Album Review: Månegarm – Ynlingaätten’s Waste (Napalm Records)

Swedish folk metal wolf pack Månegarm take another stroll through ancient sagas and myths of long forgotten times on the successor of chart-breaking Fornaldarsagor (2019) – the upcoming 10th studio album Ynglingaättens Öde (Engl. the fate of the Ynglinga kin) – out April 15, 2022 via Napalm Records.

Kicking of proceedings with an epic, Månegarm come screeching out of the woods with a blazing assault of blackened metal on Freyrs blod. A track that gets more and more unique sounding as it goes on. Folk infusions, melody, trad-metal grandiosity and so much more. It’s over 10-minutes long and it delivers one hell of a powerful experience.

Few bands would be brave enough to begin their album in such exhaustive fashion but, of course, Månegarm aren’t just any band. They’ve been doing this for a long time, and it shows in the best way possible. A band not just confident in their abilities but aware that they can begin like this and still captivate as the album goes on.

Månegarm will have your attention and with the bouncy and anthemic heaviness of Ulvhjärtat, the undeniable catchy brilliance of Adils fall and the melodic drift that En snara av guld delivers.

At this point it would be pertinent to acknowledge that part of what makes this latest Månegarm such a great listen is that it nails the balance of folk and metal. Neither dominating and neither found lacking. When Månegarm choose to focus on one more than the other, the end result is still always something that sits in the folk-metal camp. Case in point, Stridsgalten. A track that has more folk pomp but is also intense and melodic.

It’s yet another glorious listen on an album that just doesn’t stop delivering and there’s still so much more to come.

Auns söner, delving deep into the blacker side of Månegarm’s sound but with an incomparably catchy chorus. Vitta vettr, where lavishness makes its imposing return. Vitta vettr, which takes the listener on a melodic journey of heavy wonder, and Hågkomst av ett liv, which delivers dreamy folk beauty. The vocal duet in the latter is simply wonderful and is the perfect outro.

Although the bonus of having the English version of Ulvhjärtat aka The Wolfheart is nice touch.

Månegarm – Ynglingaättens Öde Full Track Listing:

1. Freyrs blod
2. Ulvhjärtat
3. Adils fall
4. En snara av guld
5. Stridsgalten
6. Auns söner
7. Vitta vettr
8. Hågkomst av ett liv
9. The Wolfheart (English Version)

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