But God's dog is strong

2024-03-22 08:00:28

At Disaster you have to be patient, not just because of the doomy sound of the sextet from the Faroe Islands. Long waiting times are normal, “Támsins likam” has already been around for more than six years. Between pandemic pause and busy civic life, it takes a while for everyone to come together. For the latest prank “But God’s dog is strong” (German: “But strong is the hand of God”) they wanted to expand the sound without forgetting their own roots. Stronger death metal influences and rough post metal mix up this concept album.

For the central lyrical thread, Hamferð looks to Sandvík, hometown of keyboardist Esmar Joensen, where an accident while whaling in the bay in 1915 cost the lives of 14 men – under the eyes of the population waiting on the shore. From this point of view, tracks like “Ábær” (Eng. “To the Storm”) seem even more impressive. The thunderous opener alternates between dramatic dirges and fatalistic growls. The power of the storm becomes just as clear as the vital need to secure one’s existence by catching it, while the drastic situation gradually becomes apparent.

The setting of fresh musical accents is extremely clear in tracks like “Hvølja” (Eng. “Walhaut”). The Faroese descend into guttural shallows, employ catastrophic roars and angry screams that bring in sludge and black metal without deviating from the death-doom course – an ugly, destructive piece of music that really makes the extent of this fatal accident clear. “Í hamferð” (German: “As Apparitions”) also ventures into brutal to frenzied realms, skilfully framed by bittersweet melodies. And then there is “Rikin” (German for “geared”), which perfectly captures the balance of old and new sounds and mutates into a thunderous, emotionally charged doom anthem.

Hamferð dare to do something and are rewarded for it. Their sad, melodic trademark doom sound is by no means discarded, just given a fresh coat of paint. More depth, more brutality, plus palpable anger and despair over a real catastrophe lead to death metal, to black metal, to post metal, even to some sludge. All of this fits seamlessly into “Men Guðs hond er sterk”, as if these elements had always been there (so clearly). The Faroese are still growing musically and are releasing another great album. This is slowly becoming frightening.

Rating: 9/10

Available from: March 22, 2024
Available via: Metal Blade (Sony Music)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hamferd