MIDNATTSOL — Nordlys (review)

Album · 2008 · Gothic Metal

4/5 · 2011-05-02
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Based on how their music is promoted as being ‘Nordic Folk Metal’ it would be all too easy to get the wrong idea about Midnattsol’s second album Nordlys, which was released in 2008. This album, while it certainly does have some folk elements, not least the vocals of their singer Carmen Elise Espenaes, is much more a gothic metal release with only a couple of tracks that really have a dominate folk metal feel to them. The problem with it is that it was promoted as folk metal and it rarely is, so listeners may have come to it and expected one thing and got another, which may have left them with a negative reaction, especially because although it wasn't the most folk fuelled metal album ever made, the group's debut release Where Twilight Dwells was without a doubt a folk metal album.

The songs are however really strong compositions in general once you’ve got over the fact that the album doesn’t exactly contain what it says on the tin. At first listen it may take a couple of tracks to get into the album but in all honesty there isn’t a really bad track on Nordlys, although it does have a couple which don’t quite maintain the quality of its very best offerings. There’s enough variety here to keep the listener interested, although the basic formula is heavy riffs with lead melodies rather than actual guitar solos. They throw in acoustics here and there as required and even a few elements more in common with symphonic metal, such as at the end of Konkylie, which is one of the best songs from the album.

My personal favourite of Nordlys though is one of the tracks where the band really do delivered what they say they do, which is Nordic folk metal, that is folk metal with Norwegian lyrics if you hadn’t worked that out already. The band doesn’t use traditional instruments in it though, still favouring lead melodies played on the guitar to create a folk melody. Others highlights for me are the aforementioned Konkylie, which is the longest piece on the album and in my opinion is Carmen’s vocal highlight, and also Wintertime where acoustic guitars are used to great effect.

Other moments such as the opening track Open Your Eyes, while still good just don’t quite hit the spot the same way that the album’s gems do. The main problem that I have with this one is the way it starts, Carmen’s vocals just do not fit the music, causing it to sound somewhat disjointed, though this is a freak and rare occurrence as far as Midnattsol’s music is concerned, because otherwise everything is pretty solid stuff, although the album as a whole doesn’t make it into classic album territory.

Overall I think Nordlys is a very fine album by Midnattsol, although one must remember not to take this one as folk metal by any means. Because of that though the album may indeed be seen as a disappointment or a dip in the band’s career if you prefer but honestly once you can get over that Nordlys is far from a bad album and is deserving of a pretty high score.

As an extra note on the limited edition, you’ll get one extra song called Octobre which actually adds another level of variety to Nordlys in the fact that instead of the voice of Carmen you hear the voice of lead guitarist Daniel Droste. The song is not really a must have in comparison to the main album but if you can get a limited edition at a price that isn’t too inflated on the regular edition it is worth having. Don’t pay an outrageously higher price for this one song though.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven)