I should have written more about Rosa Faenskap's debut, Jeg blir til deg, when it released back in 2023 because I really liked it. Their brand of black metal is just like I like it - explosive, furious, and trending towards a maximalist approach. Luckily, I got a second chance with Ingenting Forblir ("nothing lasts"), their upcoming release set to drop this week, on March 6th. This time around, the anger and the fire that fueled the previous release is tinted with a darker shade, as the album flings its fists against the inevitable demise of all things. But if you think this album is depressive or nihilistic, you have another thing coming. Rosa Faenskap are an explicitly political, and anti-fascist, project. And so, "nothing lasts" should be understood as the age-old adage of "this too shall pass". The good shall pass but so shall the evil and we will still be here, screaming out our resistance and our survival. Head on down below for plenty of that.
I use the word "effective" a lot to describe music and Ingenting Forblir is a great example of why. Effective music is music which effects me - music which moves me. Like all great art, the best music is that which makes me feel something, that triggers a response or effect. Just tune into "Faenskap for Alltid", the second track of this album, and tell me that opening riff doesn't stir something in your heart. The first time I heard it, I nearly leapt out of my chair. And that's Rosa Faenskap's strength - even amidst complex, whirling compositions, they still find time to right riffs that reach right down your throat and grab your heart. And oh boy does the riff on "Faenskap for Alltid" do that. It's a rager, groove, intricacy, and momentum all blending into one.
Later on the album you have compositions which are more ponderous and spacious but no less powerful, like the feedback-laden chords of "Bygg til Himmelen". The vocals on this track are especially excellent as well, harrowed screams working incredibly well with the swirling main riff. Everything is placed carefully but without sacrificing an inch of authenticity and raw emotion. This is black metal as it should be - eclectic, varied, complex but always, always with an eye to emotional impact and the rage that burns at the core of the project. Ingenting Forblir is a slap in the face and a rallying cry all wrapped into one. It's a damn good album and you should click on through to the Bandcamp link above to pre-order it.