Download "Aethelred" (from the album Mulmets Viser).MP3

Mulmets Viser - Songs of the Darkness
 
Darkness falls and another day’s toil has come to an end. Tables of food are borne out from the feasting hall and horns filled with golden ale handed round. Then begins the telling of legends and singing of verse; tales of noble heroes and mighty kings, great feats and hard-fought battles, songs of life and death, of drinking and feasting, ballads of buxom wenches and wanton maids, and myths of mystical beings who work their evil enchantment upon the lives of men. The skalds tales continue until all have drunk more than their fill...
 
This is the setting of Mulmets Viser, Svartsot’s second album and worthy successor to 2007’s Ravnenes Saga, and the tales continue along similar veins of myth and history, drunkenness, feuds, and debauchery. Svartsot’s characteristic thunderous metal riffing and feisty folk melodies have become both mightier and yet more folk-music inspired, showcasing exactly how strong the new line-up is.
 
Svartsot originated in Randers, Denmark in early 2005, playing melodic metal fused with folk music and growled Danish vocals; a solid platform utilized to deliver the tales of Denmark’s history, mythology, and folklore. From early on, whistles and other folk instruments were included in the songs, adding extra weight to the folk music aspect.
 
Before signing to Napalm Records and recording the debut album Ravnenes Saga in 2007, Svartsot recorded two demos (Svundne Tider in 2005 and Tvende Ravne in 2006). These demos helped win the band musical acclaim in both Denmark and abroad, as they received many positive reviews.
 
Unfortunately, the line-up from Ravnenes Saga proved to be relatively short-lived. Following the Ragnaröks Aaskereia tour in October 2008, whistler Stewart Lewis announced that he would be taking a break from the band for an indefinite period. Pressure had already been building up within the band through various differences in musical opinion, and in December 2008 four of the members decided to depart, leaving guitarist and main composer/lyricist Cris J.S. Frederiksen as the sole active member.
 
Determined to keep the band alive, Cris recruited new members in early 2009, including Stewart’s stand-in from the 2008 tour - Hans-Jørgen Martinus Hansen, who subsequently joined full-time on whistles, mandolin and accordion. This ‘new’ Svartsot was completed in February 2009 and ready to smite the Danish stages once again by early March.
 
With the line-up in place, work on new material resumed in earnest. New bassist and skilled lyricist, Englishman James Atkin, contributed with English originals for about half of the lyrics on Mulmets Viser.

In October 2009 Svartsot entered the Lasse Lammert’s studio (known for his work with Alestorm) in Lübeck, Germany. Lasse recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered the album, which is characterized by a solid and natural sound, heavier guitars, and a greater use of acoustic folk instruments. The concept of the album is complimented and strengthened by the artwork and layout of Gyula Havancsák, as well as the photography of the young Danish photographer Jonas Højgaard Andersen.
 
With a deafening battle cry, Svartsot takes to the field new armed with folk metal anthems and ready to win the fight. The Danish warriors' second release "Mulmets Viser" takes no prisoners, but rather delivers skull-crushing, aggressive death metal permeated with sweeping Nordic folk melodies.  The fine details of the folkloric passages come to life better than ever, as Svartsot has intensified the use of genuine folk instruments. Yet these unrelenting warriors have not left their metal roots behind, but  rather continue to forge one deadly mix of death and folk metal that is bound to entrance fans of Amon Amarth into a neckbreaking frenzy. "Mulmets Viser" is also available as a limited edition digipack including 2 bonus tracks and different artwork.
 
Svartsot is:
Thor Bager – Vocals
Cris J.S. Frederiksen – Guitars
Hans-Jørgen Martinus Hansen – Whistles, accordion & mandolin
Cliff Nemanim – Guitars
James Atkin – Bass
Danni Lyse Jelsgaard – Drums

Official Site: http://www.svartsot.dk
Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/svartsot