SKÁLMÖLD : " Ýdalir "

 It's been a minute since we have reviewed any viking metal , so lets dive into the 6th album by this Icelandic band. The first song sets the stage for a high energy brand that carries the roar of the throaty vocals. The guitar playing in more melodic than you might expect, without diving into the more folk centric strains of the genre. They continue racing forward on the second song that finds a more screamed vocals starting things off and a sung baritone bellow chanting. They bring in dynamic changes to offer everything you might want from the genre without devolving into drinking songs. I would say there is less theatrics than what Amon Amarth does. There is also a little less thrash to suggest they might be more influenced by both Manowar and Bathory depending on where you are at in the song. 

What they do not do is wandering off into folk atmosphere or throw themselves into black metal passages, instead sticking to a very deliberate manner of song writing that still maintains a great deal of drive. This works for me as there is already a great deal of extremes in metal out today so to find a balance that lends it self to melody always works in my book. There might be a surplus of guitar solos, but they work to break things up in the songs. The whole boat full of singing Vikings feel comes into play by the third song, though it feels less like frolicking than what most bands do. Bands like this do not hit a groove in the conventional sense metal bands do , instead they latch onto a solid gallop. I think one of the things that works for me with these guys is how they are marginally darker than most bands drinking from this mead horn , which is enough to give the needed menace. When they come close to frolicking with cheer there is more balls to and keep the triumph from turning to glee. 

At times there is a pronounced Iron Maiden influence when the guitar harmonies lead into the gallop. Though it's never like they are ripping off  "To Tame a Land". Heavy chugs come at the right time to ground them. Five songs in and I am really surprised how good this album is. Granted it's not something I am always in the mood for, but excellence in execution for sure. "Sklud' finds them at their most deliberate which lends it's self to giving the vocals more purpose. There are a few moments when they play it a little too safe, and epic becomes redundant. The ten minute closing epic being one of these. I will give this album a 9.5, not sure how much mileage I am going to get out of it, but I have to recognize how well done this is, if you are a fan of this sort of thing this album is a must. It drops the 18th of August on Napalm Records. 

Enslaved : "Heimdal"

The band finds ways to keep it fresh 16 years later. Only two original members, though guitarist Ice Dale has been in the band since before black metal became cool and anyone knew who Enslaved were ...well at least in America, where Opeth had just broken big at the time. This album finds them bringing new sounds to the table, while still sounding like themselves which is a testament to their songwriting skills and sense of adventure. Is it more prog than black metal? Yes, but we passed that fjord long ago, and is still more black metal than many bands claiming to be black metal. They can build something dynamic and epic in scope without going more than a few seconds past the 8-minute mark. 

"Forest Dweller" simmers down a bit into more of a proggy place with the sung vocals taking the spotlight. Midway into the song, it roars at you with its more familiar metallic fury. The keyboard solo over this goes above and beyond. "Kingdom" takes you on a wilder journey that I needed a few listens to really wrap my head around. It goes from wildly racing prog to end up at something closer to their earlier work.  "the Eternal Sea" broods a bit at first, but builds into a grooving gallop. It almost has a Tool-like vibe to it, if Tool was more into Iron Maiden than King Crimson. The nasty snarl does emerge to take things into a hard left turn towards heavier metals. 

The last two songs make me think the weed in Norway is getting stronger. They keep an aggressive core amid the atmosphere which "Canvas to the Outer Worlds"  in the periphery as the guitars bring many shades of mean to the table. It's not until over halfway into the song that the drugs kick in and space things out. There is still a strong chug running under things after the cosmic colors begin to drip around the song. The title track closes the album. Here is a song that shows they know how to integrate the weird in ways that keep who they are intact. There is a grooving angular lumber that flows through the pulse of the song. There is an almost Cathedral feel to where the vocals go to. Then midway into the song, there is a wild turn to a taunt palm muted groove that comes out of nowhere. I will give this album a 9.5, it is not perfect but pretty close, the elements you think would take a long time fan time to get used to clicking on the first listen with me, are the more straight-ahead metal parts that might require some time to stew in. That said it is remarkable they keep pumping out songs that are this inspired 16  albums later. 

Vanir : "Sagas"

 Most folk or Viking metal tends not be dark enough for my tastes. The so-called folk elements are often more on par with Leprechaun dance tracks. This Danish band is darker and more aggressive, than most . The melodies layered over this have more of a epic anime sound to them, which makes them not as heavy as if they did not have it but I get that that is their thing. The massive symphonic sound of the opener reminds me of Dimmu.   "Black Clad" is a more straight forward metal march. As with a great many metal bands who step on the gas in an order to be harder and faster some of the groove of songwriting gets buried. This can be felt on "See the Dragons Ride" .  

 As  the chugs begin to run together what is apparent is how their more deliberate moments work much better than when they go racing off to chase dragons . Just dropping things down to an acoustic guitar in the middle is kind of played out unless it flows better in the song, yet that does not stop them from trying. Without that things begin to run together and it is an endless stream of chugging. The machine gun charge of  double driving "the Bounty of Flesh and Bone" goes to show epic alone is not enough. This is a similar problem Amon Amarth has though , I take these guys more seriously than them The vocals do limit what they can do as this is all pretty one dimensional metal. When sung vocals are finally employed it's too little too late. 

