2013 was the birth of Arctangent and its inaugural line-up was where I discovered Nordic Giants. When listening to bands that I didn’t know the two piece stood out as something dramatically unique and I didn’t know if I would fall in love or just need to go and see something that looked spectacular but perhaps not be my thing. By the end of their set my friend was still drying his eyes as we hunted down whoever was selling their CDs. I was lucky enough to secure some of the last copies of the early EP and two singles which have been retouched and remastered and compiled as Origins. This historical reworking is a great reflection of how original, authentic and gripping Nordic Giants were from the beginning and continues to be today.
Some of these tracks are my absolute favourites, especially opener ‘Together’ which features the wise and sadly still relevant words of Dr Martin Luther King. If he were still alive the spoken dialog in this song would still resonate which feels a great human failure and the combination of those words and the musicianship could make hairs rise on the necks of the dead. Power is a great weapon Nordic Giants manage to wield song after song in many different ways. The culmination of the keys, drums, guitar and trumpet can sit in the background of a live show where you are usually drawn towards the screens but on Origins they are the main focus and the power they conduct to the ears is unmatched by peers.
The band’s penchant for collaboration is also fully on display and the guest vocalists deliver a stunning accompaniment on numerous tracks. Cate Ferris graces ‘Shine’ with a powerful vocal performance aiding a massively powerful crescendo, in comparison ‘Glass Skinned Girl’ is minimalistic in its musical presentation of the stunningly emotive vocals of Freyja. There isn’t a genre box to sit Nordic Giants neatly in but post-rock does a good job of covering the ground work, there are swells of instrumentation that are hallmarks of the genre but the band never stays in the one place and yet the cohesion is flawless.
Origins works superbly well for those looking to complete their collection or those that are new to the band and the rework of ‘Dark Clouds Mean War’ simply must be heard by any fan of the band. No track here is weak and few bands can say that when looking back at its most early output. Origins shows the base from which the band has climbed and it has certainly helped them that the base they built was the musical equivalent of Mt Everest. This is another collection of breathtaking, unique tracks from a truly special band.
