This album is a musical journey and a collection of vocalists you have never experienced before in one album. Jernlov is a sideproject of Alf Petter, the guitarist of Heidre, the band that gave us the album Kvit earlier this year and Zuriel also hailing from Norway. To this album they also invited other talents like two insanely talented Finns and Rita from Heidre. I must describe the product as one of the most interesting extreme metal releases this year.
This collaboration was a well-kept secret until an album teaser arrived a month before the release, with short promising clips that really teased the mind until the album as a whole was released on October 15th.
Artists appearing on the album are:
Eero Tertsunen (Renascent, Symphony Of Heaven), Niclas Buss (Parakletos/Hilastherion),Ronny “Vrede” Hanielsen (Antestor, Vaakevandring), Siervo (The Slave Eye) and David Sandvik (Roots of Tragedy) and Rita (Heidre)
With its two members hailing from the west coast of Norway the sound is typically influenced by the mighty nature and frosty winters of northern Europe. The music must be characterized as extreme metal, but there are also elements from classic rock and roll. Also in the arrangements you can hear the inspiration from timeless hymns. But foremost it’s black and death metal combined with catchy melodies and featuring clean vocals that shouldn’t leave any fan of the genre disappointed.
The lyrics have a strong Christ-focused message, and takes you on a journey through several challenges of Christian life and identity and the trials you can experience in this lifetime, delivered by some of the most talented guys in the scene.
The track list consist of ten strong songs:
- Gud vår Far
- Djevelrep
- Slaves to Righteousness
- Lyft ditt ansikte
- En Frelser på min vei
- Crucified
- In Trials and Temptations
- Døden min siste fiende
- The Crown of Life
- The Evil of Mankind
The lyrics are touching and meaningful and handle topics like having a personal relationship to God, the Christian life, and who Christ actually is. Our hope and salvation.
“Gud Vår Far” means God Our Father. A great introduction to the album, where we immediately get the “timeless hymn” – vibe that I´m trying to explain. Like God is an almighty father always caring for humanity endlessly in any circumstances.
“Djevelrep” Devil’s rope, is about tying up the Devil, how God wants to do that in a Christian’s life and also how the evil will one day will be tied up for good.
“Slaves to Righteousness” and “The Crown of Life” are about the benefits and rewards we will get from living our lives as Christians.
Eero Tertsunen has done a great contribution to the album with vocals, solo guitar and arrangement of lyrics on “Slaves to Righteousness”, vocals on “The Crown of Life”, and the vocals and arrangement of lyrics for “In Trials And Temptations”.
“Lyft ditt ansikte” meaning “lift your face”, handles how we should dare to face God and trust Him amongst trials. This is Niclas Buss‘ contribution to the album, he contributes with both vocals and tangents. This song and also “In Trials and Temptations” surely describes the hope we have in Christ in the life we live right now on this earth.
“En Frelser på min vei” (A Saviour on the way) “Doden Min Siste Fiende” (Death My Last Enemy), “Crucified” , and “The Evil of Mankind” are telling us about salvation and why Christ needed to suffer so much.
I can go on describing how incredible this album is, but let me sum it up with saying that for me it is one of this year’s strongest releases and a pearl in my album collection.
For the moment there is no release on the digital platforms except the teaser on YouTube, but the album can be purchased thru most music shops that deal with Christian metal.