March 4, 2021 — Hailing from the Gelderland region in the Netherlands, heathen folk/black metallers :NODFYR: have forged compelling music inspired by the language, nature, culture, and history of their homeland since 2011 — the band sings exclusively in Dutch.
Their upcoming album Eigenheid, meaning “Identity”, is a further exploration of these formative influences and the first full-length release from the band. Featuring previous singles ‘Gelre, Gelre’ and ‘Mijn Oude Volk’, the 7-track debut album is described by the band as “the result of an introspective journey in search of what defines us. The songs each represent one of the core elements that shape us and make us who we are”.
Who are :NODFYR:?
Looking back on the bands decade long career, :NODFYR: was formed in 2011 by vocalist Joris Van Gelre (also known as Joris Boghtdrincker during his tenure in Heidevolk) and former bandmate Niels, with the desire to translate the native folklore and mythology of the Gelderland into epic heathen metal. Evolving sounds and changing line-ups followed over the course of their debut single and follow-up EP, before becoming the :NODFYR: of today; the core trio of Joris (vocals), Jasper Strik (keys/backing vocals), and Mark Kwint (guitar, bass, backing vocals).
The word “nodfyr” is considered to be one of the oldest proto-Germanic words. The word likely comes from the now-extinct Frisian language that was spoken in the area in the Iron and Viking Age (Frisian was close to Old English and Old Norse.) Nodfyr is related to the pagan practice of ritual fire making, as documented in the literary work ‘Indiculus Superstitionum et Paganiarum’ written in the 700s. With deep roots and dedication to the stories of Gelderland, :NODFYR: have committed to making something incendiary with this fuel.
Inspiration From Gelderland
The historic folklore of Gelderland suggests that the region was named after the nearby German City of Geldern. As the story goes, the city itself was named after the death rattle of a dragon slain by the Lords of Pont in 878 CE, that could be heard crying “Gelre, Gelre” with its final breath — An epic tale which translated to a powerful early single for the band. From the evocative medieval tone of the synth keys to the enticing metal groove of the guitars, ‘Gelre, Gelre’ serves as a delightful appetizer, but crafts a noticeably different mood to album opener and recent streaming track ‘Mijn Oude Volk’.
‘Mijn Oude Volk’ (meaning “My Old People”), is available as a visualizer on YouTube ahead of the album’s release. The track is poignant, atmospheric, and has enough infectious instrumentation to set a powerful tone for the album to come. These are sounds that don’t confine themselves to strict genre guidelines, where a blend of black metal blast beats and synth evocative of noble forests and open fields can all be found before the dragon-slaying, melodic, epic metal begins on ‘Gelre, Gelre’. Collectively, it would make sense to categorize
With several more aspects of Gelderland and :NODFYR:’s identity to explore on the full-length Eigenheid, these Frisian heathens have taken it upon themselves to complement their journey of self-discovery and mythic celebration with a sound that is multifaceted and bears a different face for each track.
Eigenheid track listing:
- Mijn oude volk
- Gelre, Gelre
- Wording
- Driekusman
- Bloedlijn
- Zelf
- Nagedachtenis
:NODFYR:’s Eigenheid is available from March 5 on Ván Records. The album can be purchased in 12” Vinyl and Digipack CD format. Also, we are guessing it will show up on the :NODFYR: Bandcamp page soon.
