Today, the 14th of November 2014, is a major day in the already two years old history of Askrinn.
Today, I am proud to announce the release of the first Askrinn full-length album, entitled Hjørleifsljóð, a pagan black metal opus filled with Old Norse lyrics and mediaeval content. It is now available as both a limited CD edition and as a free download (keep reading to know why).
I am highly excited to hear all of your feedbacks on those sounds, and I hope they will match the very positive reviews the album has received so far.
Askrinn's new album is Out Now
It is a 5-tracks album. The four first songs are based on an old Icelandic saga composed around 1300 A.D., while the last one happens to be a cover of the song "Hymn To The Forgotten Pagan Gods" by Bornholm (Hungarian black metal band).
In order to stay as close as possible to the primordial meaning of the saga, the texts are in Old Norse, the language that used to be spoken by the Vikings in the mediaeval Scandinavia.
Thematically, there are many references to the Viking culture and to their way of life, with some esoterical or mythological elements intertwined.
Musically, if you haven't had the opportunity to listen to the sounds I had previously shared, Askrinn evolves in a melody-filled pagan black metal audial universe with old-school influences, which should please the fans of Arckanum, Bathory and possibly Windir.
If you want this album
As already mentioned many times over the past articles, this new album is available in two formats : CD for the collectors and people (like me) who do enjoy owning something physical, and Digital for people who don't have enough funds/want to check it out/enjoy the ease of bringing their mp3s in their pocket.
The first CD edition is limited to 60 copies worldwide, and at the moment where I am writing this article there are still around 15 copies left since many of you have preordered the album since October 1st.
Click here to grab your copy of the limited CD edition
_Hjørleifsljóð_ is a five-track EP of mesmerizing qualities. The sound and style are both seldom found on contemporary recordings, based on an aesthetic that belongs to the second wave of Scandinavian black metal
Otherwise, feel free to get your free digital copy of this new black metal opus. Yes, it is completely free !
What do the 'zines say about it?
The feedback for this album has been globally very positive so far, with very good and motivating reviews being written. As I proposed in a previous post, I will probably compile some of them in a dedicated article, but for now you can access all of them from the dedicated release page.
Here are a few excerpts from the latest ones I received :
All in all, if you are a pagan black metal fan, Id certainly recommend you to check out Hjørleifsljóð. Its high quality in every manner.
It sounds so suffered and deep, there is so much soul in it. Give it a go, you will be happy that you did.
So, why is the album available for Free Download?
I will try to explain simply.
Basically, I do not believe in selling mp3s. I understand people enjoy virtual formats, and I am myself using a lot this format as I have to move from time to time, so it's definitely better than bringing a CD collection.
However, I don't want to sell them. I am making music because I want to share it with you. So, I don't want to put people aside because they cannot afford buying a lot of music, or maybe because they are afraid of losing the files they bought.
Therefore, I have decided to share it for free. Feel free to grab it - and if you want to say some kind of 'thank you' then feel free to share it around with your friends who also listen to this kind of music !
So, I do hope you enjoy these sounds. Just leave me a quick comment below this article to let me know what you thought about this new album, once you've listened to it ! (if you hated it, you can say it too!)
Thanks a lot for your support,
V.