Vananidr

Vananidr – Beneath the Mold Review

Vananidr – Beneath the Mold Review

“You know those people who you’re not exactly friends with, but who you’re happy to see whenever they enter a room? That’s been my experience with Swedish metallers, and spelling-mistake waiting to happen, Vananidr. First catching my eye with sophomore effort, Road North, it was the follow-up, Damnation that really put them on my radar. This was second-wave black metal with that something extra: in Damnation’s case, the ability to shift styles cohesively and compellingly. A murky production held it back, and, to be honest, it faded in my memory a bit. Nevertheless, when I saw Beneath the Mold lurking in the promo pit (alongside a predictable misspelling of the band’s name), I was intrigued.” Breaking the mold? Mould?

Vananidr – Damnation Review

Vananidr – Damnation Review

“I first became acquainted with Vananidr through the AMG metal forum. One of the contributors recommended the band’s second album, Road North, on the grounds that although it seemed, from afar, like a fairly straightforward, old-school black metal album, there was something compelling about it that kept him returning. Well, for once, the rabble was right: while Road North was far too long, it’s an unpretentious slab of second-wave, black metal goodness. It also sported that often-undefinable quality, possessed by bands like Immortal or Sacramentum, that brings you back again and again. I was impressed, and gladly signed up for the follow-up, Damnation.” X factoring.