Hejdå

Black metal is my favorite genre. I have heard hundreds of black metal bands, and have enjoyed many of them. However, I acknowledge what many black metal diehards tend to admit, which is that many bands tend to sound generic and are quickly forgotten. Woods of Infinity have always been something slightly different in black metal. Their use of sound samples, catchy folk-ish riffs, and bizarre interludes sets them apart from the typical Burzum, Mayhem or Darkthrone clone. They truly stand apart from the rest.

"Hejdå," their sophomore album is no exception. This is a weird album, however it is that quality that makes it such an enjoyable listen. The songs here are typically mid-paced, however every song is full of tempo changes and interludes to keep the listener's attention. The guitar for the most part is good. Most of the riffs are catchy and remind me of Nokturnal Mortum, and occasionally old Moonblood. This doesn't really fit into the headbanging or hypnotic category, it has its own feel and atmosphere to it. Lyrically I have heard that WoI tends to write about deviant subjects such as pedophilia and rape, but the lyrics are in Swedish, so I don't know. Atmospherically however, it has a feeling of dementia and psychosis, bordering on schizophrenia at times. The vocals range from typical black metal shrieks, to whispers and chants, to frantic psychotic screams.

There aren't really any bad songs here, they all stand out in their own right. Worthy of special notice are Under Färden and En Förgången Tid. Under Färden is one of those dark, brooding tracks that would feel right at home on Filosofem. This song is probably the best example of WoI's unique style on this album. En Förgången Tid is the long epic track here. It is an amazingly crafted song with a truly triumphant feel to it. Also worthy of mention is the strange black metal cover of Barry Manilow's "Old Songs." This type of non-metal black metal cover worked well for Mutiilation's version of "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, but it is a different case here. It is in no way a bad track, but it almost disrupts the flow of the album. It would have probably fit better at the end as a bonus track. However, I will say that this choice of a cover song fits in with WoI's bizarreness.

Overall I would recommend this to any black metal fans, especially those looking for something different. If you are a fan of WoI's other releases, this is more of the same, and if you've never heard them, this is a good place to start.