At the end of last year HELHEIM announced the completion of their new album and teased fans with the statement that this was “by far the most intriguing album we’ve done thus far. Expect the unexpected!”. And today the unexpected has arrived, with Dark Essence Records revealing not just the details of HELHEIM‘s tenth full-length album, but also the title track “Rignir”, as well details of the band’s first full European tour in several years.
The single is unmistakably HELHEIM, and yet it’s quite different. Intrigued?
For well over two decades HELHEIM have represented their Norse heritage through their music and their lyrics, with an authenticity and an integrity that is frequently diluted within the so-called “Viking” genres. With Rignir, the band again turned to their heritage when writing the poems that form the lyrics for the album, drawing inspiration from the ljóðaháttr, an Old Norse alliterative verse form used largely in the Eddas.
As to the actual subject matter of Rignir, which translated means Rain, HELHEIM explain:
This time around we have been very inspired by the local weather of Bergen. The autumn and winter seasons can summon the darkest of feelings within oneself, and this backdrop served as the fertilizer that would germinate the seeds of our lyrical ideas. Exploring the darkness of nature as something that can be seen, as well as sensed, it became a canvas where the pen drew words that rose from the depths of solemnity and alienation. Although each track depicts an ever growing intensity of suffering and loss, there’s still a dialogue on how to maintain some sort of sanity or inner peace.
Let the rain fall heavily upon you.
Once again HELHEIM have recorded the album at the Conclave & Earshot Studios in Bergen, calling on the services of Bjornar E. Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES, BLACK HOLE GENERATOR) to mix and produce Rignir alongside the band, and Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED) to handle the mastering.
With a guest appearance by Ole André Farstad playing Lap Steel Guitar on the track “Ísuð”, and with artwork by H’grimnir, tracklisting for Rignir is as follows:
1. Rignir
2. Kaldr
3. Hagl
4. Snjóva
5. Ísuð
6. Vindarblástr
7. Stormviðri
8. Vetrarmegin
Rignir is due to hit the streets on the 26 April, and will be available in CD, Blue Vinyl (limited to 500 copies), and Digital formats, and can now be pre-ordered from:
All formats: https://helheim.bandcamp.com
CD & Vinyl: https://www.
US Webshop: https://darkessence.aisamerch.
HELHEIM are set to appear at the Dark Easter Metal meeting in Munich on the 24th April, and will join VULTURE INDUSTRIES and Dark Essence Records label-mates MADDER MORTEM for the nine-date “Strange Rain” European tour. Tour routing and other confirmed shows as follows:
Apr 12 Kvarteret , Bergen, NO
Apr 24 Dark Easter Metal Meeting , Münich, DE (Helheim only)
Apr 25 Quantic Club , Bucharest, RO
Apr 26 Flying Circus , Cluj Napoca, RO
APR 27 TBC, Budapest, HU
APR 28 Nova Chmelnice , Prague, CZ
APR 29 Backstage, Paris, FR
MAY 01 The Underworld , London, UK
MAY 03 Konfus, Esbjerg, DK
MAY 04 Skullcrusher, Dresden, DE
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