"Battle For Middle Earth" is darker, but as a whole by this point in the album the overall sound is nothing more than your average European death metal band.  Some songs just work better than others. This one being on the more effective side. Just because the songs fail to hook me on the first listen some I was able to appreciate more after another listen.  "Andvari's Curse" being one of these. Nothing is reinventing the wheel here when it comes to metal. They just accomplished what they set out to do with this one better than the bulk of the other songs.  Where "Gods of War" runs together with everything else I heard here , the last song has more distinct melodies thanks to the guitars. I will give this one an 8, which is very fair considering they accomplished what they set out to do and the only problem for me is it  runs together due to the emphasis being on the metallic aggression which might not be enough for me to make this something I would put in regular rotation, but for fans of darker euro death metal with Viking undertones, you will appreciate more than I do.   

Thyrfing : "Vanagandr"

 This Swedish band has been kicking around the black metal scene since the mid 90s.  This is their 7th album, so not as prolific as some. Only two original members are intact their bassist who started a the drummer and the guitarist. To their credit they do not cling to closely to the Dissection legacy of Swedish black metal , they have more in common with them than some of their other country men due to the highly highly melodic nature of what they do. They have a very big sound, and the album is very well produced. The title track has more of a "pagan" touch to their sound. Which along with great drumming helps form their identity on this album.

The clean guitar tones work well to help distance themselves from sounding like every one else.    I also like the fact you can hear the bass. Often the gallop has a more power metal thrashiness to it that is off set by the scowl of the vocals. More accessible than their earlier more black metal albums for sure. While I do like the sounds they are layering on "Jamhand" I do not feel it is as well written as the previous song. But this is only marginal and your average metal head might not even notice. There is a more theatrical flare to "Hag och minne " for a;; the LARPing they might try to do, if it was not for the riffs there would be nothing to play Viking with. The spoken parts are not my favorite but the overall  feeling of the song works. The sung vocals are layered in the background.  I believe these guys are more closely related to Vikings than Amon Amarth. Regardless, what I learned from this song is the drummer is great. 

A few blast beats show up here and there, but they are contrasted by a wide breadth of sounds so it never sounds like they are just falling back on them.  However it is when they slow things down to a more deliberate pace on the last song that they become more interesting and melodic while still brooding ,dark and heavy. Sure this is a Dungeons & Dragons feeling album, but it is still really well done and heavier than most, black metal for people who normally like power metal, I will give it a 9.

Havukruunu : " Uinuos Syömein Sota"

After enough viking metal I finally decided if it is not Scandinavian it's cultural appropriation. Thanks to the Vikings tv, all kinda of corn bread eating Americans are going around with Thor's hammer around their neck. These guys have a legit enough sound. Being from Finland this is not what I think of when I think of black metal, it has nothing to do with Horna. The do have sung vocal choruses and shredding solos. Their over all sound makes me think of Moonsorrow. The songs are a reasonable length. The do have a uniform sound to their triumphant gallop. I would put them closer to pagan or folk metal as they are too happy to really be black metal. The band's name means coniferous crown, so not very dark there at all. The guitar solos are pretty impressive though. I think if they do not swtich it up a little by the next song I will begin to get bored.

It is a mixed bag as they blast into the third song faster and more furious, but speed alone doesn't be much for me. Then midway into the song they break down into a folk part before the dazzling solo section sweeps in. Even when they come in blastng hard I am not convinced they are black metal. They come close to nailing the sound, but I do not feel the darkness. They do kick into a cool riff before the triumphant solo section. But the rule here is cool riffs alone does not a good song male. Sometimes the frolicing in the snow gets to the point that it sounds like X-mas music. Well at least for me, if you are into folk metal then this will seem pretty heavy to you. I think if the bass came up in the mix and the drum got more love in post production this could have sounded heavier than it does now.  This trend of x-mas metal continues as the album progresses.

This is a guitar players album for sure. The drumming is not bad. There are moments when they hit harder, but they are not consistent. This is not a negative trait as they at least care about their song more than giving a relentless pounding. There are some interesting choices with atmosphere that are more space age than what you would expect from these guys who sound more like LARPers. I will give this album an 8 , while it's mood might not be for me, these guys accomplished what they set out to and fans of this kind of thing are going to dig it.

Borknagar : " True North"

I will always take what I can get from ICS Vortex. On their 11th album, there are not a great deal of surprises . It continues to find the band refining and maturing their sound. Some songs are more prog than others. In the case of "Up North" it's rock n roll. There is not a ton of black metal on here, but that is fine with me, as I prefer hearing ICS Vortex sing. With a new drummer and 2nd guitarist, they sound once again invigorated. This does not mean this is gong to be the heaviest album. Snarled vocals do appear on "the Fire That Burns", by the chorus Vortex's soaring vocals are back in the spotlight, as they should be. The harsher vocals here remind me of Emperor. It frolics off into more of a folk metal like feel.

 The arrangements are not too extravagance so have more in common with folk metal than prog. The harsher vocals are really the only thing give an edge to "Lights'. The vocal melodies are more refined. What they do here is still not as care free as a great deal of folk metal that is often too happy for me.
The song "Wild Father's Heart" is more laid back. It doesn't grab you like the first few songs, however the melody of the chorus is catchier to my ears. I like the more brooding tone of "Mount Rapture" . This might be one of the album's stronger songs. In contrast "Into the White"  is not as engaging as the previous song.  "Tidal" gets a little more black metal than previous songs, but less engaging of a listen. It is not until later in the song when the gutiar solos come that things are more interesting.

The opening vocal melody to "Voices" sets this song up to be one of the alum's best. This serves as a fine example of how they should approach stepping away from their black metal past if that is the direction they are going to continue to grow in. I will give this album a 9. It excels and never finds the songs being lack luster ,some grab me more than others , but all of them are very well done. It stands well against their body of work and I think fans that have grown with them up to this point will embrace this album too. 

Amon Amarth : " Berserker"

These guys are more of a death metal thrash hybrid with catchy riffs than what I would call "viking metal" , They are more about the double bass than any kind of folk elements worked in. Sound effects leading into a song don't count. Any one dial in a sample. Sure they might have a viking ship onstage, but who the fuck cares when it is playing on your iPod.  These guys are good at what they do, but are they bringing something new to the great hall or just warming up left overs. The guitar harmonies on "Crack the Sky" is almost too happy, it does get a little angrier going into the chorus. The vocals have not changed at all and are pretty one dimensional. The guitars are their main strength. While I would not say their are folk metal or power metal, the problem I have with many of those bands is they have a little too much frolic in their riffs.

The songs are rather compact. When the lead growler uses his lower growl it is more effective. On "Shield Wall"  they prove to me that they can write a fucking song. But can they keep this up? There is more of a thrash feel to "Valkyria", it's nothing special. The opening riff to "Raven's Flight" sounds like an out take from the "Pain Killer"album with out Halford.  We are back to getting left overs warmed up. Even though the guitar tone changes leading into "Ironside" it goes into the double bass driven same old same old that is beginning to bore me. Lyrically it seems like they pulled everything from the vikings show, I guess they skipped history class.

The albums strongest moments is when they slow their gallop and are more deliberate with it. "When Once We Set Our Sails" is a little more melodic , but this guys growl has gotten old. I can see where teenage metal guitar players could really get into this think 13 or 14 is when I would have really dug it. When I was 15 I was getting into hard core and it would have felt silly. These guys are hit or miss as going into "Skoll and Hati" its speed up and gets heavier. I think the vocals work better on this song, but it's pretty straight forward racing gallops . "Wings of Eagles" could have been any of  the other songs before this. "Into the Dark" is marginally more melodic and the big epic scale guitar works well here, there is also cool break down like riff at the end. However they fall prey to the rule here which is "cool riffs alone do not make a good song" This is well done and sometimes really hits the mark. Despite it seeming like these guys are making the same album over and over, I will give this an 8.


 

Tyr : "Hel"

Up until this point "By the Light Of the Northern Star" was my favorite album by these guys. It had the kind of muscle many folk metal bands lack with great sense for hooky anthems . A darker heavier tone haunts the opening track. The vocals are almost more of a throaty death metal roar before they chorus finds the returning to the brawny singing that feels more like their trademark. While the melodies have more of the folk frolic to them, they are sung with balls. This is what sets  Tyr apart. One thing I like about this album is how the bass has more of a presence in the mix. This gives the over all sound a more commanding Iron Maiden like punch in their attack. Unlike Maiden this is not used to gallop, but more of a thrash chug...think Anthrax here.



This time around the song structure is more complex and nuanced. The guitar sound huge no matter what path the song winds around. It is more progressive than most of the so called progressive metal bands who are really wanking. These guys are certainly capable of delivering guitar solos sprinkled with shred, but in a more tasteful manner. Though I can here trace influences of "Black Album" era Metallica , I really like the melody to "Garmr".  They cross many genres as their are elements of power metal along the way, but I think thrash is the next dominant element. Even when they touch on their more melodic side with songs like "Sunset Shore". If it was one any other way it would have too much of the power metal like cheese. There is more of rock n roll feel to the otherwise thrashing "Down Hill Drunk" which is a little more straight forward and doesn't stand out as much as the previous songs. They come back stronger with  the powerful "Empire of the North". The guitar harmonies become more common and they begin to lock into more of a formula at this juncture in the album.

They incorporate many elements of classic metal on "King of Time" while retaining the big viking drinking song style of delivery. There is a more Judas Priest style of riffing on "Fire and Flame". The song slows to a more deliberate pace when the vocals come in, which is a welcome change of pace. Things speed up and fall into more typical heavy metal once we get to the solo section. The same could be said of the guitar harmonies going into "Against the Gods". The vocals are really the main thing that set this song apart. Despite getting off to a rough start with the Dragon Force like intro "Songs of War" turns out to be pretty decent. The last song is ok, but not ground breaking and doesn't give that much of dynamic shift from what they have already covered on this album. I will give this one a 9.5 as it's one of the most solid straight up metal albums I have heard so far this year.

Enslaved: "E"

These guys used to be one of my favorite metal bands then they drifted too far out into Opeth territory and lost some of their bite. This doesn't change the fact they are great musicians and slayed it when I saw them live. They meander into the opener, with granted cool guitar tones , but it goes to show some off the fat could have been trimmed off it. Clean vocals are the first two show. Though the scowling growl does chime in to remind you they are metal. Forget thinking of these guys as black metal any more. There are some cool riffs, and the heavier guitar tones are crisp. The growls go lower into more of a death metal growl rather than the normal black metal rasp they had. Double bass does come in to speed things up and add some aggression eight minutes in building up into them beginning to sound more black metal, I did find myself bobbing my head to the more groove inflected riff.

I am not holding my breath for this is be a heavy album, so if it takes that turn I'll be happily surprised. They do gallop into "the Rivers Mouth". The vocals come in around where the chorus would be, but they are not really what I would call a hook. The overall mood is more aggressive that what we have heard from them in recent years, though more straight forward. The clean vocals seem like they are produced much like Burton C Bell's clean vocals were. The drummer is pretty bad ass on "Sacred Horse". Three songs in I can say they are making a concerted effort to have more growled vocals. The clean vocals are more of a texture , which is fine by me and I am a fan of actual singing. There are some weird proggy ebbs and flows back and forth on this one. The clean vocals are used to darker effect towards the end of this one that works well .

There is a more rock n roll feel to the beginning of "Axis of the Worlds" . I like the heavier chorus riff more than the manic verse riff. Then the album takes a turn in a much more proggy direction. The jazzy drumming anchors the spiraling maze of guitar on "Feathers of Eolh". The part in this song with the lower "Silent Lucidity" vocals is the song' s best moment.  This doesn't change until 3 minutes into "Hiindsiight". The sax added to the song is a nice touch. They do hit a more upbeat gallop that is a staple of their sound on "Djupet" though the mood of the song is more death metal. The album ends with a more progressive tone. The clean vocals work as they have something in the melody to hook you into them. Overall I think this moves in a better direction and returns the focus to being heavier. I'll give this one a 9.

Amon Amarth : "Jomsviking"

If you make so called "viking metal" and consistently leave me feeling luke warm about what you do then there is a problem. This Swedish band who now finds themselves on their tenth album is not the only offender when it comes to this. It's not unlike how I felt when I went to the Norway exhibit at Epcot, they would leave you to believe there is nothing more to the culture than sweaters, trolls and Frozen. Granted of all the Scandinavian cultures the Swedes often come across as if they are overcompensating for birthing Abba and are the most welcoming of western culture. This album doesn't remedy that problem, but they continue to fine tune what they do.

What Amon Amarth does is use the twin guitar attacks makes up for the vocals by carrying the weight of the melodies . Amon Amarth also makes me feel like what they do has already been done by Unleashed, just with bigger production and a tad more Iron Maiden in the guitar harmonies. They also have a sense of hooks that appeals to kids who grew up on Lamb of God. "First Kill" is well written and executed it just doesn't give him the empowering feeling that really good metal normally bestows upon me when it touches my ears. They come off very arena rockish on "Wanderer" The vocals are the only thing that keep them firmly planted in death metal rather than power metal. As the song begins to live up to its title and wander it also loses my attention until the melodic breakdown that gets ruined by the spoken word section.

"On a Sea of Blood" picks up the pace, meeting  at the cross roads of thrash and death metal.When the vocals dip into the lower growl to join the more chugged groove the results are rather impressive. "One Against All" has some powerful riffing, but loses it at the chorus even with the gang vocals.Lyrically it's all Dungeons and Dragons foolishness. The vocals are well produced and I like it when he goes into the deeper growls. "Raise Your Horns" is equally parts 80's cheese and catchy modern metal. The accents adding by the layers of backing vocals are the songs' strongest quality.  When the speed up into the chorus it turns into the more typical viking metal drinking song. I can hear it going over big at festivals like Wacken.

"the Way of the Viking" feels like filler to me.  It's well played and they are hitting the right punches, but it's like LARPing vs a real battle. No manner of shredding solos can convince me otherwise. There is more of a thrashing attack to "Dawns First Light". The guitars sound bigger than they are heavy. The fact that there is more aggression to their sound than darkness is one of the x-factors that sets these guys in the middle of the road."One Thousand Burning Arrows" benefits from a more melodic backdrop and offers a little more emotional depth. These guys are no doubt riff machines many of them sound similar, but the chug always falls in just the right place. "A Dream That Can Not Be" is a little darker, touching on some meatier intervals with the lower growls helping to lower the mood before the female vocals come in. It's not Maria Brink, but the vocals have a similar quality.

In someways this album is an improvement for the band, but it's really splitting bear hairs as they are not really doing anything differently than they have before, unless we are talking their earlier work, as they now sit firmly in the middle of the road for where mainstream metal is at today.I'll give this one a 7.5.

Moonsorrow : " Jumalten Aika"

It's been five years since the Finnish overlords of pagan metal left us with "Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa". The album opens with folk instruments creating a ritualistic aura.After a  minute and a half of this they storm into the kinda of  larger than life metal you have come to expect from them. The black metal side of what they do is toned down on this album.They have more in common the more epic side of folk metal. Holding true to their mission statement this does have a commanding viking feel, without inspiring you to go into a jig with your drinking horn. They wait is in some part due to the ambitious production value this album was crafted with.  The drums have enough thunder to make Thor jealous. Production wise this might be their biggest drum sound yet. This drummer might have always been a monster, but this albums really shines a spotlight on the fact.

 They have found the right balance of melody and muscle. More clean vocals abound, most are handled in a choral manner. There is something about one of the riffs leading into the verse reminds me of Deep Purple . The harsh vocal has more snarl to it than I remember from their previous work. The tone to this song starts off triumphantly brighter by a few degrees with the double bass really propelling it.As dynamic as the previous two albums it ebbs and flows in a similar manner. There might be more of the clean vocals chiming in from the background. Guitar wise to say they have achieved a fuller sound would be an understatement. The layers are well woven around one another.

"Suden Tunti" might find them slowing down, but they also get more aggressive. At seven minutes this song is a return to a more stripped down straight up metal sound, even with some of the folk elements that crop up between some of the punches. The gang chanting almost inspired a dwarven circle pit, unless you make successful savings throw against enchanted moshing. This is one of the album's most powerful songs. Speaking of savings throws, often the length of these guys songs has made them a band to use as back ground music for D&D nights, rather than something that got heavy rotation on my iPod. However I think these guys are one of the few bands that really make every minute count. Except for the sound effects that ends the album, few seconds are  wasted on droning or indulgent noise. Their indulgences as pretentious as they might seem to someone not really into this kind of epic pagan metal, are well played and take me away to icy battlegrounds.

