There is a specific kind of creative alchemy that occurs when a musician stops chasing the charts and starts chasing their own ghosts. For Fredrik Lindström, the mastermind behind the Swedish project Second Choice, this transition has been decades in the making. What began as a 1990s apprenticeship in the local metal scene eventually birthed a side project in the early 2000s—a "home for all the weird little ideas that never quite fit anywhere else."
Now, that experiment has blossomed into his primary creative vehicle, culminating in the hauntingly atmospheric new single, ‘By The Blackened Fern’. The track is a masterclass in mood, bridging the gap between the sludge-thick riffs of 70s heavy metal and the primal, ritualistic pulse of modern Nordic folk. Listeners familiar with the earthy, percussive weight of bands like Heilung or Wardruna will find a kindred spirit here, though Lindström anchors these pagan echoes with a foundational gloom reminiscent of early Black Sabbath. It is a "weird combo," as he admits, but one that feels entirely organic, as if the music was unearthed from the damp soil of a Scandinavian forest rather than recorded in a studio.
Central to this evocative soundscape is the vocal contribution of Dimi De San. Lindström, who focuses on the instrumental and production side, describes her as “that rare combination of unique and talented.” Her performance on this track provides a sharp, melodic contrast to the dense, vintage guitar textures. She doesn't just sing over the music; she haunts it, her voice cutting through the shadows with a clarity that prevents the track’s darker tendencies from becoming impenetrable.
The accompanying music video further cements the song’s "folk-horror" aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from the grainy, unsettling tension of 1970s cult cinema, the visuals lean into a sense of quiet menace and ancient ritual. There is no desperate bid for mainstream attention here. Instead, Lindström embraces the ambiguity of his work, noting that "once a song is finished, it’s up to the audience to interpret it as they see fit."
Whether you hear a lament for lost memories or a celebration of old-world symbolism, ‘By The Blackened Fern’ stands as a testament to the power of the slow burn. It is a deliberate, confident piece of art from a project that has finally found its true north.
As with all Second Choice’s releases, you can stream it alongside the stellar new video, and for more, be sure to join the project on Spotify and YouTube.
