FORTÍÐ have unleashed a video for a hard hitting track with the prophetic title ‘Pandemic’, which is taken as the second single from the Icelandic pagan metal duo’s forthcoming sixth full-length, “World Serpent”, wich has been slated for release on December 11th.
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| Einar Eldur Thorberg comments: “The lyrics of ‘Pandemic’ were sparked by the news of a virus outbreak in China last winter”, writes the Icelander. “In those early days of the epidemic, I did not foresee that this would develop into a global crisis. Therefore ‘Pandemic’ was never meant as a commentary on the current situation. It just hits the mark somewhat accidentally. My lyrics rather revolve around diseases, plagues, and viruses as a universal threat. Tiny microbes, bacteria, and other germs that are invisible to the eye can bring down the biggest and strongest among us humans. This song serves as a reminder that no matter how much we alter this planet to suit our lifestyle, nature can always strike back without mercy and much harder than we care to consider. The supposed anthropocene might just be brutally ended by an age of microbes.” |
| Tracklist 1. AI 2020 2. The True Awakening 3. Controlled Patterned Mental Process 4. Insignificant is the Wormking’s Throne 5. Suppressed Opposition 6. Son of a Barren Land 7. Pandemic 8. Beyond the Grips of Odium 9. Perfect Annihilation 10. Last Line of Defence |
| In the pagan mind, every end also marks a beginning. The Norse gods perish in a final battle of a chain of apocalyptic events called Ragnarök that witnesses the old world die in flames. Yet according to the prophetic poem “Völuspá”, they return on the next morning to a renewed world free from the old sins at the beginning of a new cycle. FORTÍÐ have artistically captured such a cataclysmic turning point with their sixth full-length “World Serpent” by creating an album that essentially consists of two halves of five songs each. Although both parts have diverging musical visions and even different line-ups, they complement each other rather than to constitute two separate entities. “I see ‘World Serpent’ as a duology”, explains mastermind Einar Eldur Thorberg. “The chapters are bound together by an apocalyptic theme that provides a red thread running through this album.” Although the title refers to the mythological Midgard Serpent as a cleverly chosen metaphor as this beast from ancient tales is also a symbol for the equator, circling the globe and thus dividing it into two halves, FORTÍÐ have deliberately not used Old Norse literature apart from some metaphors in the lyrics of their new songs. “I don’t want to get stuck in that Viking metal box”, explains the multi-instrumentalist. “I take the freedom to do what I want and evolve.” The other main clamp holding both parts of the album together are, of course, Einar’s trademark riffs and distinct vocals. “In the first part, I experimented a bit with influences from Bay Area thrash both in the singing and the guitar sound”, he reveals. “The second part sees a return to a more black metal approach with screams and clean vocals.” Yet, not only the sources of inspiration set both halves apart, but the fact that Einar moved back from Norway to his native Iceland for personal reasons and left the previous FORTÍÐ line-up behind as well, which had already recorded the first five tracks. Back on the volcanic island, he recorded five more songs aided by Kristján Einar Guðmundsson (KONTINUUM, POTENTIAM). Despite some subtle experimentation and drastic line-up changes, FORTÍÐ are still following the course that Einar set on the “Völuspá”-trilogy of albums from 2003 to 2010 as well as the acclaimed “Pagan Prophecies” (2012) and “9” (2015) full-lengths by combining harsh black and death metal riffing as well as a pinch of thrash with a penchant for epic melodies, versatile vocals and a dose of “Icelandic sound”. With “World Serpent”, FORTÍÐ have unleashed a dark and deadly creature onto the pagan metal world! Release date: 11th of December 2020 Current line-up Einar Eldur Thorberg – vocals, guitars Kristján Einar Guðmundsson – drums Style: Pagan Metal Link: www.facebook.com/fortid |
