Band:	Skuggsjá
Album:	A Piece For Mind & Mirror
Style:	Pagan folk metal
Release date:	March 11, 2016
A review by:	Windrider

01. Intro: Ull Kjem
02. Skuggsjá
03. Makta Og Vanæra, For All Tid
04. Tore Hund
05. Rop Fra Røynda - Mælt Fra Minne
06. Skuggeslåtten
07. Kvervandi
08. Vitkispá
09. Bøn Om Ending, Bøn Om Byrjing
10. Outro: Ull Gjekk
11. Skaldens Song Til Tore Hund [deluxe Digipak bonus]
12. Quantum Pasts [deluxe Digipak bonus]

Folk music and, more specifically, music played with locally traditional instruments has a long and colourful history in metal. It is probably the most tolerant subgenre when it comes to the acceptance of bands that aren't actually heavy in any way or don't use electric instruments. When we're speaking of Skuggsjá today, it's safe to say that their debut album, A Piece For Mind & Mirror, contains about half-electric and half-acoustic music, while not all the electric stuff can be considered metal, too. However, in recent years many bands showed that this can come out well, and Skuggsjá are not an exception to this.

Being some kind of supergroup with (ex-)members of legends like Enslaved, Wardruna or Gorgoroth, the Norwegians sat together to create a piece of music that's pushing the folk elements very far. Just like in their other bands, authenticity and earnestness are key attributes and contribute to the Viking vibe. Traditional instruments play a main role in all of the songs, while the exact selection dictates the atmosphere and character of each track. This in turn goes hand-in-hand with the different vocal styles used, and altogether leads to a wide range of tunes from the heavy title track all the way down to the mellow "Skuggelslaten," to name two of the best songs.

Production-wise everything is well done, although without something special but all the instruments and their specific characters have been captured with a clear and warm tone. So everything's looking very good, right? In theory, yes. In practice, however, I've experienced the problem that even after multiple listens there was hardly anything staying in my head after I put down the headphones. Not that I wouldn't enjoy A Piece For Mind & Mirror while I listen to it, but there is nothing so exceptionally good or even outstanding that stays in the head for hours after you stopped listening. What also contributes to this feeling is the fact that many melodies have been used in more than one song. This gives a good feeling of a whole, conceptionally closed album, but I think with the range of instruments, vocals and the talents of the members, there could have simply been more. Possibly it's also the big range of styles that gives you a bit of everything, but only this little bit and nothing more.

What are we left with now? The title, A Piece For Mind & Mirror already tells most of it. Bringing in some mind (and mood), this is probably the right music for you. But just like a picture in a mirror it may fade as soon as you put it down. After this solid debut album I hope to hear more of Skuggsjá in the next years, hopefully with the same setup, but maybe one or two ideas more for each direction they go in.