Atmospheric progressive metal of boldly meandering soundscapes – an EP of genre-fusing takes both dissonant and harmonised, beginning with a nine-minute epic that feels like multiple tracks in one…
Swedish composer and musician David Blomgren creates under the project name Valfreyja, and The Rose Of Rebirth is a multi-coloured, chaotic and conceptually profound look at the artistic freedom that drives his approach.
Distant Shores of Silver-Green is the opener, initially contrasting a quickly cascading riff with progressive rock vocals and distant reverb, later adding soulful melodies, and more of the juxtaposed smooth and distorted tones, as we rise through an impassioned, arena-ready vastness. The guitar playing is impressive, to say the least, sometimes rhythmic and following a distinct pattern, at other times freestyle and expressive as the vocals fall away.
The Valfreyja intention is not simply to write and perform a song, but to create a dreamlike sequence of experiences, exploring storytelling and themes of fate and mystery, by way of a completely unlimited musical outlet.
The music is organic, genuine, skilful, but knows no such anchor as simple genre tags or expectations. As such, to listen is to embark upon a more cinematic venture, awaiting the emotional and sincere reflections of our protagonist, and at the same time, witnessing the colourful chaos and intensity of the varied musicianship.
As we move into The Fountain of Glass, the music is spacious and melodic, harmonies and a choir-like warmth accompanying nostalgic keys and a lo-fi equal warmth from the rhythmically unorthodox arrangement. It’s a poem in action, an almost joyful representation of images and thoughts, and the music is both calming and excitable intermittently – a clear slice of jazz amidst the softer side of Valfreyja’s diversity.
Performative charm is key, almost a rock opera at times, this project appears to hold far more musical moments than the four titles portrayed.
From death metal to a devastatingly delicate, whispered aura, The Rose Of Rebirth suddenly captures the quietness of the mind, before exploding back into the weight and darkness of the former genre. Its title-track is both intriguing and fierce, and clearly recognisable amidst this Valfreyja voice now – a voice defined not just by literal tone but by the lyrical echoes, structural and stylistic choices that ring loud. The sound is something of a stream of consciousness from the artist, unconfined by prediction, and driven by these moments or pages in a story.
On that note, King Of The Fever Dream is perhaps the most performative and unpredictable of all. Here we enter an immense and fast-paced realm of gritty vocals and manic guitar work, distortion and dreamier tones walking hand-in-hand through a darker realm of contemplation.
The voice is lower then higher and impassioned, a sort of Pink Floyd to Queen-like freedom of melody and energy, and the music progresses through almost nine minutes of exploration and intricate details. Always contrast is vital, from death metal vocals of hoarse tones, to lighter melodic guitar fragments of the dream sequence. The track is rooted, however, in its scenes, and indeed in these atmospheric moments of recurring riff and rhythm.
The name Valfreyja is taken from the war aspect of the Nordic Goddess Freja, meaning ‘Freja of the Slain’. It’s aim is to invoke thoughts of both the ‘beauty of harmony and a primal strength’. That juxtaposition and unity is a huge part of what forms the sound of this uniquely counter-weighted musical spectrum.
The Rose Of Rebirth is a powerful and impressively genuine new EP, from an artist with a clear ability as both guitarist and composer, and with a voice in lyric and tone that’s naturally suited to the passion and escapism of effective progressive metal storytelling.
Find The Rose of Rebirth on Apple & follow Valfreyja on Facebook, Instagram & their Website.
