Sylvaine – Eg Er Framand
Release Date: 22nd March 2024
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Folk Rock, Post-Rock.
FFO: Alcest, Myrkur, Darkher, An Autumn for Crippled Children.
Review By: Carlos Tirado
The other day, in conversation with a friend, we delved into the preference some hold for the composition of metal over its sound. They crave the emotional depth and immediacy of metal without enduring its brutality. That’s where I felt I had the solution: Eg Er Framand! Sylvaine’s latest release.
It’s no secret that I’m the biggest Sylvaine fan at MetaEpidemic Industries, her Stockholm concert earned my sole 5/5 rating last year, with Nova close behind at 4.5/5 (If I could score retroactively of course). However, my expectations for this new EP were discrete because EPs, as I’ve said many times, are usually leftovers. Either way, I pondered whether Sylvaine could defy expectations with an EP in a different genre that didn’t disappoint.
From the outset, Eg Er Framand transports us to a world divergent from Nova. It serves as a love letter to Norway: its expansive mountains, coastline, dense forests, engulfing darkness, and serene solitude. With minimal elements, the EP encapsulates what has become the quintessential Nordic landscape in metal, yet without distortion, aggression, or drums—only strings, synths, and Sylvaine‘s haunting vocals.
Normally, I would dissect each instrument’s contribution, but here, everything harmonizes to accentuate Sylvaine‘s voice and minimalist artistic decisions. While in metal, such focus on vocals might be frowned upon, in this context, it surprisingly works. However, I do harbour a few less favourable observations.
Though it’s not reminiscent of Nova or Atoms Aligned, Coming Undone, Sylvaine has always stood out by avoiding the clichés many similar acts succumb to, namely producing diluted versions of Black or Folk metal. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that this EP lacks the darker aspect—the melancholic riffing inspired by Alcest and the well-timed bursts of anger—that sets Sylvaine apart. It feels somewhat lacking in weight. It’s like when Opeth eliminated all the heavy sections of its music. It didn’t sound bad, but it certainly lost creativity.
For those unprepared for the darker facets of our microcosm, this EP offers what they’ve been seeking: metal that isn’t quite metal. But for those of us entrenched in the depths, this abundance of light may leave us feeling estranged in our own domain.
(3 / 5)
