#dwarrowdelf

Gandalf vs Balrog - by Jenny is Drawing

Music Style: Epic Black Metal

Country of Origin: England

Years Active: 2017-Present

Current Member: Tom O’Dell - Everything

Discography: The Sons of Fëanor (2018) Of Dying Lights (2019) From Beneath the Fells (2019) Evenstar (2020)

Tolkien Band Name Reference: Dwarrowdelf is the Westron translation of Khazad-dûm (aka Moria), the greatest city of the dwarves

Website: No official website, but does have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DwarrowdelfUK/ and a Bandcamp: https://dwarrowdelfuk.bandcamp.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCACeKNdo9QeNh-tQ7M5Wxog

Spotify Monthly Listeners: ~850

My Thoughts: I hope you like European black metal solo projects, because we’re looking at another one today. While I did enjoy all of Dwarowdelf’s albums, I will primarily be focusing on one in this discussion. Before I get to that, overall, I think O’Dell’s strengths are his clean vocals (especially when he layers multiple vocal tracks) and his guitar work.

I want to spend a little more time on Dwarrowdelf’s debut album, The Sons of Fëanor. Before I even listened to this album, I was super excited for it. The Silmarillion as told through the fates of the sons of Fëanor is an amazing concept for an album. But even more amazing than the concept is the execution. O’Dell clearly has a deep understanding of not only the lore, but the tragedy of the Silmarillion. There a glimmers of this thread of tragedy throughout the album, starting from the very first song, “Amrod”, where Amrod says his “life is penance for the kin that we have slain”. The tragedy kicks up at the halfway point with “Caranthir”, when Caranthir seems to become aware of the direction this story is going. “Glorious sons of Fëanor, / What have we become? / Marching ever forward, we all fall one by one”. In my opinion, the climax is in the penultimate (and shortest) song, “Maedhros”. In this moment, the moment of their victory, the moment when he finally has a Silmaril in hand, his past cruelty catches up with him, and he commits suicide. The pain and sorrow of Maedhros really shines through in O’Dell’s vocal performance. However, while that is the climax, the most painful song is probably “Maglor”. It is one thing to die a tragic death, but another thing to be forced to endure with no hope of the release of oblivion. The album leaves Maglor on the shores, crying out for the return of his brothers. “Oh bring back my brothers to me, / From senseless tales of tragedy / I await them by the shores of life “