Ferndal – Singularitäten

Band: Ferndal
Title: Singularitäten
Label: Einheit Produktionen
Release date: 11 January 2019
Country: Germany
Format Reviewed: High-quality digital promo

On the prowl for a pleasant blend of romantic melancholy, ancient Scandinavian folk and pure black metal? Then look no further because FERNDAL has everything to offer!  Already with one album behind them it is clear that the German band surely has stepped up their game. The debut album FERNDAL which was released in 2017, had seven tracks to offer with the already mentioned blend you don’t hear too often, four of which were metallic long tracks and a classically orchestrated version of Windir´s Arntor. It is safe to say that with the new album it sounds as if they have plenty of things left to pull out of their bag of tricks with the added guest performances of a church organ and a grand piano, just to name a few. “Singularitäten” however in no way merely picks up where the debut album leaves off and surely leads the listener through the fantastic melancholy blended string black metal work woven oh-so-beautifully together.

Similar to the debut album, “Singularitäten” opens with an intro, easing the listener into the album as the journey takes off easily capturing the mind of the listener with old Scandinavian imagery. The violoncello works very well with the follow up song “Weltenbraende”, arguably one of the strongest songs of the album. The fluency continues to set the right atmosphere as the band shows its full potential in this very track. The two different vocals, harsh and clean, share the spotlight as the string work interlaces with the increasing guitar riffs, repeatedly bringing the listener to the peak of the whole experience and back down again before every instrument and every member teams up to bring the whole piece home.

At this point one would have thought the jig was up, this is what the album has to offer and the full scale of the band was used to draw the listener in at the very beginning; oh how wrong one was! “Bringer der Leere” and “Im Sternenlicht” sort of came crashing through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man before the intermission, and that’s a literal intermission because the beautifully orchestrated cover of Satyricon´s Mother North applies calm and serene atmosphere to the listeners mind afterwards in preparation for the albums second half. “Die Verlorene”  has arguably the strongest orchestra work on the album, the violoncello is strong with this one which again intertwines perfectly with the elegant guitar riffs without neither forgetting nor overpowering the black metal element. The same goes for the two remaining songs, the soft-starting instrumental lullaby of “Serenade” and finally “Distanz” that takes on the role of tying this album up in a neat little bow.

Balance is what this album is built on and not without a reason. The unique sound FERNDAL has offered with their second album has managed to bring an inspiring atmosphere which is at its strongest when the balance is attended to. In this way it is clear that the orchestrated-symphonic element was not just piled on top of the metal structure but carefully stitched together in order to bring the listener an extremely pleasant experience. The only issue one might experience is the down-to-par production, after all, you sort of want it to be taken all the way when the songs are this intriguing and grand. 8/10 Julia Katrin

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