Danefae - Trøst - review
Danefae - Trøst - review
Tracklist
01. Fuglekongen02. Vætter
03. Natsværmer
04. Vandskabt
05. P.S. Far Er Død
06. Trøst
07. Blind
08. Sang Om Håb
A review by
musclassia February 05, 2025
Originally the solo project of vocalist/pianist Anne Olesen, Danefae took shape as a full band when the members met while studying at a conservatory and discovered a shared appreciation for progressive rock and metal. After 2022 debut album Tro, the Danes have crafted a follow-up record to be proud of; taking lyrical inspiration from Danish culture, history and nature, the musical composition of Trøst is quite daring and novel.
When I first listened to opening track “Fuglekongen”, I initially wondered if I had stumbled upon the next Kalandra, due to the coalescence of Olesen’s tender vocals (with all lyrics in Danish) and folkish soft rock instrumentation rendered with acoustic guitar, understated percussion and subtle electronics; while the nod to Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre” in an early recurring vocal motif is intriguing, it is how the instrumentation lives up and Olesen’s pitch soars immediately after the first occurrence of said motif that really took my mind to Kalandra. However, as the track progresses, first proggy mellotron guides it in a rockier direction, and then suddenly crunching metallic distortion and cymbals come crashing in to reveal a metallic side to the band.
Now, Kalandra did dabble slightly with metallic sounds on their album last year, but Danefae are an entirely different beast; even with all their gentle and tranquil passages across Trøst, they are undeniably a progressive metal band, and an accomplished one at that. During my first couple of listens, after being so pleasantly surprised by the opening song, I was initially slightly concerned when “Vætter” arrived afterwards, as I found the metallic tones and riffing style on the song to be very reminiscent of Caligula's Horse, but while the shaping of the vocal melody in the chorus does lend further support to this comparison, the track ultimately reveals itself to still possess its own novelty, whether one is appreciating the fast-speed lyrical flow in parts of the verses or the curious interplay between Olesen and two guest vocalists in the song’s second half.
Curiously enough, as heavily as “Vætter” reminds me of Caligula's Horse, it’s not a resemblance that’s pervasive across the album. In terms of other artists that come to mind when listening to Trøst, one other that I can hear in the gloomier piano passages of the record, such as in the beginning of “Natsværmer”, is Iamthemorning, but this song eventually gravitates in a heavier rock direction, and ultimately a dramatically synth-laden metallic one in the closing minutes. Danefae aren’t an overly heavy band, but there is some serious djenty crunch in the blissfully melodic intro and chorus of “Vandskabt”, and 12-minute album centrepiece “P.S. Far Er Død” even leans ever so slightly towards more extreme territory in a couple of moments accompanied by harsh vocals from Andreas Dahl-Blumenberg (Feather Mountain).
“P.S. Far Er Død” successfully demonstrates the broad range of Danefae, opening with enchanting acoustics, traversing mellow piano and keyboards, offering metallic bombast in the chorus, and going on proper prog tangents capped off with striking guitar solos (otherwise a rarity on the album). The three songs that comprise the end of the album after this track are much shorter and generally confined to a single vibe, whether it be the isolated atmospheric clean guitar of the title track, the percussive energy and weightiness of “Blind” (the other song here most reminiscent of Caligula's Horse), or the subtle folksiness amidst the intensity of closing song “Sang Om Håb”.
As a complete package, it’s a fascinating ensemble of styles and tones, one that features moments of familiarity to allow listeners to orient themselves with reference to other established acts, but one that also brings everything together in a way that isn’t particularly indebted to anyone in particular. There’s still room for Danefae to grow (there’s scope for greater memorability or emotional resonance in the songwriting), but they’ve struck upon something that is already reaping dividends.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 7 |
Written on 05.02.2025 by
Written on 05.02.2025 by
Hey chief let's talk why not Comments
Comments:
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Posts: 6649
The several references to Caligula's Horse had me interested as I was first introduced to the band through their impressive effort last year. This is certainly an intriguing album, the lyrical language barrier didn't phase me much either because I find her vocals to be quite wonderful to listen to. Instrumentally it has some quite impressive progressive and alternative rock structures and compositions.
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 Posts: 9624 |
Posts: 9624
First listen, right after seeing your score for it, and I have a feeling I'll be returning to this one
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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Posts: 212  |
Posts: 212
Very interesting album indeed! I wouldn’t mind if the djent influences disappeared in the next release. There is more originality in all the other styles the band is incorporating anyway. Their next album should be their best ! For now, this is a great listen
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 Posts: 5721 |
Posts: 5721
Got around to it and must say what a wonderful record this is. Just my kind of thing. Though if name dropping then I'm more inclined to liken them in a way to Gåte and more closely to Tabula Rasa that I was spinning quite a bit when it came out now near a decade ago. Something about the production and the sound is similar to the latter one. I.
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