It's a pity that they never managed to get out of the third league of Norwegian black metal. Looking only at myself: I saw them once at a concert that didn't break my shoes... I listened to a few albums, of which I don't remember anything at all... Before this review I tried to refresh myself, but so far I can't get anything characteristic from their discography. Or rather I couldn't... Not so long ago, however, the latest Norwegian material entitled "Ofidians Manifest" was released and it changed a lot in my perception of the band.
Let me start by saying that I am aware of the fact that you can attach yourself to this release. Someone will say: "They 'follow fashion'. And this 'someone' may be quite right. The sound and structure of the music brought Kampfar's work closer to the modern black metal version. As far as I'm concerned, I hear a lot of motifs here that I associate with the current Icelandic scene. For me, however, it's not a bad thing. You know, you have to develop somehow. I'm not a fan of recording the same albums over and over again. That's why I strongly support what Kampfar did on his latest album. And what has changed? First of all, it's not a typical BM. Kampfar has always run away from this style a bit, romance with folk / pagan metal. This time they go even harder in the melodies. A very good melody, I must add. I also really like the vocal layer, which is incredibly diverse. There are even female vocals, which fit perfectly into the present face of the band. However, I ask myself: will I come back to this album, and how often? It seems to me that not too often... There is a lot of music recorded in this style.
Maybe even a little better. Nevertheless, the album deserves attention, because Kampfar proved with this release that it is a band much too underestimated.
Full album
