The idea of being able to sit down and just let an album take you is something that has been around practically ever since the concept of artistic expression came into the human consciousness with music. Usually, I like to get something psychedelic and just allow the riffs to take me to the clouds, but tonight I wanted to really meditate on some ambient that I could really sink my teeth into. And with an early Christmas gift Gaetir, The Mountainkeeper has just released “Fornjörð” that in every way takes its predecessor and increases every aspect tenfold, but especially the quality.

Like many nerds and fantasy lovers across the world, one of my favorite settings and aesthetics easily lies with the ancient and rich Norse culture and the unforgiving, cold environment they called home. It was earlier this year I got one of the best ambient experiences I’ve heard yet in the form of the second album from Gaetir, the Mountainkeeper whose sole member is more well-known for his phenomenal work in Paleowolf, but this material grabs my attention so much more. I figured it was gonna be at least another record before a third record, but this is a surprise that’s incredibly welcome and I’m so happy that “Fornjörð” is everything I wanted it to be! Whereas you could hear the spirits in the midst of their own little machinations in the last albums, it’s “Fornjörð” that the very gods are in motion. But not through massive storms or the cracking of the very earth. Instead, Gaetir, The Mountainkeeper deserves us the thundering rolling across the peaks while the ice crawls along with its own schemes in mind. It’s the chilling wind combined with the meditative nature and the allure of the pure wilderness in motion that allows “Fornjörð” to feel like a natural soundtrack like few others. Field recordings have been able to give us some really interesting experiences since their inception, but somehow Gaetir, the Mountainkeeper manages to create a tier of his own with just four tracks.

Many of my kind tend to look towards folk metal or acts like Amon Amarth to deliver us Norse-inspired material that we can truly rally behind, but it’s easily Gaetir, The Mountainkeeper that has delivered to me the most unique and tantalizing approach to the idea yet. I can easily see myself crawling back to “Fornjörð” time and again simply because of how high quality this release is, and I’ve no doubt the genius behind this act will only continue to churn out highly exceptional releases.

LISTEN to “Fornjörð” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Gaetir, The Mountainkeeper on Facebook here.