Throughout its duration, Ligfaerd relentlessly smothers the listener in more layers of ghostly atmosphere than its predecessor, but the decidedly doom-oriented black metal component is definitely still present. Nortt's basic sound is still made up of morose background synths and piano, barely human snarls, ponderous drumming, despondent fuzzed-out guitars and other string laments -- all tied in chains almost too heavy to bear. This time however, these elements find themselves trapped in a more spacious environment, a cold void where each strumming of a chord comes back off the walls to haunt the listener. This sparse approach trades impact for atmosphere; at times it seems to increase the significance of each note, but it can also place more strain on the album's ability to keep the listener's attention. It all sounds like some barren ghost town somewhere between this world and another; the last funeral before your own has just taken place, and half-imagined church bells echo in your mind as a reminder that your miserable journey is coming to an end.
