It is said, and rightfully so, that music tells a story unlike any other art form. It interacts directly with our subconscious, evoking emotions and inspiring images and narratives without any conscious interpretation. It connects with memories and it fosters fantasies of things never actually experienced. Lyrics actually get in the way of this process. It’s better if you can’t make out the words, which may be one reason why I like extreme metal so much.

I listen to Sorgestadens Nycklar, the debut EP by Sweden’s Mortifera, and I smell the evergreens, feel the bite of a cold wind, hear the slap of leggings against horsehide and the rattle of blades in their scabbards. My spine is jolted by the gallop, my blood accelerating with the charge. Axes fall, blood flows, songs of victory are sung near a blazing fire under the constellations of the far north. Continue reading »