"Mimisbrunn" does really take viking metal to a lushly orchestrated extreme. This soaring fifteen minute piece is the most melodic song on the album. In places it feels like the intensity is being compromised by beauty and then they hit you with a smack of blast beats. The double bass that sweeps in gives the needed aggression. This album might take them another step closer to progressive metal in the constantly expanding arrangements. They are relentless in hitting you with riffs that are as catchy as they are majestic. The clean guitar guitar passages allow the bass to come from out of the layers of drums it sometimes finds itself buried under. One thing these guys have going for them here is the fantasy element many bands of this ilk take on gives you the feeling their are bards telling a story they are detached from. Moonsorrow might be telling a story, but they dig into their souls and  spill a great deal of  emotion into the music.

They return to another stripped down metal riff to open "Ihmisen Aika" , but this is short lived as it builds back up into well... what this band does best. The bass is more present in the mix on this song as well. There are less thematic shifts in the first five minutes, but they come by way of a melodic break down that explodes into a much heavier section that finds it's way into something resembling black metal. There is a very symphonic lushness to song's third act that is well layered with textures of guitar and vocals. I'll round this up to a 9.5. They achieve perfection when they don't turn things into an opera. The more grandiose moments, are just not something I see putting into as  heavy of a rotation as I once did, unless it snows an here in the states the chances or March snow are slimming down. This might be the perfect album if massive viking symphonies are what you listen to on a regular. For what this is they are the best at what they do, surpassing Enslaved and Borknagar on the epic scale, though those two bands have a some what different and more mainstream take on what they do.

Havkruunu :"Havulinnaan"

Some black from Finland that is more steeped in the frosty wilderness than boozy goth. This is a duo kicking up this much sound. They conjure epic viking sounds with a fury. But as the end of the first song approaches I find myself wondering , o.k what else will these guys be able to do? This is first answered by a rather feral explosion of a song ,before they take the album into more melodic places to earn their way into the pagan metal genre. The vocals are more sung than scream, though still carry grit in more of a Primordial fashion. The blast beats to show up even in these songs, but with the greater dynamic range offered it works out much better than if they were a band who only knew blast beats. One thing I like about their take on pagan flavored black metal is none of the power or darker tones are sacrificed in order to dance around the camp fire.

They eventually begin driving things forward with less blasting and more thundering double bass with the guitar on some songs taking on almost a thrash tinge, as They attack some of these riffs with some of precision that recalls 80s thrash. "Terhen" doesn't let up on the intensity and perhaps even dials it up a notch. At four minute mark it's gets pretty melodic before speeding off in the rapid rage that fuels this one. "Sinerva" races along the frostbitten path like Immortal if  hypothermia gave them a nervous break down, the screamed vocals are at their most anguished and insane here and the gallop is pretty mean as well.

"Tuuletar" blasts off into the wilderness with a roar, but doesn't feel like the same attention to detail was given to this song in the writing stages. Midway into it they finally slow down to catch their breath and things get musical again. A guitar solo erupt amid the chaos and actually shows this guy has some chops. They close the album with what is for all practical purposes the title track. There is more of a pulsing sway to this one which gets pretty fucking epic and while that term is overused when it comes to metal here is one of the occasions where it is actually worthy of that claim. They hit you with riff after riff slamming into you neck breaking intent.

This might not be the best black metal album of the year, but it is a pretty fucking mean one that has a sound of its own and there are not many black metal bands in the hordes that are cropping up in every part of the world with a dark patch of woods that can say that. This is the band's first full length even though the have been around the block, so look forward to more from these guys.

6.5

Borknagar : "Winter Thrice"

Over the years the band's evolution away from their black metal beginning to an elaborate sprawl of viking folk metal has always seemed like the next logical step in their growth.  Despite ICS Vortex only lending his golden pipes to one song, "Universal" has always been my favorite album by these guys, so this album joins "Urd" as having some big snow shoes to fill. lThey have not dialed back their grandiose nature , every thing is done to excess while still serving the song which is what separates them from many prog metal bands who show up to shred with little regard for the finer points of song writing.

The title track scales things back in places to create a more intimate space between the vocals and the listener. This is not to say they fore go all metal aspirations to create this as this song has it's more venomous moments which come much closer to black metal than the opener. The clean vocals have a very relaxed Pink Floydish croon to them that bands such as Opeth and Enslaved have also implemented in the past. They get meaner for the more snarling "Cold Runs the River" which is first song that makes me to the casual head bang at my desk...it's a more rhythmic nod of approval. The clean vocals also have balls to them. The song pretty much has everything you could want form a more melodic form of metal as it even ebbs down to a more introspective section  towards the end.

Not as wacky as something Arcturus might do ,  "Panorama" still indulges heavier in their more flowery prog impulses. When bands dip this deeply into fantasy land in a way that frolics like this it always makes me think of Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge". "When Chaos Calls" makes me think of what Dimmu might have sounded like if the "In Sorte Diaboli" line up had stayed intact, but but decided to go in a much more melodic direction. If it was not for the rasped vocals to balance things out they would have gone in an almost power-metal turn on the slowed paced of "Erodent". Then two and a half minutes in some blast beats take the intensity up a notch before they swing back into the dramatic melody and then the song weaves it way around these dynamics. I suppose you could call "Noctilucent" a viking metal power ballad. The guitar solo in this one really made my ears perk up.

Form the title alone I knew "Terminus" was going to be heavier. It's pretty much a rule in metal if the song title sounds like it could also be the name of a super villain you gotta get heavier with it. Two minutes in they begin bookending the heavy sections with more melodic portions. They throw a lot at you here and it takes a few listens to fully digest it. They close the album on the proggy side of folk metal with "Dominant Winds" . Rasped vocals do come in to chant the song 's title in the lyrics, but over all this song seems to be lighter in tone than most of the album, though this album never feels all that dark to me to begin with. There is a wide range of vocals colors Ulver main-man Garm guests on two songs to add to this spectrum. Overall I'll give this a 9.5 due to the talent employed in it's construction, though remain unsure if this is something I can really heard my self listening to on days that it doesn't snow.

This album comes out January 22nd on Century Media .

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Svartsot : "Vaeldet

Getting caught up on 2015 as this album came out in February, It's funny having just reviewed the new Ensiferum , I have something to directly weigh this album again. I really liked their 2007 album " the Ravnenes Saga" , so things have changed since then namely their singer,  this is vocalist Thor Bager's third album with the band. Vocally there is more of a death metal things going on. This album feels darker than Ensiferum thanks to this. The production is not bigger , but it is better. There is a thicker density to the guitars. The folk elements work with the music a little more effortlessly.  They do hit that riding into glory swing with "Kilden" that finds the hobbit chorus joining in to dance around the bonfire. The guitars are well layered.  Eventually a formula begins to present it self. The mid paced stomp of "Moder Hyld" that takes some dynamic dips shakes them out of falling into a frolicking rut.

"Markedstid" carries more of a medieval groove to it , but is still very much rooted in metal ,which is a balance these guys achieve well. They shift tones into a more organic and acoustic jig for "I Morkets" . The riffing on this album is air tight , with out question these guys are on top of their game.  For this to be an instrumental it kept me engaged. The guitar harmonies are melodic , but still have balls to them. They get back into a more typical folk metal formula after this song, with the whistle melodies that all use the same intervals. The vocal passages are a little more aggressive than your average folk metal, until the female vocals come in a chill every one out. They continue to use a rather diverse ebb and flow with the folk scale being played in the background the only cliche.

This is a really solid release and fans of this genre will want to round it up from the 8 I am giving it. The folk scale can give the songs a somewhat uniform sounds and it often feels like it is trying to undermine what these guys are doing. If you are a guitar player who likes folk metal then it might even be a 10 for you. I can appreciate what these guys are doing and glad I gave this one a listen for sure.

Ensiferum : " One Man Army"

Got inspired to cover some folk metal after once again seeing this article on a study that tries to imply folk metal is racist for embracing European heritage. However if a rap group dressed up like Chaka Zulu they would be getting back to their roots. Any way this albums kicks into things as ultra speed metal mode. To be not infused with black metal they are heavier than your average viking metal band. The vocals have an angry rasp to them. The guitar solos blaze as expected and some chants join in at the chorus. So it's pretty typical of what to expect from them but with sharper teeth. "Heathen Horde" has more of a gallop, allowing the song a more powerful groove. The title track has a harder thrash attack and pretty impressive double bass in places. A more melodic folk touch is finally given to the album with the interlude "Burden of the Fallen" , and the epic sense of fantasy is carried over into "Warrior Without a War". Yelled vocals chime in from the background and the viking like chorus  comes in pretty thick to bring the epic scale you look for in this kind of thing.

"Cry For the Earth Bounds" starts off in the epic Bathory like manner you might want it to , but I found it not holding my attention on the first listen. The big multi layered choral melody on the chorus is pretty big , but doesn't punch leaving some of the instrumental bridges to be the most interesting. They hit it in a more straight ahead thrashy manner on " Two of Spades" , a weird almost poppy Men At Work type part crops up in the middle. There is a more hard rock Iron Maiden feel to "My Ancestor's Blood". The chorus is more sung than screamed with the harsher vocals commanding the verses. There is a needed shift in the guitar tone on "Descendants, Defiance , Domination" . It's picks up into the more frolicking metal three minutes in. The spoken word narration midway into this one sounds like something you might hear on the Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disney. The more Night Wish like power metal vocals come in and are followed by the harsher screams.

The album begins to take a strange western turn on " Neito Pohjolan" with female vocals crooning this out like it should be on Telemundo. They continue you wander the prairie  and cover the Rawhide theme song worked  which comes across like it comes across like Sigh and the album pretty much ends on a more western theme with a little metal tossed in on the side . So this album is like from Dusk Til Dawn which goes from a criminal road trip to surprise vampires, this goes from viking metal to cowboy metal.I'll give this a 7 as it gets the job done but I don't feel really goes above and beyond.

Istapp : "Frostbiten"

After playing the hell out of this band's first album when it came out in 2010, the five year wait for this one had me wondering if they had fallen into the where are they now file. Things have changed. Right out the gate it doesn't touch on thrash as much as their first album and fall more in line with what you would normally expect from black. The opener is much faster than anything from the first album. The title track brings thing back closer to the first album with a viking chorus singing the clean vocals. The riffs are more refined and drumming more precise on "Kall" which pulls from a darker place of anger. There is a more berserker punk mania to the frantic pacing of "Skoll" that blasts off with the guitar melodies trying to keep up. These almost folk flavored melodies gave the first album more of a pagan feel, where this album is heavier and in your face with every chug meticulously in place.

The bass coils into melodies of its own when the blur of riff relents enough to provide such breathing room. The baritone chanted vocals call out from the background and never demand the spotlight. They maneuver tricky syncopation and summon pretty epic passages  to come flying out at in speeds twice as fast as their debut. The melodic section in "Primum Frigidum"doesn't come across as being contrived, but a needed shift in dynamics. The touch on the thrashy side of their previous album on "Polcirkelns Herre" or the Arctic Lord. They do slow for the punches on the chant that would be a chorus of sorts. "Fimbulvinter" fall back into a more blast beaten form of  frosty black metal, though the bass playing wanders out from under the drums and continues to be one of the albums strengths.

