Reykjavík Grapevine - nov. 2021, Síða 24

Witches Meet
Psychedelic Wail
Norna"al releases Witches Wail
Words: Valur Grettisson/Nornagal Photos: Nornagal
Info
Nornagal - “Witches Wail”
Psychedelic rock band Nornagal
has released their newest album,
'Witches Wail.' To be honest, there
are few Icelandic rock bands with
a psychedelic leaning, so we at The
Reykjavík Grapevine were curious.—
this band obviously has to explain
itself. So we asked the band to
walk us through their album track
by track and tell us: what does it
all mean!? Is it a double rainbow in
music from, or, is this something
deeper and darker? Here is what
they said:
Ascent
'Witches Wail' tiptoes towards the
concept-album, taking you into a
full-length journey in which each
song stands as an individual chap-
ter. “Ascent” therefore is a mood-
setter, getting you into the flow of
the album: you’re going for an ex-
ploration in a soothingly stable yet
dark environment, with breaking
waves, and a dash of unexpected
cries.
Ad Arbitrium
The first “real” song on the album
is also the shortest and the only
one that follows a semi-standard
song structure. The lyrics are
about being lost and searching for
direction—the perfect start to an
album made up of a wide array of
sonic experiences.
Paige
Paige is the name of the person
whose testimony of being abused
is being told through the song. Me-
chanical and repetitive patterns at
first, it later breaks into a strong
feeling of liberation. This is argu-
ably the most emotionally chal-
lenging song on the album, and
maybe also the most empowering.
Venus
This is a straight rocker with a lot
of 70s prog influence in it, while
the lyrics tell a tale of spiritual se-
duction.
Trigger/Release
This is the first Nornagal song that
was ever written, and maybe the
perfect showcase for all the ele-
ments that make the band: psyche-
delia and groove mixed with weird-
ness, uncommon song structures
and sometimes even screams. It is
a creepy trip with a morbid ending
based on a short story Phil wrote.
Segasus
“Segasus” is a wander into Norna-
gal’s mind-house: randomly open-
ing some of the doors to listen to
the band’s inner dialog, with com-
ments in an esoteric language.
Confusion bonus-point: the party
tracks in the background are the
initial, electronic versions of two
other songs on the album.
Tæm Löp
Written in Edinburgh on a Sunday
morning in a wannabe-hangover
state (yes, that happens), ”Tæm
Löp” is about all the possible sto-
ries that a poor recollection of the
previous night’s mishaps allows
for. Fast- and slow-paced tempos—
this is Nornagal’s hit single!
Joondamine
Joondamine is the return into
one’s self-alignment after the pre-
vious madness episode. Four-voice
drone and all, to make sure that
you get ready for the last chapter of
the journey!
Yog
“Yog” is the second song written by
Nornagal, and the first song ever
published as a demo in 2019. It is a
spiritual journey through light and
dark paths, ending with a rather
sinister conclusion that knows no
binary distinctions.
Descent
“Descent” is the closure to the al-
bum and your interpretation of it
is as valid as ours. A whole experi-
ence is best concluded by letting
some things sink in, and letting
others go. Keep the good, learn
from the bad, and you’re good to
go for a little while!
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24The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11— 2021
Nornagal: dress code casual, (sleeves optional)
Track By Track