I have a real issue with downtime in that I have no idea what to do with myself when I have too much time on my hands. ADHD doesn’t help matters, and I can get restless in a hurry. I think if I played an instrument or had some kind of creative outlet other than this one, I could manage. Yet here I am, struggling.
Carl Skildum, who you know from projects such as Inexorum, Majesties, and Antiverse, luckily has his musical talent and a practical arsenal of riffs to keep him going, and his new project Skjolden is a product of him keeping himself engaged in between bands. Luckily for us, “Insouciant Metaphysical Grandeur” is a hell of a ride, one Skildum will painstakingly point out is not slick or polished, a result of his own true solo work, yet that layer of dirt and grime adds more charm to these black metal beasts. The project itself takes its name from the village in Norway from which his ancestors left to come to America. Immigration officials could not spell or pronounce the village, and they mistook it for their last name, so it got changed to Skildum. Pretty cool background for this thunderous work!
“In Resplendent Obscurity” unfurls with melodic riffs, the rhythm section rumbling, and howls rippling through the murky void. The vibe is catchy as hell as synth rises behind the chaos, guitars sprint, and a fiery force combines with speed and swelling keys to obscure your mind. “The Fever Swamp of Magickal Thought” has riffs tearing and exploring, furious howls belting flesh, and a chorus that sinks in and makes your blood flow. The energetic burst continues as a colorful assault dashes reds and oranges across the sky, lurching into a mystical haze. “Insouciant Metaphysical Grandeur” is punchy and melodic, growls doing damage, a guitar flurry picking you up and transporting you elsewhere. A brief respite is cut into by vibrant keys and a cosmic push that pushes your imagination into the stars.
“Keeper of the Silent Heart” has guitars fluttering, howls menacing, and a fluid attack mixing into a synth sprawl that feels majestic. The playing turns burly and furious, guitars tangling amid growls that bruise eye sockets, blazing to a massive finish. “While Dying” has guitars spilling and incinerating, the howls reaching into the clouds, keys zapping as the smoke keeps rising. Guitars set the horizon ablaze as total fury is meted out, feeling like its reach wraps around the world. “Can’t Kill My Love” is driving with ashen growls, the pace crumbling, melodies acting like laser beams through thick clouds. The pace sprints and meets up with cool keys, glazing as your wounds congeal, a delirious finish shaking your brain loose. Closer “Narthex Terminus” brings guitars lighting up from the start, howls smearing, a jarring, pummeling push compromising your balance. The vocals wrench as guitars lather, gushing and moving toward extinguishing a massive fire that’s been raging from the start, a final cascade of keys acting as a cooling agent.
“Insouciant Metaphysical Grandeur” may be raw and rough around the edges, but it’s a dynamic piece of work, something that should grab onto most devourers of black metal and give them something to get their juices flowing. Skjolden may be Skildum’s downtime project, but this record holds a lot more potential beyond that, proving again this dude never runs out of ideas. This is a really fun record, a nice nod to Skildum’s roots (both musical and familial), and a barnstormer that gets more infectious with each listen.
For more on the band, go here: https://skjolden.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://skjolden.bandcamp.com/album/insouciant-metaphysical-grandeur
Meat Mead Metal 