They reclaim their melodic pagan sound capturing a hooky groove as they scale to epic new snow covered heights on" Ma Det Aldrig Toa".  The barbarian men's chorus chimes in again on this one. The continue to show their keen ear for arrangements here as the song takes plenty of twists and turns without feeling cluttered. The speedy guitar sticks to its melody on the rapid palm muted gallop of
"Vinterland" that finds the vocals carrying a convincing snarl and going back to the place I liked so much on their first album where they are still growling but following the intervals of the guitar melody in such a way that it comes across more like singing.  They close out the album with the catchy chugging that dominates "Vit Makt"  or "white power that from the lyrics sung in their native tongue are more about the power of the white snow and NSBM. They don't have the same manic feral thrash as their first album, they have matured into a darker more punishing machine without compromising their melodic nature. This is going to be one of the best black metal albums of the year. I will round it up to a 9, as there are a few moments where they sound like every other black metal band, the gravitational pull of the genres confines don't mar the quality in the big picture of the album, there is just some dissonance it hearing this at the same band whose first album I wore, but the high bar I had for them might settle for me after continued listens. Granted listening to an album about frosty winter in the dogs days of summer can be hard, this will be more appreciated when things cool down. Hot months call for more death metal which is why Tampa was such a hot bed for it.

Watain : "Tonight We Raise Our Cups and Toast in Angels Blood"

Live albums and  cover albums are what artists use to buy them another year before they have to put out something new, so normally I am less than thrilled about them. Here Watain is giving us both at the same time. But I love Watain and if any body is going to put out a live tribute album to Bathory then it should be them. Truth be told I prefer Bathorys viking metal over Quothon's  more punk first album and this tends to lean in that direction. They open with "A Fine Day to Die" which they nail as they are considering Bathory is one of their main influences , people have always said Watain sounds like Dissection and I've been listening to both bands for some time and aside from some moments on the last album I haven't really heard it, I have always heard more Bathory who is of course an influence on both bands.  They follow it up with the thrashier  " The Return of Darkness and Evil" . "The Rite of Darkness" is the first song that I would have rather they chose some else, it sounds to much like Venom. I like Venom as Venom, but when I want to hear Bathory I prefer the viking days.

Then comes" The  Reaper" from rawer more punk influenced first album which listening to them rock it here doesn't annoy me as much and there is a very tangible Slayer influence at work, "Show No Mercy" has been out for a year by the time Bathory's first album dropped.  One of the best songs on this album is "Enter the Eternal Flame" that carries a powerful and deliberate chug. It becomes even more evident how much common ground Bathory shares with Venom, which I had not really though about until now. If I had to pick a band I would pick Bathory over Venom as there is a wider musical scope being tackled there where Venom was like a punk rock band in spandex with pentagrams. They return to  Bathory's beginnings  going into the equally raw and barbaric "Sacrifice" that hits like most of the early thrash from this era.It's pretty straight forward. Erik does a convincing job, but it's not out of his comfort zone. Another song from The Return is cranked out in the form of "Born for Burning". This has a more determined chug to it  and even though it comes from the time in  the 80s where the lines between punk and metal where blurred, this is distinctly metal in that it owes enough to a more classic metal side.

Overall I like this more than I don't and the stuff that I normally don't like from Bathory comes across as having better production on this live album than it did from the studio in 82. I would have liked to have heard more of the viking metal , but it works to scratch a Watain itch and if you are a Bathory fan it's worth checking out as you can imagine when it comes to idol worship they are going to do it right. I'll round it up to an 8.5.

Enslaved: "In Times"

I was getting scared by their last album that the band was heading into an Opeth direction and beginning to go down a proggy road that would never see a blast beat again. I am here to report, the black metal is back...at least to a greater extent than in recent years and more so on the first song than the bulk of the album.  Does this mean the clean vocals are taking a back seat? No. It's a better balance. This is the band's 13th album, putting them three behind Iron Maiden. So they know what to do and how to do it. Musically they can as capable as any band out there. After their sixth album they were beginning to grow beyond the confines of black metal. The folky viking elements are still in the mix.

"Thurisaz Dreaming" prove the band is capable of giving you the best of both world. Progressive and black metal, tied up with a viking bow. They get blasty but introduce dark guitar melodies sweeping in behind it. The clean vocals even strike out with a little more balls to them reaching out of the smooth dead pan Larsen normally sings in. With the keyboardist exploring a wider scope of melodies as the vocals take the spot light this go around.   This stands true for both ends of the spectrum with Kjellson's growls expanding in power and depth.

"Building With Fire" finds the band almost taking more of a rock n roll pacing. A very deliberate mid-pace with clean vocals coasting over it. There was a time when I would have preferred this approach to the snarling vocals . They come in , but the music doesn't get any heavier. Though it might have been predictable if it had. The bass comes through in the jammy break down puts the finishing touches on it in my book.

Yes, the title track does get back into the more Opeth like place and feels less like black metal, though it is still well played and heavy.Six and a half mins in it even drifts into a clean Pink Floyd like part. Here Larsen's vocals really excel. This experimentation does what experimentation should do and takes them out of the formulaic feeling. the good cop bad cop vocal trade off can create.The stomp of the closing "Daylight" epic and invigorated with a viking metal feel. The two vocals styles give a call an response, with the cleans taking more of a  heavily harmonized backing role. It drops down into a post- rock minimal strum. This builds more like a Hum song.The solo gets to play with modes they don't normally dip into which works for me despite it not being metal.

I think they have hit one of the better balances between their more classic sound and the progressive angle they have been going for . I'll go ahead and around this up to a 10. We will see how inspired the songs prove to be after repeat listens. They have always been one of my favorite black metal bands. Killer musicians, I was a little torn with the almost commercial "Building with Fire', but the fact they use such restraint says something.

