If darkness is the canvas upon which the boldest visions are painted, then “Andvake”, meaning “Awakened Soul” in Old Norse, marks AFARGANG’s arrival with a vivid and unrelenting creation. The project’s debut album was released on June 13th via By Norse Music.

At the heart of AFARGANG is Olav Luksengård Mjelva, the band’s architect and guiding force. A musician whose soul resonates with the echoes of Norway’s past, his mastery of folk music and particularly the Hardanger fiddle, injects a spectral quality into the band’s sonic framework.

This is not Folk Metal as the world has known it, nor is it a simple modernization of ancient sounds. It is a force unto itself, reaching into the marrow of Nordic tradition and twisting it into something new, something untamed.

Order the album via By Norse Music here

Olav L. Mjelva comments: “We’re so excited to finally release this album! It’s been a long, but incredibly exciting and creative journey. It took time to find the right people to work with and to figure out how we wanted it to sound, how to incorporate folk elements in a slightly different way than what’s most common. But once we got started, the sound and sonic landscapes came together quite naturally.

We’re really proud of the final result, and it feels like we’ve landed exactly where wedreamed of when we first set out. Now we just hope as many people as possible will listen to the album! We’re looking forward to continuing this musical journey and album number two is soon in the works!”

AFARGANG stands at the vanguard of something both deeply familiar and thrillingly unknown. With “Andvake”, they have not simply created an album, they have unearthed a force, a movement, a sound that bridges centuries and defies boundaries. This is music that refuses to fade into the background. It demands sleepless nights. It demands reckoning. It demands to be met head-on.

Credits:
Olav L Mjelva – vocals, guitar, hardangerfiddle, mora harp
Stian Kårstad – guitar (bass on two tracks) (Trelldom, Djerv)
Jon Even Schärer – drums
Sindre Bråthen Tjørswaag- bass
Haldor Bromstad – guest growler

Producers: Olav L Mjelva, Stian Kårstad, Hans Andreas Horntveth Jahnsen
Recording and mix: Hans Andreas Horntveth Jahnsen. Muchoniceness music, Sandefjord, Norway
Master: Morgan Nicolaysen
Biography: Joe Daly

“Andvake” tracklist:

1. Mot Verda
2. Kvile
3. Andvake
4. Leika
5. Vêrfolne
6. Sjå det blånar
7. Leva og døy
8. I di eining
9. Kom ned