‘Trolldom’, Troll’s fifth album takes an introspective approach to go back to its roots. The seven new songs lend a dark and mysterious quality to the music that feels so hauntingly spooky. The eerie synth in the background enhances the overall atmosphere although ‘Trolldom’ is less grand and bombastic than the previous album. The delirious soundscape of the church organ and the fuzzy guitars on the opening track ‘To The Shadows’ offer a bizarre medieval pandemonium. However, the ominous intro sets the tone through the grim growls of Nagash and Sturt who plays the bass guitar and makes his second appearance with the band.

The guitars have a frosty tone with the drums pounding out cacophonies of primitive beats like the stomping of giant frenzy trolls. The band knows how to keep things exciting in a thrilling way. The omnipresent effect of the synth is notable for creating a dark and grim atmosphere in the following track ‘Dominus Infernus’ which weaves dark magical moments. The cold freezing riffs of guitarist and backing vocalist Tlaloc evoke the early style of Troll, with the haunting riffs sounding eerily like a long-forgotten note from the 90s.

There are plenty of symphonic segments that will freeze your blood; lead guitar melodies, and grim vocals adding textures to the reverberant riffs. The songwriting and composition offer an impressive perspective on the new album. However, the fast-paced sections of the drums make this track sound even better than the opening song. Catchy and dark, the riffs showcase a slow to mid-tempo pace when the keyboards bring effective soundscapes brimming with symphonic passages.

The kind of electronic vibe found in the intro of ‘Angerboda (Sorgvarsleren)’ is another highlight of the album, where the ambient synth passages create epic landscapes. Troll‘s songwriting is straightforward and offers tons of blistering riffs and blast beats along with the cymbals that evoke the grim feeling of the second wave of black metal, much of it courtesy of the Norwegian method, with the minimalistic tremolo-picked riffs storming through the cascading avalanche of the fierce drumming.

Nagash has a peculiar taste in his riffing on the album and the synth arrangements are primitive, yet sound phenomenal. The tempo changes are interesting and quite inspiring, and the sense of epic majesty and medieval ambiance blend well with the grim vocals. The sonic theme of the album is immersed in Norse mythology and musically rooted in raw and atmospheric semi-symphonic black metal and aligns with the early albums of Troll.

Keeping the quality consistent throughout thirty-seven minutes, ‘Ancient Fire’ is a wonderful example of Nagash’s artistic style of writing epic, symphonic and frosty signature riffs. Mid-paced and blisteringly Nordic in its style, the blazing riffs and the ominous synth paints frostbitten landscapes. ‘Trolldom’ perhaps lacks a proper production quality, but the mixing is fairly great, and the songs are addictive and evoke the misanthropic nature of the second wave of black metal. ‘The Soil Runs Red’ reaches its climax with the frosty tremolos that have a thick cold tone followed by a swift drumming and bass line adding depth to this majestic and atmospheric song.

The track ‘The Beast’ was featured on the previous EP ‘Tilbake Til Trollberg’ and is a treat for the fans. Troll creates a necro and grim black metal atmosphere. Having the synth in the background while the guitars and the drums keep the pace at a fast tempo, the final track ‘He Who Dwells’ is a bewitching offering full of catchy dark riffs and beautiful bass lines, which makes this song a haunting mixture of cold aggression and the synth arrangements here are creepy and surreal.

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