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Danefae

Trøst

Written by: PP on 11/02/2025 10:24:20

Danefae is marketed as a progressive metal band, even though their sophomore album, "Trøst," has much more in common with gothic metal bands. The Danish band lives and dies through the silky-smooth female vocals of Anne Olesen, whose angelic delivery will take you right to bands like Edenbridge, Leaves' Eyes, or Elis, to name but a few. Throw in a naturalistic ambiance that embodies experimental folk, and you land right at a Norse gothic metal expression. The prog metal tag is more like an outlay or best described as an undertone in the overall soundscape.

That's not a bad thing because the accessibility of the ethereal vocals and folksy melodies means "Trøst" has an inviting sound from the beginning. "Fuglekongen" is a great choice for the opener, given its lofty, rising chorus that immediately underscores the celestial but graceful nature of Danefae's music.

The atmospherics in the 12+ minute mammoth "P.S. Far Er Død" are expansive, which is good given its ambition. Here, the band traverses multiple styles in one song, ranging from prog rock to folk metal to death metal, as Feather Mountain's Andreas Dahl-Blumenberg provides vocal interjections. The spoken word sections add a crazy amount of sorrowful character to the song, while the midway segment sounds like a folk metal song with gothic vocals laid on top.

Much more needs to be said about Olesen's performance, though. Her incredible range and velvety vocals are the main reason why "Trøst" is a solid album. She's softly spoken yet carries an incredible amount of power in her expression. The spacious yet crisp production is expertly devised to capture both her majestic performance and the Norse ambiance and untouched nature vibes emitted throughout the album.

"Blind" is perhaps the most progressive metal-oriented song on the track. Here, Olesen takes her performance down an octave or two, and the guitars take a more distorted, crunchier role. The spotlight here is more on the instrumentals, where Olesen's impact is less stated, given the heavier sound.

"Natsværmer" is perhaps the odd one out with its odd experimental guitars that feel off-putting on each listen. Thankfully, it's but one song on an otherwise solid album that captures the Scandinavian folk atmosphere in a radically different and more yearning, nostalgic light compared to the usual cold, barren melancholia we hear from more metallic bands from Denmark. "Trøst" is complex, elaborate, and challenging, yet Olesen's brilliant performance brings it into easily absorbable territory.

Download: Fuglekongen, P.S. Far Er Død, Vandskabt
For the fans of: Heilung, Leaves' Eyes, Tristania, Edenbridge, Elis
Listen: Facebook

Release date 31.01.2025
Self-Released