There is a great distinction between music that sounds heavy and music that is heavy. Nordstahl is firmly in the latter camp with their Mjolnir, where Nordstahl uses its mythological namesake with such purpose and fervor that it makes it more of a ritual than a song.
In the very first moments, "Mjolnir" proves to be more than the most successful song in the career of Nordstahl, it is their most necessary statement. Guttural vocals do not merely express anger, they express something more basic, more primordial the rage of seeing injustice and being unable to do anything about it. Every word is uttered with the burden of historical necessity, as though it is impossible to stay silent any longer.
This feeling of urgency is perfectly reflected in the instrumental landscape. Such distorted guitar riffs do not only make it heavy; they erect temples of rebellion. It is not any army that is evoked by the marching rhythms, no, it is an army of the awakened, the people that are finally ready to get out of their paralysis. What takes the track to the next level past the aggression is a cinematic scope that lends the track beauty under the brutality in a manner that adds even more depth to the message.
The secret of the genius of the song is its main metaphor the silent hammer. It is in us all, to be righteous; but how often does it lie unused, and become cold in our hands? The song does not provide simple answers and pleasant solutions. Rather, it asks the most awkward question of all, what are we waiting?
This is not music to be listened to. Mjolnir requires us to be involved, requires us to look at our own silences and compromises. With the world getting more and more accustomed to sitting back and doing nothing, Nordstahl has created an anthem to the people who are tired of their thunder being unheard. It is industrial metal at its most functional brutal, beautiful and essential.
