncompromising peak: a stately march through an icy wilderness, executed with classic metal caprice and a strong sense of unifying pride.

Not just their best album in 18 years, but an unequivocal career milestone, "Edsvuren" should put MÅNEGARM firmly back at the top of the Viking metal tree. The wind is at their backs, and victory is an inevitability.