The Fjordhammer Weekly Listening List (25th May 2021)

As The Eurovision Dust Settles...

One thing that you may not know about me is my love for Eurovision. It's over the top, batshit crazy music and cheesiness has long held a special lace in my heart from a young age. Euro-pop is far more interesting to me than anything from the UK or the US. It has also thrown up a couple of decent rock bands in the last two decades, obviously Lordi in 2006 but this year we had Blind Channel (also from Finland) channelling Linkin Park and Måneskin from Italy with a unique brand of Italian glam rock. As I've got older the contest has become an educational event, as I get to see how music sounds across Europe and from that you can get some idea of what sort of music is popular in that particular country. Culturally it is interesting to see each country's spin on the variety of genres, and it's even better if they sing in their native language. As this blog shows I'm not scared to tackle songs, EPs, and albums in other languages and I enjoy the passion of an artist singing in their native tongue. I know it's not very metal to enjoy Eurovision but as a musician and producer I think it's important that we look at these things and howl in laughter at the UK entrant getting 0 points. It is with heartbreaking and hilarious at how much Europe hates us in all honesty. In truth the Icelandic entrant has become my latest ear worm, absolute banger of a song that appeals to my secret love of Scandi-pop. Anyway, the world is banging out loads of epic songs this year and yet again we have another packed week of quality songs. With festival season still in doubt and many major ones inevitably cancelling, high quality releases will definitely give everyone hope. So, Eurovision and cultural observances aside, lets get on with this week's lists!

Songs Of The Week

I. Hangman's Chair (🇫🇷) - Cold & Distant (Nuclear Blast), Gothic/Doom Metal

II. King Witch (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿) - Children Of The Sea (Black Sabbath Cover) (Listenable Records), Heavy/Doom Metal

III. Ingested (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Manifesting Obscenity (Unique Leader Records), Slam/Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore

IV. An Autumn For Crippled Children (🇳🇱) - Carefully Breathing (Independent), Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze

V. This White Mountain (🇺🇸) - An Oath To Death (Independent), Atmospheric Black Metal

VI. Havamal (🇸🇪) - Nornir's Call (Art Gates Records), Melodic Death Metal

VII. Hooded Menace (🇫🇮) - Blood Ornaments (Season Of Mist), Death/Doom Metal

VIII. Temple Of Dread (🇩🇪) - Wrath Of The Gods (Testimony Records), Death Metal

IX. Zgard (🇺🇦) - Old Ruins (Schwarzdorn Production), Black Metal

X. Powerwolf (🇩🇪) - Beast Of Gévaudan (Napalm Records), Power Metal

Albums Of The Week

I. Borgne (🇨🇭) - Temps Morts (Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions), Industrial Black Metal

II. An Autumn For Crippled Children (🇳🇱) - As The Morning Dawns We Close Our Eyes (Independent), Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze

III. Havamal (🇸🇪) - The Shadow Chapter (Art Gates Records), Melodic Death Metal

IV. The Ember, The Ash (🇨🇦) - Fixation (Prosthetic Records), Symphonic Deathcore

V. Violet Cold (🇦🇿) - Empire Of Love (Independent), Atmospheric Black Metal 

Discovery Of The Week

This week's discovery comes from the depths of California. These occult vampires create a dark, brooding and ethereal brand of sludge/doom metal that would appeal to the vampiric dark lord Dracula himself. Combining the old school Sabbath grooves with the creeping, icy vocals similar to those found in black metal. It is certainly a spectacle to listen to.

The Crooked Whispers (🇺🇸) - Hail Darkness (Helter Skelter Productions), Sludge/Doom Metal

Throwback Of The Week

This week's throwback is once again drenched in fuzz and bass grooves. Can't seem to get enough of it at the moment, I think because life is constantly in the fast lane, I feel like I need to take it low and slow. Electric Wizard have just been a band that I keep coming back to recently, it's like they have some hypnotic trance over me or something, but you can't deny the low bass fuzz is just perfect for spacing out to. 

Electric Wizard (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Wizard Bloody Wizard (Spinefarm Records), Doom/Stoner Metal

Favourite Song

Weekly Listening Playlist