Album Review: Jord – Emellan Träden

Band: Jord
Title: Emellan Träden
Label: Hammerheart Records
Release date: September 5th, 2025
Country: Sweden
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording

Album Review: Jord – Emellan Träden via Hammerheart Records by Sílvia

Less than two years since Jord released “Tundra”, a new album by this Swedish trio has seen the light; and, right from the first listen, it has captivated me as their previous work did. Hard to talk about it without pouring a lot of emotion into my writing; because that’s what mainly infuses the music done by this band…

“Emellan Träden” (“Between the Trees” in Swedish) starts with “Stay”, an almost 8 minute piece of atmospheric, emotional, dark music. Those piano notes become obsessive, the melodies are haunting… The first two minutes of this song can break me into pieces. The subtle synth sound creates the perfect eerie background, and I love how guitars go building tension until drums appear; that precise moment is like the end of daze, and they go increasing in intensity while guitars play in the background… and then, it all breaks into almost silence, but those piano notes. When Jörgen starts with his vocal work, it sounds aggressive, harsh but intelligible; I feel all the cold as I delve into the sad lyrics. The pulsating bass provides the sound a big depth, its resonance gives me chills.

Damn, this is an impressive start! Will the rest of the album be up to par?

Truth is, it is. I’m overwhelmed by all the emotion contained in “Emellan Träden”, it flows like an unstoppable stream of sorrow mixed with melancholy, with some hints of hope, like not all is lost…

The way the music in “Emellan Träden” goes from aggressive and forceful to extremely delicate gives me goosebumps. There are spectacular transitions from fast pace to sudden calm, when tremolo riffs and pummeling drums give way to some piano notes and quiet guitar tunes. Or the opposite way, when the music is soft and all of a sudden there’s an outburst of energy… That’s majestic, vibrant, makes me feel alive, cheerful and sad at the same time.

“King of the Night” is another standout. It’s the story of a troll with a hint of blackness, super melodic, with vocals that turn into savage roars, and a spectacular guitar solo that’s cradled by intense drumming. The background synth, more audible as the solo progresses, provides a great atmosphere. It’s a highly emotional moment. This has become one of my favorite songs on the album.

“Emellan Träden” has been released via Hammerheart Records, a Dutch label, with whom they already released their previous work. And again, the cover art is done by Jörgen Ström himself, which talks a lot about the sensitivity of this artist. The image depicts a foggy forest, and a maiden dressed with clothes from years before, seen from her back, going towards it. The main colors are black, grey and faded pink; the sun is on top hidden behind the mist, maybe it represents the hazy and (sometimes) unattainable nature of the hopes we have; and the forest of tall trees, the obstacles to overcome… that’s just my interpretation.

This is an album that throws the listener into landscapes of Swedish forests hidden into the fog, shaken by the icy winds of the North. There are folkloric touches, like the violin on “Hon Kallar” (“She Calls”); a lot of melancholy contained in some piano tunes; there are fragile moments, when drums are gone and it’s only the piano playing a few notes, like in “Dimma” (“Fog”), and the vocals return after in a more fierce way… There are so many details that make this album perfect!

The album ends with “Bortom tundran” (“Beyond the tundra”), a bonus track (only in the CD and the digital version). It’s a dark piece, mournful, atmospheric, with obsessive guitars and bass, and mid-paced drums. Jörgen’s calm, clean vocals are in brutal contrast with his harsh screams, it feels like the end of the journey. And it is…

Not only this trio play some good music, ‘cause this is a quite easy thing to do for artists that are skilled at their instruments; they turn these songs into pure emotion. You can’t simply listen to “Emellan Träden”, you feel it. 10/10

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10/10 Immortal Classic
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