Fredrikstad, Norway’s Kampfar was the solo project of former Mock man Dolk until 1997 when Thomas would join the act. Kampfar had issued a self-titled demo in 1994 and subsequently issued a debut in 1997. The album was recorded at X-Ray Studio the prior autumn. The demo was also issued as an EP by Season Of Mist.
The band’s second album was issued in 1999 through Hammerheart and was re-issued in 2006 through the band’s new label, Napalm Records. The band reported legal hassles with the Hammerheart label in the intervening years.

KAMPFAR – KVASS – NAPALM  
While the Norwegian metal band Kampfar was probably not signed on by Napalm Records for its tightness or instrumental mastery, it was acquired for its use of atmospheres and purity of purpose. After seven years of absence from the scene Kampfar is back with a new line-up and a new label with an album featuring six drawn out songs ranging in length from six to ten minutes for a total running time of 46 minutes.
Kampfar is typically described as black metal, but its mid-tempo music is hardly influenced by Venom, Dark Funeral or Immortal. The group is more along the lines of a mixture of Bathory, Graveland and Darkthrone with a touch of Thy Serpent. While the Norwegian titles and the coldly beautiful cover photograph seek to convey the mysterious and isolated Norwegian landscape, the singer shrieks and grunts with abandon rendering the disc more brutal than a typical natural vista. There is almost nothing commercial or marketable about this album, which is great, but simultaneously the album fails to reach for a record of any kind. Quite notably the closing track makes use of subverted rock and roll riffs one could hear on an early Def Leppard or a Thin Lizzy album. The screams and distortions hardly mask the particular riffs. The album is bereft of commercialism or trendy influences, therefore beware of the record company labelling the band as “folk.” – Anna Tergel