Nephila – HULDRA
Nephila – HULDRA
Majestic Mountain Records
Release Date: 28/08/26
Review by Metalphysicist
10/10
Music has the power of taking us on a journey through our life’s timeline: one guitar chord, one vocal line, and suddenly you’re transported back in time like, “Wait a minute, I remember this band! I was just starting out at Ever Metal, and they were one of the first bands I ever reviewed, back in 2021!” I even ended up putting Nephila’s self-titled debut in my Top 10 list that year.
Back then, I wrote: “… Nephila’s debut self-titled album, which I decided to pick up randomly from Ever Metal’s monthly releases list, and I was quite surprised by their Space Rock musical journey. That was an amazing experience that allowed me to keep in touch with one of the best albums of the year (…)”.
Nephila is a Sweden-based band, and they are back with their second album “HULDRA” five years after the band’s self-titled debut record. It felt to me like the band took two steps further to expand their musical landscapes, flirting with more accessible textures, while keeping the pace and creativity intact- what Nephila is all about.
The production caught my attention right away because the songs gained an extra touch of heaviness and, this time, in “HULDRA,” the songs seemed more guitar-oriented to me. The first song, ‘Mother of the Woods,’ reminded Pink Floyd, due to the inspiring guitar solo and the beautiful, ethereal singing performed by Josephine Asker and Linn Edlund.
Yes, you read that right: the band features two singers, and they sing, complementing each other’s melody. That is rarely heard in rock and roll bands. ‘Solar Eclipse’ is my favourite song on the album – a ballad that should be demanding airplay on radios all over the world. The beautiful exchange of harmonies between Josephine Asker and Linn Edlund is so artistic that it is impossible to explain in words.
Deep in Scandinavian folklore, ‘Huldra’ – a mythical forest guardian blending mesmerizing beauty with a hollow back and an animal tail, as the press release points out – is the centre around which the songs orbit. On tracks like the instrumental ‘Capercaillie’s Hymn’ and ‘Living Grave’, the album’s folk touches are highlighted in complicity with ’70s hard rock – the organ, the guitar licks, and the urgent drumming evoked a stripped-down ’70s style with plenty of room for improvisation, giving it a very hazy feel.
Good vibes!
TRACKLISTING:
01. Mother of The Woods
02. In Her Hands
03. The Hidden Folks
04. Ash Their Bones
05. Capercailles Hymn
06. HULDRA
07. Solar Eclipse
08. Living Grave
09. F.I.N.N
LINE-UP:
Josephine Asker – Vocals
Linn Edlund – Vocals
Jacob Hellenrud – Guitar
Anton Athley – Guitar
Charlie Andersson Vistbacka – Bass
Johan Larsson – Organ & Keyboards
Johan Lööf – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Metalphysicist and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
