Rimthurs/Thursamál/A.D.G Records/2022 CD Review

 

  Sweden's  duo  Rimthurs  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  pagan  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Thursamál"  which  was  released  by  A.D.G  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  pagan  vocals.  

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with a  couple of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  a  later  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  throat  singing  and  synths  are  also  added  briefly  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Heathenism  and Spiritual  Ecstasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Rimthurs  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mot  Undergång"  "Nedom  och  Nordom"  and  "Ginnunga  Vé".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ rimthurs

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/ UCkiQLYlREmoZSivEZ0axspg

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ artist/0isIZIqzbets7huPiYYKge? si=AJvmBuljTbytCQMFwzu9jQ&utm_ source=copy-link    

Rimthurs/Gravskrift/Ketzer Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Rimthurs  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  has  recently  been  featured  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Gravskrit"  which  will  be  released  on  March  18th  by  Ketzer  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  90's  second  wave  influences  in  the  musical  style  and  after  awhile  clean  pagan  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  grim  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  a  couple  of  songs  are  instrumentals  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

 Some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in some  parts  of  the  music  while  a  couple  of  later  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  stringed  instruments  and  clean  guitars  which  also  makes  the  album  a  lot  more  diverse.

  Rimthurs  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  pagan  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  the  dark  side  of  Nordic  Mythology,  Frost,  and  Cold  themes.

  In  my opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Rimthurs  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan/black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Braddjup"  "Drommar"  "Irrlara"  and  "Vaka".  8  out  of  10. 

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Rimthurs Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new ep?

The Ödemark cassette was recorded quite some while ago, so I've had it lying around for several years before Fila Sophiae picked it up. During the time between the recording and the release I also recorded a new full length album which will be released march 18 by German label Ketzer records.

2.In November you had released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The biggest difference is that two of the songs are purely acoustic and are very "folky" in sound. A friend plays key harp, a very old swedish folk instrument. I'm very satisfied with the result, as it still sounds very much like Rimthurs. Two songs are more regular black metal, but still with a very big influence from folk music.

Also, I did not write the lyrics for the three title songs, it's a poem by an old swedish poet named Ejnar Smith. The fourth song is an acoustic version of the song Köld from the Ur:Kaos Ep.

3.This is your first release since 2010, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time span?

I always take my time with Rimthurs, as I do everything myself. I also don't want to rush it, I want everything do be as good as possible before recording and releasing. I wrote and recorded both the Ep and the new fullength during this time.

4.Your lyrics cover Nordic Mythology and Paganism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?

It ́s natural for me as being from Scandinavia to use the old nordic religion as base for my lyrics and concepts. I have always been interested in the old sagas. There is a completely different way of perceiving death that I like and identify with, it's more a natural part of existence and nothing to fear.

For me it's completely out of the question to use the abrahamitic mythology as inspiration for Rimthurs, as it has no part here in the cold north. No matter what name the prophet or god is called, he should be erased from the memory of mankind.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Rimthurs'?

Rimthurs literally translates into Frost Giant. I think it fits good with the overall concept of death and misanthropy, as they are the enemies of life and this world. One thing I really like with the nordic mythology is that there is no clear borders between what's "good" or "evil". Even the gods have their dark sides and Odin often seeks wisdom from the Giant races.

6.With the exception of a bass player you record everything by yourself, do you prefer working solo than working with a full band?

It both has it's advantages. It's easy to loose track of what you're doing when doing everything yourself, it can always be good to have some other input in what you're doing. The good thing is that you don't have to compromise because there are other wills involved. And as Rimthurs is a very personal part of me, it wouldn't be possible to have anyone else meddling with the songwriting or lyrics.

I'm lucky to know people with the right mindset who can help out with mixing, mastering and layout though, as my knowledge in some of these parts are somewhat limited.

7.The ep was released on cassette by 'Fila Sophae', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

I have had contact with the guy behind it for several years, he's been a fan of Rimthurs since a long time back. He started this label just last year, so the Ödemark cassette was one of the very first releases on this label. Everything's been going well with him despite him being totally new to this label thing. I also like the small scale he's working in, very limited editions.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?

Planet Rain has had a pause for a couple of years, but is up and running again. We're rehearsing some new songs. We play progressive, melodic death with lyrics inspired by Lovecraft, philosophy and existence.

I started playing drums with black metal band Patronymicon a while back, we're about to book studio to record a third album. Fast, scandinavian black metal.

I also just started playing drums with cult band Sorcery, old school death with their roots in the eighties. At the moment I'm learning their songs and then we'll also be starting to put together another album.

Other than that, I'm working on a four track ep with a project called Blodsed. Also a one man project that I've been doing when not occupied with anything else.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

Overall I've got really good feedback. But as I take several years between releases I think people tend to forget about Rimthurs in between. I did send a cassette to a guy in the U.S. though, so it's spreading I think.

10.When can we expect a hull length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

As I said earlier, the new full length titled Gravskrift will be released on march 18 by Ketzer records. It's dark and melodic with some folk influences, I'd say it's a pretty natural progression since Svartnar. I also have written two songs for another cassette, I'll try to record it before or during this summer. I will probably keep working with that concept, making an Ep of some kind in between every full length. These Ep's will be a bit more experimental one way or another.

The new stuff I've been working on lately for a new album is sounding a bit more aggressive, but usually it never ends up the way I thought. It's a very organic process for me to write music for Rimthurs, I just channel what comes to me and see where it takes me.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I listen to a lot of 70's music, like Hawkwind and Captain Beyond. I don't know how much impact that kind of music has on my writing, nothing overly obvious at least. At the moment I'm also slightly obsessed with Wardruna, the new album is amazing as always. Other than that, swedish folk music and black metal mostly.
But mostly my influences comes from things I read or experience one way or another.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Photography has been an interest for me for a long time. That's the biggest interest beside the music. I read a lot, both fiction and non-fiction. I also like hiking and being out in the nature.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for the interview. Look up the Ödemark cassette and the upcoming album Gravskrift!
Hail the old powers, Hail Death!

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Rimthurs/Odemark/Fila Sophiae/2017 EP Review

  Rimthurs  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  ep  "Odemark"  which  was  released  by  Fila  Sophiae.

   Melodic  yet  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of melody  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling    while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Clean  singing  pagan  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  dark  age  feeling  and  folk  instruments  are  also  used  briefly  and  avant  garde  elements  are  also  used  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  cover  of  Isengard's  "Naglfar"  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  raw  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts..

  Rimthurs  plays a  style  of  pagan/black  metal  that  can  be  very  raw  and  old  school  at  times  while  also  having  an  experimental,  folk  and  avant  garde  edge  at  times,   the production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw,  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dark  side  of  Nordic  mythology,  frost  and  cold  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rimthurs  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  8  out  of  10.

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