Truth be told, the mere mention of the word ‘vampirism’ should prompt any self-respecting industrial fan to run off in shock and horror. For indeed, this garlic-laden concept has been so sliced and juiced to death, from sixties Hammer flicks and gutter literature to uninspired gothic bands and (gasp) Mortiis side-projects, that even daring to come up with a fresh and exciting approach to the topic would prove infinitely more difficult than planting a wooden stake into the heart of one’s mother-in-law. And yet, that is exactly what Nordic wunderboy Henrik Nordvargr Björkk has managed to do on this, one of the many exciting slices of ambient music he has graced us with over the last two years.

As the title implies, this 40 minute-long album, released, as some of the Swede’s previous projects, on Italian kult label Old Europa Café, is a rewarding journey into the mesmerizing world of blood-sucking ghouls and assorted pointy-toothed creatures, and while there is actually precious little to be found here in terms of actual nods to the subject explored (except for subtle references to the infamous Talamaur creature of the Southern Pacific isles, the Moroi of Romanian folklore or a passing mention of the word ‘Upir’, the Slovak translation for vampire – as well as some other cryptic allusions which will no doubt have escaped yours truly), this fine piece of aural pleasure contains enough creepy ambient layers and old 78RPM acetate vinyl scratches to keep your average Les Joyaux de la Princesse fan happy. The man from Karlskoga also proves, if his impressive output hadn’t made that clear enough, that he has an inbred genius for adorning what would otherwise have been a nice enough ditty with carefully chosen samples or rhythms that turn it into something altogether more remarkable and ear-pleasing – the song ‘Algul’ being a point-in-case. The man’s experience, rivalled by few on the Northern industrial scene (for he has now truly earned his place alongside the Lina Baby Dolls and Roger Karmaniks of this world), no doubt plays a vital part in this process, and while most others with a similar lifespan in the music world would probably have been content to just regurgitate the same old patterns and ideas (no names here !), Nordvargr keeps churning up soundscapes more hearteningly relevant than any fresh-faced, button-twitching muso this side of a Youtube account.
‘For The Blood Is The Life’, which comes in three different, limited editions of similar aesthetic quality, is yet another testimony that when it comes to dark-leaning music of the finest mould, few can rival the multi-faceted Scandinavian.
What sweet music he makes, indeed!
 

…and as mentioned earlier, almost all albums are discounted during February, so there is no better time than now to enter my world… Inwards to salvation!

E.6 Desert land from Cristina Pavesi on Vimeo.

• A remastered version of the second album by Nordvargr/Drakh “Cold void of nothing”
• “Helvete” with exclusive and unreleased materials (only available with purchase)
• “Psychoacoustics” by L/A/B
• A preview of the forthcoming vinyl only release “Murkhr”

I have also cut the prices – all albums (with a few exceptions) costs only 4€ to download. Offer lasts all February!

http://heathenharvest.org/2012/01/24/re-awakening-an-interview-with-nordvargr/