To try and describe Golden Core’s music in basic terms of genre and style would be more than futile. The Norwegian duo’s music is a fuzzy blend of Norse mythology, US Stoner Metal and a hell of a lot of noise. Fimbultýr serves as the bands second full length album, follow up to 2017’s aptly titled Norwegian Stoner Machine and what an album it is. If you’re worried that Norwegian Black Metal shrouded in mythology, heavy riffs and blood curdling screams might not be your thing, don’t. There is so much more to this album than meets the eye, and to look upon it as just another Metal record full of screaming does it a shocking disservice. Fimbultýr is enigmatic and engaging in equal measure, with no two tracks sounding the same. The riffs are heavy, and fuzzier than a woollen blanket but that’s not to say that the album is all blood and thunder. The almost dream like sequence which runs though the second half of ‘Buslubaen’ is simply mesmerising. While the stampeding ‘Villist Vaettir’ finishes as quickly as it begins, but in the finest of Heavy Metal traditions it damn near takes your face off. The musicianship on display here from both members of the band is of the very highest quality. A fact made even more impressive when considering the band members have a combined age of just 32. For Simen Jakobsen Harstad, 15, and Johannes Thor Sandal, 17, to have created such an accomplished piece of work at such a tender age is nothing short of remarkable. However, despite all of the obvious positives it should also be acknowledged that the album is not always the most accessible. At times the growling and wailing may be a little much for the more casual of listeners, but as mentioned above, that should not be the listeners only focus. When greeted with the appropriate open mind Fimbultýr serves as glorious demonstration of the broad church that is heavy metal. It’s dark and moody without becoming overbearing and stodgy, the sonic embodiment of all things Norwegian Metal and Norse mythology. It defies genre and logic, classification and description, but most of all it is stunningly good. Score: 8/10 Facebook: /goldencoreband Twitter: @GoldenCore_band Bandcamp: /goldencore.bandcamp.com/