Darkthrone Revere “The Bird People of Nordland” with Latest Single
I know what you’re probably thinking: “bird people?” As someone that doesn’t hail from Scandinavia, I too thought that was a silly premise, but apparently the final single from Darkthrone’s forthcoming album It Beckons Us All has ties to an actual regional bird.
Though he openly admitted that the song had “not a very metal subject,” Fenriz went on to explain exactly what the song’s about and what went into it using the only method he knows how — very verbosely. So rather than sum things up and miss his particular flair, here’s everything he had to say about the track:
“Not a very metal subject, sorry! It’s about the EIDER bird and Nordland. Many years ago I saw a Norwegian documentary with the symbiotic relationship the coast people of Nordland had with the bird. They watched over the nests and in return could pick the eider for pillows clothing, warmth etc. So that is what the lyrics are about. But again, this is Ted’s song so a bit hard for me to comment on it musically but I will tell you all what I think when I hear it:
“First off, we have a typical grim Ted riff for the verse, then he surprises with a catchy riff for the refrain AND THEN comes my fave part of the album; the post-refrain riff which sounds like Queensryche 1984 style and you can also hear how much we enjoy to play it! EXACTLY where I want to be! Could have played that riff for 8 minutes straight, haha! This loops again with the refrain again without singing and then back to Queensryche ’84. Then first riff again with my added harmony guitar playing on it, what our studio man Ole Øvstedal called “the Corleone part”.
“A break arrives and then things are sped up (not faster than Yardbirds in 64, we are not an extreme metal band, more like MODERAT EPIC) which corresponds with a slower heavy metal riff where we also brought out the mellotrone if I remember correctly.
“Then Ted bombs you with a final part, primitive d-beat thrash with a riff that sounds like Tom G Warrior made it and I also ordered Ted to lay on some hellish guitars. Anyway, I LIVE for that queensryche 84 riff, Ted!”
Our unfamiliarity with the people’s connection to an actual bird doesn’t detract from those riffs, man. Just check out the song below to hear what I mean.
Conversely, Nocturno Culto didn’t mince words, admitting that talking about the band’s music was hard for him. Talk about polar opposites, man.
“Well, AGAIN, talking about our music really blows or is very difficult, at least for me. Personally, music is a floating thing, and I am having a hard time to try to break it down. It´s metal, a bit of heavy/doom/black/thrash, that is Darkthrone now, mixing genres has been something we have done since A Blaze, and especially since 2005. And I am just looking forward on new material, new riffs and ideas.”
It Beckons Us All will be released tomorrow, April 26 via Peaceville Records, but you can preorder your copy today.
It Beckons Us All track listing
01. Howling Primitive Colonies
02. Eon 3
03. Black Dawn Affiliation
04. And In That Moment I Knew The Answer
05. The Bird People Of Nordland
06. The Heavy Hand
07. The Lone Pines Of The Lost Planet
