Norna returns for its second album.
Following their debut in 2022, Tomas Liljedahl (guitar/vocals), Christophe Macquat (guitar) and Marc Theurillat (drums) sign to Pelagic Records for the release of Norna.
Pike Bay immediately assaults us with an oppressive saturated sound crammed with equally thick and heavy screams, blending Post-Metal and Sludge over a slow rhythm. A touch of melancholy tinges the abrasive block that constantly crushes us, coupled with hypnotic dissonance in the closing moments, then it’s with For Fear Of Coming that the trio suffocates us, adding ever more soaring harmonics. The contrast with the abrasive base is completed by strange vocal parts that add to the howls, then the haunting riffs turn into more or less soothing waves on Ghost, creating a steamy intriguing atmosphere. Slowness remains one of the main components of the composition, which becomes more complex before its disquieting break, but returns to the airy approach before giving way to Shine By Its Own Light, which begins with altered vocals and more progressive patterns that end up bewitching us. Vocals remain anchored in this misty darkness throughout this long track, but the mood changes again when Shadow Works follows, developing a more impressive approach thanks to heady guitars, creating a rather chaotic and gritty effect. We move on to Lion Love, which develops slightly more playful tones, reinforcing the complementary disparity and placing a touch of lightness in the heavy sounds that the musicians maintain on a near-permanent basis.
Norna‘s musical approach continues to move between slowness and oppression, allowing Norna to develop dissonance, darkness and hellish howls. The compositions follow on from one another, but never look like one another, giving our progress a natural rhythm.
85/100