The foul duo named Kaldvard is a rather interesting one. Based in the beautiful city that is Bergen and inspired by various Norwegian myths and legends, these guys dabble in melodic and somewhat majestic music that falls somewhere in between black metal and pagan metal. Not surprisingly, quite a few folk metal elements are incorporated into the band’s moody soundscape and they add color and diversity to the proceedings. There are nods and parallels to other Norwegian acts such as Galar, Gorgoroth, Helheim, Trelldom, and Mistur throughout, but in the sense of Kaldvard’s riffs and melodies possessing a similarly cold and harsh vibe as well as a grandiose feel. Bathory’s epic “Twilight of the Gods” also comes to mind at times, which is obviously a great thing. Having said that, the drums lack punch and come across as subdued while the vocals are a tad one-dimensional and lackluster in places. A bit more variation would have done wonders for them. There is some solid guitar work on display here and many of the song arrangements are pretty cool and clever, but the album as a whole is not as cohesive and coherent as it could have been, and it does lose its momentum in places. Still, it is definitely not without its merits and any lover of melodic black metal ought to be able to find something of interest on it. Highlights include the fiery and diverse "I Nøkkens Grep" and the aggressive yet melancholy "Blåfrosset I Tid", so make sure you check those out as they rule.

If you are on the lookout for atmospheric black/pagan metal with strong folk-like undertones to it, "Fossegrimens Pant" might just be for you. Although there is room for improvement here, Kaldvard have loads of potential and I dare say that they could turn into a force to be reckoned with once they have sharpened their skills and strengthened their songwriting talents even more. It will be interesting to see what these dudes will come up with next. "Fossegrimens Pant" is a good and promising start for sure.

 

https://kaldvard.bandcamp.com/