Fra underverdenen

Fra Underverdenen (which I think translates as ‘From The Undergrowth’) is the second album of Norwegian ‘Norse Pagan Folklore Metal’ band Kampfar, originally released in 1999 by Hammerheart Records, and re-released in 2006 by Napalm Records with two bonus tracks from the 1998 Norse EP, giving a total of eight tracks extending over 43 minutes of playing time. All songs are in Norwegian, except the instrumental ‘Fra Underverdenen’, and ‘Norse’, which is sung in English. Kampfar at this time consisted solely of Dolk on drums and vocals, and Thomas on guitar and bass, plus occasional keyboards from both.


The album opens with ‘I Ondskapens Kunst’, setting out Kampfar’s stall of impassioned, riff-heavy, melodic black metal with folk influences. ‘Troll, Død Og Trolldom’ features a digeridoo, which might seem less than totally Nordic and ‘kvlt’, but traditional Scandinavian folk music has often used drone instruments such as the hardanger fiddle and the mouth harp, and Swedish folk-rock band Gjallarhorn also use digeridoo, so maybe it’s not as surprising as it might at first appear. The next track, ‘Norse’, is the best on the album, I think, and Kampfar evidently thought it worth releasing twice, as it also appeared on the Norse EP. Like ‘Gaman Av Drømmer’ from Kampfar’s later album Kvass, it’s major key and exuberant, even happy – which makes a startling change from the unremittingly cold and grim output of most Norwegian black metal bands. ‘Svart Og Vondt’ rings the changes again, with a guest cello player. ‘Mørk Pest’ is probably the harshest song on here, with a surging brutality finely balanced with slower, more melodic passages.The instrumental ‘Fra Underverdenen’ is a mystical and atmospheric piece, again featuring digeridoo, and a fine closer for the album. ‘Troll’ is the first of the Norse EP bonus tracks. It begins with a simple folk melody picked out on the guitar with keyboard accents, before exploding with black metal fury in a manner reminiscent of Drudkh or Nokturnal Mortum. ‘Taering’ is billed as an instrumental on the cover, but very clearly features vocals, so what’s up with that? Anyway, it’s short, folksy and forgettable.

Fra Underverdenen demonstrates that Kampfar are a highly original and innovative black metal band, who deserve to be more widely known. The songs are nicely varied and don’t fit a predictable template, whilst the use of unexpected instruments like the digeridoo, piano and cello keep things fresh. Recommended for the more open-minded kind of black metal fan.

After a while it’s always nice to come back to the icy Nordic shores, at least musically. Not that Fra Underverdenen is the ultimate Viking metal album, indeed I wonder if that one only exists (although Dragons of the North and 1184 would be serious candidates to this title), but at least the guys know their job. Gather your sword, helmet, jump into your drakkar, then go pillaging and raping beautiful women, you know, the same good old story.

Though I won’t consider this album as a masterpiece, it still shows an unquestionable strength: the songwriting. Black or Viking metal are often plagued by repetition and lack of inventiveness, but this is exactly the opposite here. Each song is clearly different, while the overall album atmosphere is fully coherent. Black and Viking elements are shared in equal amount all along these tracks, in short Kampfar is less black-ish than early Enslaved, but far more than Einherjer where BM elements are practically non-existent. The name of Windir sometimes comes to mind, though the band keeps its own distinctive sound.

So, coming to the individual tracks, it goes from the catchy, repetitive (nothing pejorative) and easily memorable Norse, working as a perfect battle hymn, to the more aggressive Mork Pest, closer to genuine black metal, without forgetting longer, more complex tracks like the opener I Ondskapens Kunst or Svart og Vondt. Those longer songs enabling the band to not only alternate motives and structures, but also to introduce some variations with the use of acoustic guitar or piano (e.g. in I Ondskapens Kunst), though those overall remain very discrete. Kampfar never wished to play “soft” Viking metal, if you see what I mean.

The production is allright, the guitars especially exhibiting the characteristic slightly ear-scratching sound, and the vocals being not too prominent. The drums may be more or less muffled down, but as the drummer shows nothing exceptional – not saying he’s bad, only generic, with the standard bits of blastbeats here and there – that’s not really a big deal.

But let’s admit there’s a rather annoying point – the vocalist. The only moment he shows some originality is in the middle of the second track Troll Dog og Trolldom, with a couple of growled verses, otherwise he screams, screams and only screams, like the average BM singer. Now, though they’re far from being my favourite singing style screams aren’t really a problem as long as one gets the impression the vocalist is actually SAYING something. But I’m barely exaggerating by stating here half of the time vocals come down to an unarticulated rattle from some agonizing idiot. Well, at least they’re not too much high-pitched or it would have been unbearable. Here it simply becomes a tad nerve-braking after some time, but it’s still supportable.

Finally, though it will be a minor complaint, this release is a tad short. The closing / title track isn’t really a song, but only consists in a long bass solo backed by a bunch of keyboards and samples, so it’s the typical completely useless track one never listens to but once. The actual album thus clocks at hardly 34 minutes, which isn’t an unusual length for black metal records, but always leaves me with the impression the work lacks a bit of substance.

Fra Underverdenen eventually amounts to an enjoyable album, but in spite of its songwriting qualities not strong enough to make an unforgettable impression.

Highlights: No real one, each of the five actual songs bearing its own qualities. My personal favourite would be Norse, but it’s really a matter of taste.

Kampfar has never recieved the praise the so well deserve. This band has never released a bad song and all the official releases are nothing but brilliant. I really think that this one "Fra Underverdenen" is the best offering from Kampfar because it sounds like here they´ve found the sound they are looking for and use it to perfection!
This is one of the few albums where i enjoy the midtempo material as much as the fast parts. I think this is because one needs the other to be at it´s best. I think that this album is in the same vein as the later recordings of Graveland and that is no bad thing. The things that i foind alike between "Fra Underverdenen" and later Graveland is that there is an underlying groove through the whole album that surfaces now and then in the slower parts of the album. The melodies are really good without becoming too soft and wussy. This is a brilliant piece of black metal art!

Best song is "Mörk Pest" because here everything falls into place with melodies and brutality

Kampfar is one of the most brilliant bands in the whole black metal genre. They straightforward raging mystical black metal. This album transports you to a densely wooded forest were nihilistic blackmetal beast are jumping from treesand living an utter pagan lifestyle. If this description does no make sense let me elaborate, kampar has a magical feel but the music strikes right at the heart of black metal which I see as an embodiment of nihilism.
Unlike other nihilistic bands like mayhem, I find kampfar much more amusing. The production is cleaner, their is a less satanic feel and more of a pagan feel, and the music is melodic as fuck. Kampfar even uses foreign instruments like a didgeridoo which I think blends perfectly. This cd along with every kampfar release is a monument to black metal. Anyone who enjoys the pagan/forest side of black metal as opposed to the stupid satanic bullshit needs this cd.