Vintersorg | Vattenkrafternas Spel | Hammerheart Records

Release Date: 26 September 2025

Format: CD/LP/Digital

Genre: Atmospheric Black/Folk Metal

Country: Sweden

There are few figures in Nordic metal with the endurance and singular voice of Andreas Hedlund, better known as Vintersorg. Since the mid-90s he’s been crafting music that bridges harsh black metal, northern folk melodies, and philosophical storytelling. What began in the icy landscapes of Skellefteå under the name Vargatron evolved into one of Scandinavia’s most distinctive metal projects. From the raw mountain hymns of “Till Fjälls” and “Ödemarkens Son” to the cosmic journeys of “Cosmic Genesis” and “The Focusing Blur”, Vintersorg has always merged intellect with atmosphere. With Matte Marklund on lead guitars and Simon Lundstöm on bass, the band stands as a lasting force of elemental sound.

Now comes “Vattenkrafternas Spel”, a return that thrives on instinct and immersion. This is an album that moves through water’s many states, calm, violent, mysterious, without losing its human pulse. The guitar lines ripple with melody, meeting bursts of blackened aggression that is as natural as river currents. Hedlund’s voice alternates between fierce rasp and broad, melodic singing, a contrast that brings tension and release throughout. The production is crisp, giving space for every layer of harmony, folk phrasing, and metallic surge to merge.

There’s a deep connection to nature in every second. You can almost sense the mist and flow through tracks such as “Ur Älv Och Å” and “Regnskuggans Rike”, where melodies intertwine with storm-like percussion. “Efter Dis Kommer Dimma”, with Johanna Lundberg’s guest vocals, adds a haunting softness that opens into an expansive chorus. The guest keyboard solo by Peter Roy Wester on “Ödsliga Salar” adds a spectral edge, lifting the song into something dreamlike.

The guitars are intricate and fluid, moving between icy tremolo patterns and soaring folk harmonies. Keyboards add depth rather than ornament, shaping the background like unseen wind. The drum programming is alive, detailed, and dynamic enough to carry the shifting tempos naturally. Hedlund’s arrangements keep everything in motion, nothing static, nothing exaggerated, only a strong sense of movement, emotion, and scale.

“Vattenkrafternas Spel” has the essence of Vintersorg’s earliest sound but without nostalgia. There’s focus, rawness, and melody working together in balance, as if the elements themselves guided the songwriting. The artwork by Kris Verwimp completes the vision, matching the album’s spiritual connection to the wild. Hammerheart’s release gives it the visual grandeur it deserves, especially in the deluxe gatefold vinyl edition.

Vintersorg stands once again as a rare voice in Nordic metal, reflective, forceful, and deeply rooted in the natural world. “Vattenkrafternas Spel” doesn’t rely on past triumphs or abstract concepts; it simply lives and breathes through sound, atmosphere, and emotion.

Score: 8.5

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