Aldorfrea, the atmospheric black metal project from the UK, merges the fierce energy of black metal with the rich narratives of Old English folklore. Their 21-minute epic, Hildestær, explores humanity’s cyclical history of war.
1. Can
you tell us about the inspiration behind Aldorfrea’s formation in 2021? What
motivated you to start this atmospheric black metal project?
The initial idea of Aldorfrea was to create a sort of blend of catchy but
fierce black metal based around Old English folklore. What started out as just
recording random demos soon continued to grow naturally to where it's at now.
2. Aldorfrea blends energetic black metal with chronicles of Old England and
beyond. How do you approach the fusion of these themes into your music, and
what draws you to these historical subjects?
I'd say that it depends on the theme of the song a lot of the time. The
historical subjects themselves individually have been of interest to a point
where I'd like to write about it. But rather than an overview of just the theme
or event or whatever, I try and see it from the perspective of what life was
like in those times and use this to influence the music side of it.
3. Your upcoming single, 'Hildestær,' is set to be released on January 31,
2025. Can you tell us about the meaning behind the title, and how it fits into
the larger narrative of the track?
Hildestær translates as 'History of War' from Old English. The whole narrative
of the track is to sort of look back in time to how war came to be, and the
impact its had ever since.
4.
'Hildestær' is described as a 21-minute blackened doom track that explores the
history of war. What is it about war that you feel needs to be explored through
music, and how does the track reflect this theme?
I think given the current climate of the world and the conflict within it, its
an opportunity to take a step back and see just how the cycle keeps repeating
itself as it has done throughout history. No matter who you are or where you
are in the world, war will have had an effect on you. The track reflects this
by looking at why wars start, the conditions faced and what the consequences
would be.
5. How does the long duration of 'Hildestær' contribute to its narrative?
Does the extended track length allow for deeper storytelling or a more
immersive experience?
The main goal from having the track the length that it is was for immersive and
storytelling purposes going hand in hand. Its a song of three parts
essentially, from the birth of conflict through to seeing different
perspectives of war from different generations.
One thing that we were wary of was to make sure that given the length of the song, that nothing starts to outstay its welcome, and i think we've accomplished that pretty well, but time shall tell.
6. Your music seems to have a strong focus on atmosphere and historical
themes. What role do the lyrics play in shaping the mood of your songs,
particularly in a track like 'Hildestær'?
With Hildestær its followed the same formula as telling the story whilst seeing
the world through the eyes of those who lived through those conflicts.
7. How
do you balance the aggressive nature of black metal with the more atmospheric
and somber elements of doom in your music?
Having a combination of black metal and doom opens up a lot of avenues in terms
of structure and vibes of a song. It gives you the freedom showcase narratives
at different speeds, which in turn gives control to different emotions and
feelings in the space of one song.
8. Aldorfrea is based in the frozen north of the UK. How does your
environment influence the sound and atmosphere of your music? Is there a
connection between the cold, harsh surroundings and your music’s intensity?
Its definitely played its part in influencing songs on our previous releases. I
suppose its the same for anyone who lives in a historic area. That
history has a role in who you are and what your values are. But absoulutely,
that cold environment certainly influences the music, in the same way a song's
theme can influence it.
9. In the context of 'Hildestær,' which historical wars or conflicts
specifically influenced the track? Are there certain events or figures that
particularly resonated with you during the creation process?
The idea was to go all the way back to war began, how the age of hunting and
gathering progressed into the dawn of agriculture. Stemming from skirmishes in
ancient Mesopotamia through to the birth of modern warfare and World War One.
It does look at a number of different wars, such as Egyptian battles in the
bronze age, Roman conquests, the Battle of Quiberon Bay, Verdun and so on. But
overall it pieces together the seemingly neverending cycle of war and how its
differed through time, often with the same results.
10. The
release of 'Hildestær' marks the beginning of 2025 for Aldorfrea. Do you have
any other plans for the year, such as additional releases or live performances?
Hildestær was a big stepping stone for Aldorfrea as far as songwriting and
theme goes. That said, it is a standalone single for now and we will be coming
back to this side quest after our next project.
We are writing music for a new full length Aldorfrea album, which takes influence from Hildestær but itll be its own animal.
11. Looking ahead, where do you see Aldorfrea going musically and
thematically? Are there new directions or concepts you want to explore in
future work?
Musically we've been slowly adding doom elements to our usual sound for the
past couple of releases, and what we're working on now will be no different.
Itll be a more blackened doom effort than anything we've done before.
Thematically we're continuing the war theme that has played its part since I
started the project. Perhaps this time its a deeper, darker look into some of
the most influencial battles in history. Folklore continues to play its part,
and for everything else, the only limit is your imagination.
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