TROLN – Says Abraham (2022)
TROLN brings an exciting mixture of murder ballad and devotional praise to their single ‘Says Abraham’. Rooted in the devotion to a spiritual leader or god, the single spirals with dramatic flair into the dilemma of not knowing if you are following someone who is really good. Balancing the longing for someone to follow and look up to against the fear of this type of devotion, the band tells the story of the creature ‘Abraham’ and those who follow it.
Using a sound that is unlikely anything you are likely to hear right now or in the future, the band brings raw hunger, gothic darkness, violent riffs and a search for meaning to their sound. Since they released their debut album in 2019, they have been moving from strength to strength. Helene Navne (vocals), Christian Rønn (organ, keys), Henrik Liebgott (guitar) and Thomas Olsen (drums) combine their talents for an unforgettable listening experience.
‘Says Abraham’ grabs your attention with a toe-tapping beat that brings a slightly retro vibe with it. The movement of the opening reminds you of old black and white silent horror movies. This twangs and swirls into a more gothic darkness that is threaded with rock undertones. The steady march of the melody has you walking down the path of the melody. As the single progresses, there is a swirl to the music that flickers with dramatic flair and rich organs. The guitar riffs that soar out of the background beckon you further into the single and under the spell of both the band and the creature of the lyrics. Through the music, you can feel the combined force of gothic darkness, eerie murder ballads and the rising devotion and praise.
As you move down the melody, Navne’s vocals swirl around you with a slightly sinister edge. Her performance is intriguing as it brings a touch of darkness to a devotional edge as we are introduced to Abraham. The performance is a masterpiece of creepy vibes and utter devotion to something greater than ourselves. Threaded into this amazing performance are the first hints of questioning the goodness of the power being followed. It is a rather heady listening experience that balances very different emotions perfectly.
TROLN balance the eeriness of murder ballads with the praise of devotional songs while slowly questioning the goodness of an entity in ‘Says Abraham’. Both the melody and vocals are an intriguing mixture of the sounds and styles that come together for a wonderfully unique listening experience. The heady movement slinks into your soul with the dark tendrils of the lyrics tickling the back of your brain.
Find out more about TROLN on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
