World Music Album Reviews

Gjallarhorn : Grimborg

I discovered Gjallarhorn many years ago when a friend played me their first album Ranarop : Call of the Sea Witch.

Grimborg is a lushly textured album based primarily on traditional Swedish folk songs. Being Swedish, they cover Trolls, Sea Faring and Supernatural Beings.

As with many similar bands, you don't need to speak Swedish to appreciate the songs - the music speaks for itself - and you can always look up the accompanying words on the CD sleeve. This is especially true for the Kulning, or Cow-calling track in which Jenny Wilhelms performs a traditional calling song designed to be heard across the mountains and valleys.

Grimborg contains an amazing array of instruments from Didgeridoo and Hardanger Fiddle to Jews Harp and Viola. It's well worth checking out if you love mesmerizing music with a bit of a bite to it.

> Find out more about Gjallarhorn's Grimborg