Black metallers Ildfar have confirmed 12 April as the release date for their fourth full‑length, Der ligger et land, which will be issued on digipack CD via Purity Through Fire. The band have also unveiled the album's first single and lyric video, "Urgaard".
Norway's Ildfar remain something of an enigma. Formed in 1994 by vocalist and multi‑instrumentalist Favn, the project produced only a single demo in 2003 before falling silent. Upon reactivating in 2018, however, Ildfar began carving out a path of ancient‑days Norse black metal through a rapid succession of albums. So pure, so cold, this trilogy of releases appeared on esteemed labels such as Northern Silence and Wolfspell. Now, under the banner of Purity Through Fire, Ildfar are poised to blaze a new—yet unmistakably old—trail.
Enter Der ligger et land. From the outset, Ildfar's fourth album distinguishes itself through its more measured mid‑tempo pacing and, most strikingly, its extensive use of clean vocals. Yet any concern about a softening of black‑metal ethos is quickly dispelled. One listen reveals that Favn is carrying forward the torch once held by Isengard's Høstmørke, expanding that cold, ancient canvas in compelling new directions. The album retains Ildfar's strictly Norse fire—its very recording evokes a solemn nostalgia for forgotten realms—while stretching those sensations into something mystical, mesmerising, and unexpectedly moving.
While other kindred spirits have revitalised the Isengard template—such as LIK, Lönndom, Ehlder, and Sweden's stalwart Grift—Ildfar's songwriting here is notably more melodic, employing cleaner guitars to stunning effect and conjuring textures that feel more like stargazing than forest‑roaming.
However you arrive at Der ligger et land, one thing is certain: you'll find yourself compelled to press play again and again, sinking deeper into its textures and discovering new details with every listen. In short, Ildfar have delivered an unsuspecting masterpiece. Link
Der ligger et land tracklist:
01. Urgaard
02. Hjemkomsten
03. Under maanen
04. En svunnen tid
05. Vi minnes
06. Naar alt der svartner
07. Solen vekker dalen
08. Dom over hver en doed
09. Natteskygger
10. Der ligger et land
11. Voktere av tid
12. Svartsinn
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"With Hypocrisy, I'm very "home", but with Pain, it's an adventure, just like going into the jungle only with a knife and no glass of water and trying to survive." - Peter Tägtgren
"I'm sort of asking questions - where are the heroes? Where's the defiance? Where are the people who oppose this?" - Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill
"Goth people want to have fun sometimes too. I guess if your listening time is 99% dark, sad songs or evil black metal songs, sometimes you want 1% joy, and here I come." - Franck Hueso
"I hope that through our music and our words, people can feel that connection between us and them, and feel a little bit better — or at least less alone." - Alessandro Belluccio
