For their sophomore full-length album Newcastle Upon Tyne, England-based melodic doom metal project ARÐ return for another tome of Northumbrian sainted lore, having more precisely secured their narrative voice in creation of music which represents place as its point of purpose. Honing in on the hymnal qualities of their sound for the sake of a songbook writ in biographical context of Christendom’s taming of the land, their efforts trade a loss of earthly grit for the sake of a boon in surety of self and a naturally cathedralesque presence. Fixated upon the life and accomplishments of a benevolent Anglo-Saxon warrior king who’d united and defined the region of Northumbria, ‘Untouched by Fire‘ is not a tale of a conqueror so much as an intercessor, an important figure in establishing cultural bounds to north English identity and an ambitious young unifier acting in purported good faith ’til the point of posthumous sainthood. The self-governed task of biographical relay calls for consistent tonality in this case and as such we do not leave the temporal realm of performance for the duration, set in the pews of their auld cathedral taking in the resonance of this tale in one solid ~forty minute sitting. In this sense we begin to experience a shift from the theatre of melodramatic doom’s atmospheric extremes toward a unique sense of doomed melodicism (and rhythm) in application of devotional storytelling methods.

Formed by Mark Deeks (Winterfylleth) back in 2019 the general development of Arð‘s initial sound took place over the course of a couple of years as music intentionally rooted in the history and cultural identity of Northumbria. This’d translated practically between some of the more melodic, gothic and even by proxy death metal entrenched styles of doom metal from the region as well as a vocal style which could be vaguely likened to that of devotional styles of harmonized vocals… Something like the Gregorian chant style method of harmonization but a melody-dominated sensation of chorale directed by mid-to-slow paced doom metal rhythms. The debut album (‘Take Up My Bones‘, 2022) from Deeks was reverent, mournful yet organic in its traditional melodramatic style as its tales of saint Cuthbert stood out as singular work which is yet unlike most anything else since. I’d reviewed it with high praise for its representation of themes and unique sound eventually placing it at #39 on my Top 100 Albums of 2022, unsure of what the direction of the very well-received project might head in as it evolved further into live performances and such.

In terms of reasonably sustainable ambitions it might’ve been obvious that the most unique, connective aspect of their craft would be emphasized going forward. In this sense ‘Untouched by Fire‘ sets the “metal” aspect of Arð as centralized structure but eases on the rough-edged niche(s) of traditional and/or doom metal rhythm and sonic depth for the sake of emphasizing the unique vocal register of the project. This amplifies the potential expressivity of the group without losing the mournful reverence and hymnal read shared between each record. Don’t get me wrong, eh, you should still feel a bit of melodic death/doom-level heft in the buzzing guitars and soaring leads of “Cursed to Nothing but Patience” and even a bit of Bathory-esque triumph as we reach the rousing final third of the nine minute opener. The point to be made here up front is that the severe, coldly reverberating space of ‘Take Up My Bones‘ now finds a glowing, almost fantastical setting thanks to the efforts of Markus Stock and Klangschmiede Studio E and while all of the fundamental pieces of Arð exist herein the difference in tonality is striking once the ear has sat with both unto extensive familiarity. Expansive and warmed-through, we naturally find the chorale emphasized and empowered through this level of sound design.

‘Untouched by Fire‘ could’ve potentially been another history of saintly bones and their dispersal over time. There are plenty of sacred places purporting to have received parts of Oswald of Northumbria‘s skeleton in their crypts in order to benefit from his saintly magick… he was technically killed in battle, dismembered, and left on a pike… Yet this album smartly focuses on the key events of his life leading up to the point of rule as the third king in his line wherein two regions (Bernicia and Deira) were unified and named as one entity (Northumbria) ’til death. This theme allows for a central character, a period of time, and a labor at the heart of the experience all of which generate a rich sense of setting for Arð to present their wares. The context of a warrior-king reigning through battle into his late thirties after his father had likewise died in battle some years prior allows some justification for the tragedian feeling and dramatic narration of ‘Untouched by Fire‘, there is some moderate level of mythic heroism in this tale which suits the enormous sound and unique style of the project well enough.

The usual rules for doom metal do, and don’t, apply. — Where I begin to lose some of my focused interest in the tale itself comes with the booming texture of the music as a hall-filling resound, whereas these six extended hymns to an auld Anglo-Saxon hero king do well to glorify and revere its subject matter with some strong consistency of form and voice the singular nature of their spectacle roars on unperturbed. Perhaps I’d spent too many uncomfortable hours in church assaulted by the power of chorale and choir to as a youth but in this context, which takes a step slightly away from the shambling humanity of doom metal’s inherent grot, Arð resemble worship music which is unflinchingly pro in its regard of melodic forms. That is to say that this albums “takes the listener to church” in some respects as a hall of worship is truly the only practical place to tell this tale per the instrumentation and undertaking involved. Even if the basal structure of a song like “Name Bestowed” (or the brilliant closer “Casket of Dust”) isn’t that far from say, Swallow the Sun or perhaps My Dying Bride at their most fixated there is no escaping the glaring lights of devotional music as a force here and I’d felt the balance of their muse threatens to shift further away from the ruddy heavy metal side of things towards a purely cinematic realm. Or, at least I’d figured this sort of leap in fidelity and vocal arrangement might’ve taken a few more albums to have fully realized.

Perhaps a bloated effort on my part in terms of suggesting this album is both fundamentally structurally similar to the last and profoundly different in its realization, the only strike I could ultimately manage against ‘Untouched by Fire‘ is a sensation of uniformity which is potentially unpleasant in the realm of melodic doom metal fandom but entirely rational in terms of the intended presentation of a fresh songbook. Approached as hymnal, monastic doom metal expressing a historic voice we find the right vehicle for this biographical period piece in warmly realized dramatic cinema. Indomitable in presence yet sentimental in tone Arð‘ve once again crafted an experience unlike any other in the realm of doom metal, an incontestably unique and musically sound venture which should render most listeners eager to experience this level of melodramatic arrangement in hall-filling ceremony. A high recommendation.

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