Billed as “a musical constellation whose primary foundation rests on epic metal while drawing experimental influences from ancestral musical traditions of the North and spiritual guidance of its hermetic crafts”, Sweden’s Eldkraft’s debut Shaman has plenty to offer for those who like their metal big. And I don’t mean just “big”, I mean “big” with a capital “BIG”. To describe this as grand would be a gross understatement. Where to start? Well, the guitar sound is huge, of course. The palm-muted chugs, mammoth riffs, ball-breaking bass, and thundering drums are the size of Godzilla’s gonads during a particularly bad bout of elephantitis. Translated as firepower, Eldkraft’s moniker is probably the most apt name chosen by any band of late. With the kind of fire and brimstone-laced artillery that these guys pack, they look set to make a devastating impact. Or at least they would were it not for J. Sandin’s warbling theatrics clashing with the otherwise fine tracks on offer.
Opener ‘Gammal Krogare’ begins well enough, the mighty spirit of heroism in tales of days gone by of old of those we should irrevocably revere being summoned forth by the steady head-banging might of the first two minutes. Then in comes Sandin, his inflated delivery adding weight to this already hefty track. So far it’s working; he knows how to work the track, either holding back, remaining silent, or riding the riffs with a sturdy melody decorated with a cool vibrato when and where necessary. The same goes for ‘Undrets Tid’ and ‘Fate’s Door’ and Eldkraft have so far emerged as a band that’s pretty fucking sturdy. But then comes track four, ‘Moder Liv Till Grav’ and it begins to wear thin. While guitarist/bassist H. Carlsson and drummer N. Fjellström having done a more than fine job in providing a solid foundation bedecked in ball-swelling heavy metal splendour, Handlin begins to overshadow what would have otherwise been an album with the aforementioned devastating impact.
But Sandlin isn’t a bad vocalist, far from it. He works well with what he’s got, and as a unit, Eldkraft work very well together. Though predictable, the song structures are all balanced well between the subtle and the mighty, the intricate and gentle contrasted superbly with the grand and the muscular. As a début, Shaman introduces a band with much in the way of potential, but Sandlin’s overshadowing of each track remains a hindrance. And that’s just a shame, man…
6/10
Jason Guest