LONNDOM : VIDDERNAS TOLV KAPITEL
Eisenwald
Lonndom’s first full-length, “Falen Fran Norr”, emerged in 2007, but long-term fans might want to chart the project’s evolution from S. Sandstrom’s previous project LIK. With “Viddernas Tolv Kapitel”, however, it’s probably best to put aside your preconceptions. An acoustic album, simplistic but heart-stoppingly beautiful, this is the band’s attempt to start “interpreting nature in a more open-minded way”. It’s folky and rich, intimate and transcendent, a truly lovely meditation on a lost time and place.
The obvious waystone in your journey towards understanding this release is Ulver’s “Kveldssanger”, but even pointing that out makes me feel reductive; “Viddernas” is powerful simply because it’s so self-contained. It’s as if it really does refer to nature, thoughts and feelings rather than anything so crass as a ‘music scene’. There, I’ve made it sound utterly pretentious, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. The guitar playing at the core of Lonndom’s compositions is refreshingly organic, delicate yet sure, weaving beautiful folk shapes and patterns. It has a very narrative feel about it, so that while frequently economical, it’s never anything but engaging, especially on the captivating “Skaldekonst Om Ljusets Aterkomst” and the ritualistic “Vindaflykt”.
The production on “Viddernas” is perfect, up close and personal, allowing the open strings, nature samples and vocals to settle hauntingly, right in your ear. And what vocals they are; bard-like clean drones, focused, deep notes, whispers, hums, whistles, and just occasionally, as on “Uttorkad Vare Forsen” and “Dröj Kvar”, a beautiful, full-throated soar, which will raise the tiny hairs on the back of your neck. Given the simplicity of the approach on this album, it’s unsurprising that the vocals are such a key element, but Lonndom truly weave their vocal lines through their compositions, over and under the bassy strings, the folk rhythms, and even each other.
It’s difficult to put into words how moving and genuinely exquisite “Viddernas Tolv Kapitel” actually is; each component part seems primitive, but when pieced together with this much skill and feeling, the result is exciting and dramatic. Even if you wouldn’t usually have the attention span required for an hour of raw, shamanistic folk, this is a release that you shouldn’t hesitate to taste. Unpolished, unfeigned and expressive way beyond the norm, this is a magical and majestic album that will linger in your mind for a very long time.
90/100
ELLEN SIMPSON
