HARDINGROCK 'Grimen' (Candlelight) RATING: 6/10

By JEFF MAKI

Hardingrock is a new project from Ihsahn of the legendary black metal band Emperor, Heidi Solberg Tveitan from Starofash and famed Norwegian fiddler Knut Buen. Featuring narration from Ihsahn spoken in Norwegian, faint elements of his black metal days (in limited vocals), ethereal female vocal parts and historical-sounding folk music, these musicians have created a unique recording. If you're expecting something in the vein of the mighty Emperor, then you're way off, as there is only a limited amount of material here I would even deem metal. The fiddling of Buen and the use other instruments native to the country combine with hints of electronica and guitars to create long interludes of atmospheric folk music—the kind that gives the picture of villagers joyfully dancing around a huge bonfire. There is some sort of tale of folklore going on here, though I am not fluent in the Norwegian language.

To even say this is a rock album would be a stretch. To give you an idea of this record's sound, think of those mood CDs you see on commercials and are often on display at local retailers. Grimen is a gentle and relaxing album for the most part. It is evident that these three musicians are keen on making music and music only, trying something different because this is what they wanted to do. Grimen truly is a work of art, even if the results are varied. The historical aspects and instruments are certainly interesting. Now if only we had a translation to appreciate this piece to its fullest.