On Friday, April 26, Northumbrian monastic doom instigators Arð finally drop their highly anticipated sophomore full-length „Untouched by Fire„: Arð – Untouched by Fire [Full Album Player, 2024] (youtube.com)
Arð comment: „Northumbria has spoken again and this time the story told portraits the 7th century Anglo-Saxon king and saint Oswald“, mastermind Mark Deeks explains. „Oswald’s mother fled with her children to the Irish kingdom of Dal Riada on the Westcoast of what was later to become Scotland. Biding his time in exile, Oswald adopted Christianity and learned the way of the sword. Both served him well once he returned to reclaim his homeland in several battles. Musically ‚Untouched by Fire‘ feels like a natural development of the sound of the hymns of Arð. Layer upon layer of choral harmonies, cellos and mournful melodies are all present again. Yet the doom wall of heaviness is even more crushing. Just as it should be.“
