ALBUM REVIEW: Vansind – Mørket


 

While Scandinavia is famed for its abundance of folk and Viking metal, most of these acts tend to hail from Norway and Sweden rather than Denmark. Even noisy Nordic neighbours Finland seem to produce more acts from the genre; Iceland also giving the Danes a run for their money.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Doro – Conqueress – Forever Strong And Proud


 

Doro Pesch is the epitome of a metal repping lifer. Not just one of the nicest people in metal who regularly remembers everyone’s birthday and a constant genre cheerleader, but also one of the greatest front-people to ever hype up a crowd. Her heartfelt and classic albums have stood the test of time and embodies “True Heavy Metal” just as much as a masculine landmark like Manowar‘s ‘Louder Than Hell’.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Ghosts of Atlantis – Existentialist – Draugrheim Live at Colchester Arts Centre


 

No review from the Colchester Arts Centre would be complete without hailing the best small venue in the UK. Able to host 400 when packed to the architraves, its post-COVID refurb has cleaned up and modernised where needed (toilets, bars), whilst maintaining the features and character that every converted church that is now a gig-hosting venue should. Added to that, great views and a powerful sound-system, and the stage is quite literally set for a much more adventurous and welcome Tuesday night than you might normally get in the Britain’s oldest (and newest – Google it) city*

*It’ll always be a town, to me.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Skálmöld – Ýdalir



Ages of swords may one day perish but its legacy will forever reign in the eternity of Valhalla– or so I think. Skálmöld, whose name literally translates as Age of Swords, are back on leading yet another Viking battle, with their highly anticipated sixth full-length album entitled Ýdalir (Napalm Records), which has released some other Nordic folk/viking metal counterparts as well such as Brymir and Månegarm.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Enslaved – Insomnium – Black Anvil Live at Saint Andrew’s Hall


 

It was a typical, quiet Monday evening last week in downtown Detroit. Except at the city’s treasured music venue, Saint Andrew’s Hall. There was a bit of a hullabaloo happening at the preferred concert spot because metal titans, Enslaved and Insomnium brought their North American co-headlining tour to town. Both of these acts are experts in their respective genres and both of them are on the road to promote their newest full-length albums that have come out earlier this year. The place was buzzing with anticipation as metal fans of all sorts filed in to hear the new tunes.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Darkwoods My Betrothed – Angel Of Carnage Unleashed


One of the more fascinating projects to be revived during everyone’s pandemic-induced free time, Darkwoods My Betrothed has returned with their first album since 1998’s Witch-Hunts. Angel of Carnage Unleashed (Napalm Records) sustains their old style for the most part, showing off a variant of Viking Black Metal with hearty Symphonic flourishes. Of course, it’s always interesting to see how time will toy with a preexisting formula, especially one that has gone undisturbed for twenty-three years.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Enslaved – Utgard


Viking Metal started out by combining the epic energy of Black Metal with the mystical grace of Folk music. Enslaved is a band at the pinnacle of this heavy, Nordic sound. Starting out as teenagers, this Norweigian act has successively enhanced the Scandinavian metal scene for nearly thirty years. Their beginnings were more in the realm of the extreme, but over time Enslaved has not been afraid to dip into other genres like Prog Rock and Jazz. It’s encouraging to witness their ability to be undaunted by their explorations while still being true to their Viking roots. Their new fifteenth full-length album, Utgard (Nuclear Blast) verifies their astute ambition of experimentmentation and expression.

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Árstíðir Lífsins – Saga Á Tveim Tungum I: Vápn Ok Viðr


What is Viking Metal and what does it consist of? Is it having twenty-eight inches of hair, dressing up in armor and/or a kilt while wielding a sword? Is it dressing in all black while wearing Thor’s hammer pendants around the neck? Or perhaps it consists of including symbolic imagery such as runes and ships in the package art? More importantly, what is the formula to creating good Viking Metal? I ask these burning questions because ever since the Metal world included Norse mythology into its art, a majority of the bands at the forefront playing it are way too gimmicky. There are too many bands gravitating towards Norse mythology and its culture while writing about it because it is the trend rather than having love, appreciation, or genuine interest for it. In my opinion, good Viking Metal is a rarity.

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Eluveitie – Ategnatos


Formed in 2002, Swiss Folk Metal act Eluveitie were thrust almost immediately towards the front line of the burgeoning, so-called Viking Metal/Battle Metal scene as it erupted around them during the middle of that decade. Metal inspired by Vikings and Folk music can be traced back to the likes of Bathory and Skyclad, if not before, but such was the explosion of bands around this time, you couldn’t get out of bed for tripping over accordions, fiddles, animal skins and antlers.Continue reading


Týr – Hel


Never have I listened to a band that made me want to learn about more about mythology, the band’s country of origin, their heritage, and their language all in one sitting. If you’re a Týr fan, you’ve most certainly been down this rabbit hole every album cycle – I can’t count how many times I’ve spent my spare time doing endless Google searches learning about mythology and Vikings as well as reading and reciting Faroese lyrics while getting lost in the beauty of their music; it’s like getting high without doing drugs.Continue reading