This is the second album from Swedish black metallers Jordfäst.
Av Stoft contains just two tracks, the first of which lasts 16 minutes, and the next 17 minutes. During these two lengthy songs we are taken on an epic, windswept journey into Jordfäst’s world.
If you think of bands such as Skagos, Ulver, Primordial, Wolves in the Throne Room, Bathory, and Skogen, (the singer of which guests here), you’ll have a rough idea of what Av Stoft contains.
The music is passionately delivered, with detail and depth. The songs are well-written and paced, providing an immersive blackened experience for the listener. The recording is strong – clear, yet raw – and the band’s overall package is well-rounded.
Av Stoft benefits from a good range of influences, including Darkthrone-esque second wave veneration, folk-influenced melodic darkness, atmospheric black metal nature-worship, and epic melancholic hymns that would surely make Bathory proud.
This is as old-school as it gets in many ways, and exemplifies the ancient Scandinavian black metal sound from the 90s. Av Stoft is an authentic and compelling replication of what so many people love about black metal’s raw-yet-epic nature. Both songs are high quality and very enjoyable, especially the second track Kom eld, kom regn, which is my favourite of the two. Honestly, if you’re a fan of traditional Scandinavian black metal then there’s nothing to dislike here.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 