I saw this Swedish death metal band back in 1991 opening up for Morbid Angel. I tracked down " Where No Life Dwells' within the week, and wore that tape out as it was a darker, more dense sound than other death metal albums I owned at the time. Since those days, they have evolved into something more like Pagan metal as they have become more Viking-focused. They are quick to take you to Valhalla on the second song, though the album opens with a grittier death metal sound. Either way, it is clear they care about songwriting as conveyed in the powerful stomp of "The Road to Haifa Pier". Lyrically things feel like they are almost too thematic, but I guess everyone has their thing.
Their line-up has stayed intact for decadeswhich can be heard in how tight everything is as the work like a singular metal machine. The gallop of "War Comes Again" feels like the timeless nature of ancient warrior culture is even more relevant as war boils from every corner of the globe, and is the natural ebb and flow of mankind. His scowl is more of a declaration than a growl most of the time. I like the half-time groove the song drops into. The verse riff of the title track comes the closest so far to what they did on "Where No Life Dwells". There is impressive guitar playing on every corner of this album. The dizzying riff that opens "Loyal to the End" is one of them, as they grind into a grimmer crunch.
"Midjardarhaf" carries another powerful chug, as even when they dig into grooves, they do not lose momentum. "Hail the Varangians" lyrically displays the fact that they know their history and can incorporate elements not romanticized by Western culture into what they do is respectable. "To My Only Son" carries more of a thrashing cadence. "Hold Your Hammers High" finds them using the formula that defines what they do in a more anthemic way. It is not until you get into the album's third act that this is most noticeable, but it works. It feels that by the last song, they have just gone to this well too many times, but it still works for what it is they do. I will give it a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. This album is being dropped on Napalm Records.
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