Obsequiae: "Suspended in the Brume of Eos"

This is folk metal done without the larp like cheese added.You do not need to play Dungeons and Dragons to like this, though this would provide a pretty rocking sound track to a game if you were playing it. The opener "Altars of Moss" set you up for the frosty landscape that is not unlike many of the snow covered plains that Moonsorrow navigates their thematic riffing over. The emphasis seems to be placed on guitar melodies rather than beating you in the ears with heaviness, this strength will be seen as an annoyance to those who are not fans of this sort of thing, but if you are these guys are worth giving a listen

The vocals are anguished enough to be convincing black metal on "Wounded Fox", but the more epic folk metal swing behind it cavorts with the guitar harmonies in a way that is devoid of the dissonance attributed to black metal though the momentumof  "In the White Fields" comes closer to a place where black metal might meet a band like Tyr.

Agalloch comparisons could be made at times, they certainly have somewhat similar standards for composition and dynamics , though Agalloch's leanings toward clean vocals make them more keen songwriters ,where the screamed vocals here seem more like a coating applied like an after thought with the emphasis placed on the riffs.

Some of the more Arthurian intervals they return to cause some of the guitar parts to sound similar, the title track takes on a heavier chug at times to help set it apart."Atonement' goes into the medieval waltz with more meat on it's bones than the frolic laced guitar lines of some of the other songs. They are out to shred on the frantic pacing of "Arrows". "Starlit Shore" launches into a similar pace before returning the regal gallop the band is most comfortable with they speed up to hyper pace like some Dragon Force might do, but with more sincerity and black metal leanings.

There are quite a few cool punches and rhythmic nuances sprinkled about the closing intrumental, that would have been cool to have been used with more frequency in the album as whole, but at least you get a parting taste of them here. I am not a fan of instrumental so it's a credit to their playing they were able to hold my interest here.

.The emphasis seems to be placed on guitar melodies rather than beating you in the ears with heaviness, this strength will be seen as an annoyance to those who are not fans of this sort of thing, but if you are these guys are worth giving a listen  I will give this a 9 as for what it is, which might be too happy for my taste at times is masterully crafted viking/folk infused metal, that gets it right with out tripping over their chainmail and there is not enough of that in the world of metal.

  

Thyrfing : "De Odelosa"

While I know some have an aversion to pagan or Viking metal, I have had a LOTR marathon in the past month and have been known to carry a dice with more than six sides on my person, though I have never carried them in a fanny or ever slung them after hours in a comic book shop or your parents basement. Granted the darker the better for that sort of thing...the metal not the basement. This Swedish sextet is more epic than they are dark , thoughts their credit never hit that power metal level of frolicking .

Their most recent album Opens with the epic string build and keyboards scattered across the battlefield they ride across with a mid tempo gallop which is standard fare for Viking Metal. The growls on the lower side of midrange, nothing really blackened anywhere on this song. The only surprised was that they so quickly broke out the acoustic guitars on the first not one but twice, and then close it clean vocals, which to their credit are very tuneful in the Borknagar tradition.

The riffing on "Fordom" starts off as strong as a cursed sword, the keyboard which play in unison with the melody much like Moonsorrow's use of. The song marches on through the snow with heft to its step. I can see this appealing to fans of Unleashed yet wouldn't say this is death metal. The strength is riffs which work well within the unit as a whole and the more melodic passages keep the cheese to a low level. "Venners Fortall" has a brisk gallop without swinging the mead horn to readily. Good back ground music for any non-pussy Game of Thrones viewing parties, though this sort of metal can make it a literal no pussy party as its a sword fest waiting to happen. There's a cool riff post clean gang vocals on Venners. The keyboardist avoids being to Nightwish when he uses more of a piano tone and the clean vocals continue to have some balls to them.

"Illvija" could dial back the crashing waves effects at the beginning, the chug would have worked well enough.it has a midpaced stomp that still allows the guitars space to ring out. This isn't a slow song but doesn't have the same drive the first three songs did. The bands new drummer seems to adapted to the situation well and feels comfortable enough to take liberties with his fills. The vocals take on a more anguished rasp but not yet in the range of hate that is black metal, but I'm fine with that as its becoming more unique to not have black metal elements, yet the only problem is on songs like this it puts the bands in a bland middle of the road.

"Kamp" the folk metal comes out of the gate, though it's colored by a bluesy rock feel and the gallop the verse riff sails into has a rock swagger to it. It does tak on a powerful chug by it gets to the chorus. If they are planning on releasing a single this needs to be it , even with some power metal elements present, it's impressively written and combines all of the bands strong suits.

"Relik" has very Tyr-like punches at the onset and while the drumming is impressive , really what metal drummer shouldn't be and their is nothing that makes this song stand out from all the others bands of the same sub genre. The galloping is pretty fitting for any weekend of hardcore gaming you might have planned. They lay back into the solo on this one which is pretty tastefully executed. The last two songs of the album wrap thing up with a dark feel to them, the keyboard melody on "Vindoga" helps with this and the guitars have a more aggressive stomp to them. The layers here make it clear no expense was spared in production and even on the parts which might fall into the genre cliches they sound bigger and more cinematic this more forgivable.

I rounded this album down to a 7.5 as it adheres so closely to the conventions of the genre it doesn't really have enough of its own indentity the song "Kamp" is where I really feel we get to see who they are and perhaps buried under the chain mail there's a rock n roll band,which is cool by me . The album sounds great and is well played and if you only likeviking metal then I think this is one of the better crafted offerings from that genre as of late, but justwaittil Moonsorrowcomes home and your going to be in big trouble.