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An American pagan neofolk duo is released by Fire + Ice's Fremdheit label. Verdandi is the vocals of Alice Karlsdottir accompanied by acoustic instrumentation by Paul Fredric along with guests such as Ian Read and Annabel Lee of Blood Axis.
The North Country, projected for release in the spring of 2006, derives much inspiration from the mythology and traditions of the past, including original and traditional material, and even a reworking of an Asmodeus X song - the apocalyptic 'Wolf in the Sky'.
Together, they look toward a world of wholeness and tradition. Yet this past is not something far away that is over and done with, but is rather the mythic past of the beginning time, that place of might and magic where the worlds were first created and where they can still be created anew.
Acoustic and ambient soundscapes converge forming a background for Karlsdottir’s haunting and melodic lyrics. With special guest appearances by Ian Read (Fire+Ice), Annabel Lee (Blood Axis), Jim Chisholm (Rune Gild Master and author of True Hearth), Spike the Percussionist (Astrogenic Hallucinauting), and Johnathan Kramm (Industrial Orchestra).
North Country promises to add a new dimension to the rich tapestry of Neo-Folk, emphasizing the feminine, the mythical, and the magical.
Strange Fortune listener reviews are a free space to share your impressions of the music.
Michael J. Salo says on 14 Jul 2006
All I know about Verdandi is, the vocalist, Alice Karlsdottir, had one guest song she wrote & performed on Fire + Ice's last album _Birdking_ of 2000.
I recall enjoying that track quite a bit from the start, with songwriting that fit with the mystical fantasy themes of Fire + Ice, delivered in an easy to listen to, refined vocal style. From the one song you could see the potential for an interesting musical project.
Several years later this project appears out of nowhere. For this debut album Alice Karlsdottir works with guitarist & keyboardist Paul Fredric, along with Ian Read of Fire + Ice and some of the frequent roaming musicians of the neofolk scene.
In many ways Vendandi comes across like a female version of Fire + Ice. The lyrical content is quite similar being heavily pagan oriented, serious and sincere yet often sweetened with a whimsical, medieval-fantasy kind of vibe.
Her vocal delivery is very nice and you will quickly agree it is the distinctive musical feature of Verdandi. One suspects she has some classical training in her background, she certainly comes in toward the top tier of talent as far as female singers in the world of neofolk.
As excellent as the singing is it isn't flawless. Although delivered in a largely "classical" style she doesn't hit all the notes with exact precision. This is fine in my view, as this is really "folk"-inspired music and folk music isn't supposed to be perfect, it's just supposed to sound real & sincere. The only real complaint I might have is her refined, restrained delivery stays about the same through the album, which can start to feel like she's holding back and leave me wanting for some variety.
The acoustic instrumentation is quite nice and fully arranged, though it probably isn't distinctive enough to be memorable on its own. Again it's really the singing & songwriting that matters. The music stays with the same vaguely Celtic flavor, at the same slow-to-mid tempo through the album. Verdandi wisely stay clear of tacky keyboards, adding only a little tasteful electronic enhancement here and there.
Although this is a "new" project one gets the feeling these musicians have been around for a while. In fact the copyright dates on Alice's lyrics go back as far as the 1980's for some songs. She is apparently also a member of the same "Rune-Gild" as Ian Read and has written books on mystical subjects.
Perhaps the most surprising point to mention about a group that sound like they're transmitting from some idealized Medieval Europe is that they really come from Texas. Most of _North Country_ was recorded in Houston!
In summary what we have is a new group of talented individuals emerging in the neofolk scene, who know what they're doing, recording an album for us at a high level of quality all around. This is always worth supporting, and I hope you get as much enjoyment discovering Verdandi's _North Country_ as I have already.
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