#thehu — Public Fediverse posts

Vengeful trickster fairies, a realm of impenetrable cold and boundless frost, a dragon gnawing away at the roots of the World Tree; Norse iconography is intense, and metal bands have known this at least since Led Zeppelin. Sweden’s Fejd, a folk metal group formed in 2001 from the folk duo Rimmerfors and the prog-thrash band Pathos,1 have been weaving Norse history and mythology into their acoustics-forward heavy metal for decades. They were last heard with 2016’s Trolldom, followed by a decade of inactivity as far as new music is concerned. But now, drummer Esko Sallow, keyboardist Lennart Specht, bassist Thomas Antonsson, vocalist/moraharpa player Niklas Rimmerfors, and multi-instrumentalist Patrik Rimmerfors2 have taken the Fejd banner to Nifelheim, the Norse realm of ice and an album steeped in mist-wrapped mystery. Fejd sing in Swedish and, being a Swiss-cheese-brained American, I can’t tell you if they capture their “Nordic melancholy” in lyricism. But can they musically?

“Folk metal” encompasses a lot of different sounds; the way Fejd do it, Nifelheim is folk, folk metal. Fejd’s approach immediately reminded me of The Hu’s early material, where amidst the great score of acoustic instrumentation, keyboards, and drums, not one distorted guitar appears. This is no issue. The lively, drone-noted strumming on “Edsvuren” and “Sköldborg”‘s Amon Amarthesque fighting riffs prove Fejd can bring the goods without them. Nifelheim’s acoustic soundscape—beautifully captured in a warm and dynamic mastering job—smells of sea salt on “Älvagrimmar” with its wind-swept majesty and “Strilja”‘s medieval jauntiness and Sgàile-like grandeur. On first listen, I was quickly and easily engrossed. Nifelheim doesn’t actually sound Nordic—like most Viking-y folk music these days, Fejd mostly play a hodgepodge of Asian and Eastern European instruments—but it nonetheless sounds like a dip into the primordial world.

Fejd use a lot of instruments on Nifelheim, and brother, you better believe they’re using them all in the same song. “Nidhögg” navigates between mouth harp,3 a plethora of strings, synthesizers, and group vocals while the title track opens to a cavalcade of drums, horns, and synchronized string riffs to bombastic effect. Nifelheim is just about always like this. But what’s crazy is that Nifelheim never sounds overly crowded. This owes partly to its aforementioned mix but also Fejd’s delicate songcraft, which sees pieces sliding in and out of the music in seamless, natural transitions. But what’s similarly baffling is that, though Fejd weave such big compositions together, Nifelheim still sounds kinda thin. This is in part due to a lack of low end, which is mostly handled by Salow kicking the dookie out of his drums, because Antonsson’s bass basically stands in the back of the mix sipping a beer mead. Regardless, in tying Nifelheim’s anachronistic musical identity together into a cohesive package, it’s safe to say these Swedes left no “Ø” uncrossed or “Ä” undotted.

But with how spirited Fejd’s musical identity is and how rich Nifelheim’s compositions can be, it’s a bit surprising how much steam the record loses by the end. Nifelheim keeps to a mid-pace throughout its runtime, and though Fejd can play briskly—Salow really lets loose on the kit when he wants to (“Edsvuren”)—the music nonetheless feels stuck in one speed. Similarly, I’d describe Rimmerfors’ vocals as workmanlike on Nifelheim, serving the music well but being too constrained to stand out or elevate it. Factored together, these two problems conspire to give Nifelheim a feeling of déjà vu. When closer “Svarta Tjärn” rolls out its big conclusion in hopes of a true Viking funeral, a track worthy of one in a vacuum, over-familiarity dims its flame to a serviceable campfire instead. Nifelheim is smooth sailing, but perhaps the trip would’ve been more memorable had Fejd challenged some choppier waters.

Nifelheim is a fun and expertly crafted album the whole way through, but a lack of exciting highs keeps me from giving a full-chested recommendation of it. Fans of folk metal will likely enjoy what Fejd offer on it, and genre diehards are likely to rate it more highly than I. I hear all the essence of a great album in Nifelheim, from Fejd’s expert chemistry to the record’s effortless fluidity. But I also hear the potential for something to really blow the roof off with Nifelheim gone unrealized. A few stronger hooks or up-tempo moments would’ve really gone a long way. But regardless, Nifelheim is a sound warship for Fejd to get back on the warpath with, and more than worthy of your consideration for listening. Skol!

Rating: Good
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Black Lodge | Sound Pollution
Websites: fejd.se | facebook.com/Fejdofficial
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

A few years ago, a friend sent me a link to a video of a band called The HU and their cover of an Iron Maiden song The Trooper. [1]

They're a Mongolian folk metal band, who sometimes sing in Mongolian and incorporate traditional instruments.

In July, they released their 2nd full-length album called HUN! [2]

2/4

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WrvFUZgHro

[2] https://thehu.bandcamp.com/album/hun

#TheHU #IronMaiden #Mongolia #FolkMusic #BandcampFriday

The HU unleash new album HUN alongside epic “Horsemen” video

https://voiceofnoir.com/2026/07/28/the-hu-unleash-new-album-hun-alongside-epic-horsemen-video/

This week's MoshCast features a special guest: Jon Barbas from Heavy Metal Philosophy

#metalpodcasts #existentialism #Metallica #opeth #thehu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfDfLi-Qmc8

If you need me, I'll be riding across the steppe this afternoon. 🏇 🎸 🥁

New from The Hu.

HUN - The HU

https://thehu.bandcamp.com/album/hun

#TheHu #metal #rock

Was seichtes für den Morgen

https://song.link/y/Ef9NK-RaNZE

#TheHU

The HU Release New Single “Grey Hun” Ahead of HUN Album and Announce Major Touring Plans

https://voiceofnoir.com/2026/06/29/the-hu-release-new-single-grey-hun-ahead-of-hun-album-and-announce-major-touring-plans/

Here's some Mongolian folk metal for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DydYoyRX2cI

#TheHu #GreyHun #metal #folkmetal

Kann man wohl hören

https://song.link/y/DydYoyRX2cI

#TheHU

Avec “Wolf Totem”, The Hu mêle chants ancestraux mogols et rythmes modernes #thehu – ARTE Concert More concerts on our website: https://www.arte.tv/concert You can also find us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTEConcert Instagram FR: https://www.instagram.com/arteconcertfr Instagram DE: https://www.instagram.com/arteconcertde

› https://feedbot.net/watch/evVDLRxLAt8 via @feedbot

The HU announce new album HUN and unleash crushing new single with Jonny Hawkins

https://voiceofnoir.com/2026/05/21/the-hu-announce-new-album-hun-and-unleash-crushing-new-single-with-jonny-hawkins/

Yuve Yuve Yu (Acoustic) 📣
#TheHU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZUr0BEfE

we are the hu

dreaming… a random bit

** in the ending of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges from WordPress, here’s your Sunday Weekly Photo Prompt: travel **

medicine buddha mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha

health, wealth, and prosperity: Om Vasudhare Svaha

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the hu

dreaming… a random bit

** in the ending of The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges from WordPress, here’s your Sunday Weekly Photo Prompt: travel **

medicine buddha mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha

health, wealth, and prosperity: Om Vasudhare Svaha

Rate this: