Forsmán - Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjöru,

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Forsmán is a black metal band from Iceland, who formed in 2019.  Their latest release, “Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjörur,” is their full-length debut; they have also released an EP.

This album is pure fire.  That may be ironic considering where they are from but the energy on display here is impressive as hell. Of course, atmospherically speaking, “Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjörur,” is cold as the frozen North and retains so much of what makes black metal both distant and dangerous. 


However, this is more than just your standard black metal.  This album has a lot going on within it; the nearly 45-minute runtime is very busy and chock full of intricate riffs and dissonance.  What is most impressive is that it doesn’t sound convoluted and the mix is on point.  Despite the chaos that never seems to end, the low end and the rhythms just pop out.  The sound of this album is just straight up MASSIVE. 


It’s very primal, it’s raw to a degree although I wouldn’t call this raw black metal.  But it’s just this big, wild thing that has been let out of its cage.  And it’s going to bite you, eat your family, and burn down your house.  


Even though there isn’t much of a breather to this album, in terms of liminal spaces or quiet, ambient moments, the songs have a ton of room to breathe—nothing runs together and each song offers something special.


Check out the intro to the first song, “Drottinn fyrirgefur allt,” and its insane build-up.  It’s urgent, unhinged, and is basically the countdown timer to the explosion at the 50 second mark.  From here to the end, the song presents itself with teeth barred and always within striking distance.  The vocals are lower register than a regular high pitched blackened shriek and this works so well for the beefy, dense sound that permeates the songs length (and album as a whole).  This first song is exhausting, in the best way possible.  Hold on, let me rest for a minute.


Ok, I’m back.  Where was I?  Oh yeah:  “Andvana.”  This song seems like it might be slow or mid-paced based on the first 15 seconds, but the sweltering blackened storm soon arrives, and the band pulls my ears down to the abyss.  As I fall, I catch sight of demons and each of them represent a different instrument.  The synergy of this band is on point, and this song is a perfect example of just how encompassing they are when they fire together on all cylinders.  Which is pretty much the entire time, ha. I didn’t think it could get more harrowing but after the 4-minute mark, the song bursts into overdrive, hell itself baring down on wheels. 


“Kynjamyndir,” is a (very) slight respite from the audio carnage with the first half being slow and dissonant.  But it is still punishment but this time it isn’t just the instruments suffocating but the atmosphere as well: seething, dreary, and hopeless. About halfway through, the song kicks up about 1000 notches: the drums and vocals are very impressive here and they seem to be a race to see who can kill the ear drums first.  


The final song, “Barmafylltar fjoldagrafir,” is one of the best, if not the best, on the album.  The beginning is like a buzzsaw trapped inside my brain that is quickly driving me insane as I lose pieces of myself.  The riffs on this song are INSANE:  groovy, dissonant, and capable of punishment that doesn’t even seem real.  There are some moments where it seems something akin to melody might exist but it’s more like salt on the wounds than something jaunty or pretty.  Good.  This album doesn't need that.  It needs blood and it takes it.  


As of the time of this writing, Forsmán’s “Brenndar rústir & fuðrandi fjöru,” is one of the best black metal albums I’ve heard so far this year.  It’s uncompromising as anything else out there and it’s constantly pushing itself to boundaries, destroying those boundaries, then raising the bar on itself again.  Highly recommended. 


Rating: Excellent












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