Band:	Seidr
Album:	Ginnungagap
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	October 2013

Disc I
01. A Blink Of The Cosmic Eye
02. The Pillars Of Creation
03. Ginnungagap

Disc II
01. As You Return
02. The Red Planet Rises
03. Sweltering II: A Pale Blue Dot In The Vast Dark

The music gods have a strange way of often blessing you with great releases at the strangest of moments. After getting home from a show early Friday morning, out of pure curiosity I began browsing the new releases on here, only to stumble upon this jewel of an album. Intrigued by both the cover and its title (Ginnungagap refers to the primordial void in Norse mythology), I decided to give it a try. Little did I know that I was in for a near 90 minute joyride through the cosmos, of a most epic proportion.

Seidr are an extreme doom trio from Lousville, Kentucky, who, with their 2011 debut, immediately set a standard for exploring the limits of their style and pushing boundaries. Ginnungagap sees the band digging even deeper into such territory, and must be praised right off the bat for its unique blend of various sounds. Opening track "A Blink In The Cosmic Eye" plunges the listener into a mysterious, almost drone-like sea of hidden chants and other ambient effects, conjuring subtle thoughts of bands like Sunn O))) and Nadja. "As You Return," meanwhile, perhaps the most creative track on the album, is primarily driven by a beautiful acoustic guitar and rich vocal chants, creating a mood that brilliantly reflects the album's artwork.

In the meantime, Ginnungagap still retains most of the ingredients typical of extreme doom, and the moments in which Seidr fully embrace this style are pretty crushing to say the least (notably on the title track). Harsh as it may be, the more aggressive moments of the album still retain Seidr's excellent sense of melody and atmosphere, particularly on "The Pillars Of Creation." Said atmosphere comes across as a bit psychedelic at many points as well, which (although Seidr certainly aren't of their caliber) bring to mind thoughts of Esoteric. The blend of sounds and musical delivery in general is further brought out by the production, which crisply brings out both the melodic and rhythmic instrumentation with careful attention ("The Red Planet Rises" is probably the best example).

In short, Ginnungagap is quite the worthy sophomore effort from this American group, and is likely to see them further cement whatever good reputation they had previously earned with their debut. Despite the album's length, it never seems to get boring or drag on and on, and the variety in its sound is sure to keep first time listeners on their toes, not knowing what to expect next. Most importantly, Ginnungagap. leaves one thinking along the lines of "That was excellent! I wonder how they'll top it?" which is certainly the mark of a quality album.

Check it out over here.