Vengeance [Enhanced]

Garmarna | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 1999)
• Original Release Date: April 6, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Northside Records
• ASIN: B00000IGRN
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,278 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > World Music > Europe > Scandinavia > General

Track Listings

1. Gamen/Vulture

2. Euchari

3. Halling Jaron

4. Vedergälliningen/Vengeance

5. Nio År/Nine Years

6. Sorgsen Ton/Stomped Bread

7. Herr Holkin

8. Bläck/Ink

9. Polska

10. Brun/The Robber

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It begins with an eerie backwards fiddle, then the beats kick in, banging for dear life, and the cool, authoritative voice of Emma Härdelin floats over the top. It's the third Garmarna album, fulfilling every promise they'd made on their first two records. The ancient and modern achieve an almost perfect balance here, the original material sounding as if it should be centuries old. Blood, guts, violence, love, they're all here, every aspect of the human condition. While the band conjures up musical magic, it's Härdelin who emerges as the sorceress, the true star, with a voice that just seems to bewitch. Put it all together, and you have something that's more than the sum of its impressive parts. This is the record you always knew Garmarna could make. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than God's musicians!, March 20, 1999

By 

Ivan Milles (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vengeance (Audio CD)

Everyone who heard God's Musicians or Vittrad know that Garmarna plays old Swedish folk songs, and makes it move mountains. This record is no exception, but its somewhat different from God's Musicians. It has got more of a synth-style background, which takes it closer to "normal" music, and that why I don't put a 5-rating on it. God's musicians was so far from what you normally hear, but Vengeance is closer with it's chords and tunes. There are also more modern instruments involved, as pianos, synths and so on. If you ever heard Hedningarna, its more like them.

However, I still like it more that God's Musicians, since this one takes their concept furhter, but closer. This makes it ideal as a starter for you journey into the Swedish Ethno Folkmusic, but if you are already a fan of Garmarna, this is YOUR choice! "The Vulture" (I think thats the name, I've got the Swedish version, on which it's called "Gamen") is actually really close to the techno vibes of The Prodigy, while Euchari is more of an hypnotic chanting. And, as usual, the lyrics are so good that it's horrendous! Taste this: "The first day she stood as bride, the next day chained in iron". If you're not familiar with the Swedish language, I'm happy to offer free translations.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Odd but successful mix..., September 22, 2000

By 

"dzintars" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vengeance (Audio CD)

It truely is an odd but successful mix of folk and rock. Somehow, even under all of the grinding of the electric guitars and the rapid beat of the drums, the folkloric aspect of the music still dominates and dictates the tone. The singer has a really awsome voice, soft and melodic, which provides a well-balanced contrast to the sometimes violent rythms of the instuments.

I do have to agree with a previous review that it is a shame that the lyrics are printed only in English, while the songs are sung only is Swedish. I always find it interesting to compare and contrast, or try to sing along, even if I do not know the language.

The CD also includes a small video, which makes the agressive but also hypnotic caracter of the music visible!

All in all, another amazing product from NorthSide!!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Music to raise the dead with!, October 26, 2002

By 

Kathleen Baker - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vengeance (Audio CD)

From the first kick-off of astounding techno merged with ancient Scandinavian to the last, soaring note, Garmarna manages to make an album which brings Swedish legends to life. My favorites on the CD have to be the opening hair-raiser, "Gamen," the CD's title track with its unforgettable opening sound of a heart beating, "Vedergallningen," and the melodic "Euchari." And it is obvious from a glance at the CD's lyrics (sadly only printed in English) that Garmarna wastes no time on toning down the blood, violence, and magic of its selected folk tales. Another plus is Emma's beautiful, soaring voice, but even when it's absent the instrumentalists do a wonderful job, as evidenced by the song's only non-vocal track, "Polska."

The CD's only drawback, I believe, is the lack of explosive emotion and sound immediately following the opening track. The ending track has actually put me to sleep a few times, disappointingly, and the rest of the CD seems unable to match the frenzied pace set by "Gamen." Still, this album is definitely worth your money, whatever the drawback.