GAAHL’S WYRD

Braiding The Stories

Gaahl is a well-known figure recognized for his enigmatic persona, philosophical depth, and distinctive haunting vocal style. Having gained prominence with Gorgoroth, Trelldom, and God Seed, his intense presence has established him as a key artist in black metal. Beyond music, he is a painter and winemaker and has explored Norse heritage with Wardruna. Gaahl’s Wyrd upcoming album, Braiding The Stories, showcases what many appreciate in black metal: its flexibility to bend styles, a rawness balanced with pain, epic melodies, and, in this instance, an unsettling tone where madness feels like a potential companion.

Listening to Braiding The Stories, a specific narrative came to mind, almost as if it were a dream. The opening track, ‘The Dream’, serves as a fitting introduction. In my mind’s eye: a hut, a little girl lost in the woods who sits on a stump, and an elderly figure. This figure is braiding hair, and with every strand, a story is told. ‘Braiding The Stories’ itself, with its “80s and ’90s gothic rock touches, notable guitar solos, and repeated riffs,” sets the mood for these tales. The stories, however, begin to feel like they could turn into nightmares, and the little girl finds herself in a dreamy yet unsettling situation. ‘Voices In My Head,’ an interlude, feels preparatory for ‘Time And Timeless Timeline.’ This track is perhaps the most song-like on the album.

As the elder continues braiding, a new way of seeing opens up for the little girl; she can walk with her spirit, or perhaps her soul is trying to wake her. ‘And The Now’ commences with a deceptive quietude, mirroring the girl’s tentative steps, a fragile melody accompanying her. But this calm shatters, crescendo into a dramatic and horrific symphony. Gaahl’s vocals envelop the music with different voices and disturbing choirs, seemingly emanating from the hut where everything started and might return. The songs don’t follow classic structures; like dreams, they are formless, full of surprises, and can easily shift into nightmare territory. Yet, the little girl pushes forward, an uncanny sensation becoming her shadow as she moves ‘Through The Veil.’

On the other side there’s no escape. Her body is frozen, her soul wandering in a world where reality and imagination are blurred. ‘Visions And Time’ reinforces this; the repetition of “I will wait tomorrow” and “I will wait today” is a stark reminder. She sees glimpses of defaced people and hears unspoken melodies. ‘Root The Evil’ is a fierce cavalcade. Here, the little girl runs into the woods, looking back at shapeless silhouettes chasing her at breakneck speed until, breathless, she falls. Countless hands dot her thorned dress and begin to pull her under. Her journey isn’t over. Before dawn, ‘Flowing Starlight’ takes her wandering into the sky, flying through strings of dreams and guitars amidst shattered memories, with a melancholy sense that the journey ends when the winds stop.

And there we are, standing with the little girl and the elder, witnessing Gaahl’s Wyrd Braiding The Stories. It’s an album that explores the fine, fragile line between dreams and journeys. This exploration may not resonate with everyone; some long-time fans may prefer something heavier, while others will undoubtedly appreciate its unique path. However, Braiding The Stories is an album that truly demands to be listened to with an open mind – with the hope of encountering a dream that possesses the power to unlock intimate, long-closed doors within the inner self.