This Swedish band's first album has remained my favorite, so let's see how their fourth album holds up against it. It's melodic black metal with a thrashing intensity so true to who they are as a band when things kick off with the harmonized buzz of guitars. Synths and sung vocals play a marginally larger role in the song's overall feel. In 2010 when their first album was released fewer bands did this sort of thing The buzz of the guitar while melodic begins to feel formulaic as they go back to the well again. There is more of TYR feel to the sung vocals. The break in the second song works really well and I would like to hear more of that brand of experimentation work its way into their songwriting here.
"Gryla" finds things thankfully switching up to a darker throb. This takes things in a much more black-metal direction. "Storm Av Is" finds more of a traditional metal gallop coming into play with more folk metal elements coloring the song. This works for me, as it takes the emphasis of the typical black metal buzz of racing guitars. It is brighter in sound, but in the interest of having a more dynamic overall experience with this album, I prefer it to just the same thing being hammered at you to the point of numbing your ears out. "Frostdraken" brings back the more blackened buzz, and rapid-fire attack, for those who are fans of that sort of thing. The title track is also off to the races with a similar vibe though marginally more melodic, though still workings off their formula for this sort of thing.
Of course, a song called "Ragnarok" has to have the folky feel of a biking drinking song, though when it kicks in despite dialing the bpms back a little it does have more of a black metal slant. The last two songs sit solidly within the blackened thrash realm of what this band does consistently. They are solid enough songs, that work for what they are doing for here. I will give this album an 8.5, it's a refinement in what you expect this band to do. It drops March 6th on Trollzorn records.
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