ByNorse
Renowned fiddle player Olav L Mjelva has created a unique project, “Afargang”, which blends nordic folk, progressive and black metal, while using the Hardanger Fiddle to create soundscapes. Mjelva was also featured on the Skuggsjá album with Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik (Enslaved and Wardruna). His latest album with Afargang is “Andvake”, which means “Awakened Soul” in Old Norse.
This is an album of contrasts. It is visceral and raw, yet contains complex layering and textures. It feels cinematic and expansive, and yet also has elements of a live production. The percussive assault of Jon Even Schärer’s (Gåte) playing is primal, but also intricate. There is light and breathing space, such as the folk pop “Leika” and the ethereal harmonies of the title track, but also vivid and unrelenting darkness in places, as we hear in certain sections of “Leva Og Døy” (“Live and Die”), the doom laden “I Di Eining” (“In Your Circle”) and the brutal “Sjå Det Blånar” (“It’s Getting Blue”). The songs fit together well and take you on a journey, ending with the transcendental “Kom Ned” (“Come Down”).
For fans of Enslaved and Ihsahn, but also for those with an open, sophisticated musical imagination, just like Mjelva himself. The record contains a powerful musical narrative, punctuated by Mjelva’s fiddle, vocals and guitar, that might just awaken your soul, as the album title suggests.
5/6 | Anne-Marie Forker
Release date: 13 June 2025
