Rating: 7.5/10
Release: 6 May 2016
Label: Northern Silence Productions

Strange how you can have the feeling that some bands are around much longer than they actually are. The name feels familiar, you think you have seen them multiple times at all the pagan festivals, the vocals and sound are instantly recognizable. While in fact Germany based Firtan is only active since 2010. Having released only one full length album, this is only their second EP. It’s somewhere between pagan and black metal. The music leaning more towards pagan, while the vocals are more towards black. Singer Philip Thienger cries out his despair with high shrikes as well as rather nice semi-clean vocals.

First song ’Innenschatten’ is almost 7 minutes long and ‘Im Licht meiner Sonne’ almost 10. Rather sombre lyrics in German, a language most fit for dark themes. How about the start of ‘Im Licht meiner Sonne’: Und wieder geht ein weiterer Tag, der mich bloss zusammenhalt; und wieder geht ein weiterer Tag, an dem sie mich gefangen haelt’. These guys are not on earth only to have a laugh. They sure do know how to handle their instruments and how to write a compelling piece of music. Not easy to make 10 minutes of music interesting throughout the entire song. Firtan delivers. It’s a kind of music you have to be in the mood for though. I wouldn’t have it before breakfast, to be honest. But when you are in the mood for it, Firtan takes you on a dark journey you may well get lost on.

Tracklist

1. Innenschatten 07:00
2. Im Licht meiner Sonne 09:56