CD

True, cult, uncompromising heavy metal from Detroit, Michigan!

With the new second album ‘Dreaming The Strife For Love’, Italy’s Bedsore have jumped headfirst into the progressive warmth and obscure atmospheres of the 1970s. Inspired by the mysterious renaissance-era book ‘Hypnerotomachia Poliphili’, the album musically weaves the concepts of love as a battlefield, where desire and devotion are tested through trials and spiritual awakenings, with visions of pagan temples, mystical gardens, and arcane symbols. An aspirational and operatic aura envelops ‘Dreaming The Strife For Love’, from the longer compositions and spacious production to the extravagant and diverse instrumentation that includes 12 string guitar, copious use of synthesizers, mellotron and organs, fretless bass, percussion and horns; the dynamic range of the album embracing the most crucial elements of prog rock’s lofty imagination.

In the music of Forndom, the past breathes with a vitality that transcends time. “Moþir” is as complex as the deities it portrays, weaving together themes of fertility and loyalty, love and betrayal, light and shadow. It is an exploration of divine ambiguity, where the nurturing embrace of a mother can just as easily turn into the cold hand of inevitability.

Here, Ludvig Swärd strips away the modern trappings of synthesisers, embracing a purely acoustic sound. The music feels as though it has been carved from the very earth, born from instruments fashioned by hand and played with reverence for the ancient.

Recorded and mixed by Swärd himself, “Moþir” features the talents of Thomas von Wachenfeldt (Bards of Skaði), whose violin conjures both light and darkness; Janne Posti (Häxkapell, Sons of Crom), whose choral tones add a numinous depth; and Draugurinn, whose haunting presence lingers like a spirit from a forgotten age.

Forndom’s latest offering is a meditation on the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth, seen through the lens of ancient Scandinavian spirituality. Ludvig Swärd continues to stand at the crossroads of the past and present, offering a glimpse into the heart of ancient wisdom through the eyes of a modern seeker.

Recorded in isolation, “Havuportaali” blends live instrumentation, looping, and digital manipulation. The raw, barbaric simplicity of the drum tracks, shaped through a Roland Octapad and synthesisers, creates a cold, lifeless pulse that perfectly complements the monotone riffs anchoring the album. Throughout, atmospheric synths – reminiscent of 70s kosmische musik, 90s underground trance, and psybient – form a bridge between the grim black metal foundation and a more introspective, ambient dimension.

From the swamping lands of Finland death/grind trio Galvanizer emerges with their debut album "Sanguine Vigil" after having paid all their dues with several tapes and a 7"ep like we were used back in the 90s.
Galvanizer have quickly become one of the most promising underground acts around, their old school approach perfectly combines with their youthful energy and their sound will perfectly please both fans of old school finnish death metal and modern deathgrind sounds.
The artwork is painted by mighty TG Rantanen, a finnish institution famous for his works with Demilich, Demigod, Adramelech, Depravity and many more.

"Expect the same primitive finnish grinding death madness but this time much more faster and brutal!" (Aleksi Vähämäki)

For fans of Xysma, Machetazo, Abhorrence, Haemorrhage.