Fortid is one of those in my view rare examples where a one-man project turns out really well.

Even though Fortid after the recording of this album eventually has turned into a real band, what we hear on 'Vóluspá III' is the effort of the Icelander Einar Thorberg, also known as Eldur. Eldur's mission is to give the Vóluspá poems of yonder times a new voice and thus pay homage to the Norse gods.

The result is an impressive collection of black metal based tunes with plenty of melodic passages and clean vocals here and there. Eldur has managed to strike a tough balance of putting enough black in there to give the underground edge and on the other side so little of it that I can stand listening to the entire album. The focus on atmosphere and moods is right on target and gives the whole affair a suitable touch of doom and grandeur, which I think is fitting for the topic of Eldur's choice.

Although this is a studio album and all is done by one man, the album doesn't really have the clinical sound that you often see with projects like these. What I'm trying to say is that 'Vólupspá III' has a fair amount of feeling.

A band to watch, no doubt - good things could come out of this.