Moonsorrow - Jumalten aika

Moonsorrow is a band that combines folk metal, heathen elements, epic battles, and blackened metal to create something so unique and amazing that since first hearing them in 2003, they have become my all time favorite band. Will that make this review of their brand new seventh full length album, Jumalten aika, a bit biased? Perhaps, but the quality of their music speaks for itself. With every album they have seemed to take their sound a bit further. Their last three albums seemed to be going into a darker direction; inserting more black metal into their sound. But with Jumalten aika, we see the band combining their elements from entire career into one epic album that is nothing short of perfect.

This album is epic from start to finish but this emphasis on long epic songs seems to turn some fans off. Even though they were never known for having songs that were less than six minutes, they seemed to only include one or two songs over ten minutes in length. With Verisäkeet they began making the long epics the rule and not the exception. Why this was an issue is beyond me because Moonsorrow is not a song band but an album band. By that, I mean that their albums take you on a musical journey and should be consumed in their entirety and not on a song by song basis. Most of their songs segue right into each other anyway. Jumalten aika is an album that continues the cycle of predominantly long songs obviously because this album fills up an hour and seven minutes with just five songs. Not every band is able to do this and still create a coherent album. Moonsorrow not only pulls it off, with this album they have perfected it.

The title track starts it off with some flute, drums, and mouth harp. Right away you are taken back into time where the ancient gods ruled. The English translation of the album title and this song is The Age of Gods so the music fits right in with the subject matter. As the vocal chants lead to the bombastic riffing you can feel the epic nature of this song. At almost thirteen minutes in length, there is no time where this song meanders or bores you. Instead is slowly builds as it moves along, only slowing briefly in the middle, then continues it momentum to this magnificent crescendo. The song ends abruptly but segues right into the next song, "Ruttolehto incl. Päivättömän päivän kansa." This fifteen plus minute epic is sheer brilliance from beginning to end using their tried and true formula of taking you on that journey to the old world. There is an amazing folk part in the middle that includes flutes and chanting then the choirs come in to give you the chills. The last few minutes of the song are clean choirs and folk melodies including the unmistakable vocals of Jonne Järvelä of Korpiklaani fame.

"Mimisbrunn" is ,quite possibly, the best song that Moonsorrow has ever done. The opening melody reminds me a bit of "Jotunheim" from Verisäkeet as the song slowly builds to this amazing melody with vocals that are so intense. The English translation of this song is Mimir's Well, the well that contained so much wisdom that Odin gave his eye to drink from it. There are so many layers to this song and each one is more intense and more incredible than the other. The melody in the middle with the flutes providing melodies simultaneously with the guitars is just chilling. Mere words can not describe the feeling I get from this song. The album ends with another amazing epic, "Ihmisen aika (Kumarrus pimeyteen)." Clocking in at sixteen minutes flat, this epic song is the album's crescendo as all of the songs were building to this monster of a song to close the album. The intensity of the melodies and the pure emotion in the vocals are absolutely mesmerizing. The brief acoustic break in the middle fits just perfectly as the song builds to a finale only to end with just vocals over what sounds like campfire.

Once again, Moonsorrow has created an album that is the epitome of perfection. The fact that they took their time to create an album of this magnitude shows throughout the entire album. This is not just a mere collection of songs put together to fill up an hour. Instead, this is a composition in five parts. Each part can stand on it's own but when they put these parts together they created something absolutely brilliant. This album is why they are my all time favorite band.

10/10

Borknagar - Winter Thrice

I am a huge Borknagar fan and believe that this band has never released a bad album. Some might disagree due to how far removed their current sound is compared to their first album, which was more of a raw black metal sound but with enough melody to make it stand out. True, they do not resemble their "original" sound but neither does any other album that came after their debut. Every album after has been more focused and thought out. Vocals stand out as much as the music creating a balance of beauty and aggression, just like the forces of nature in this band's homeland of Norway. Nature is also the most common lyrical theme for this band and their newest album, Winter Thrice, is no exception.

I'm going to cut right to the chase here and say that Winter Thrice is their crowning achievement, their magnum opus. The reason I say this is because of what they were able to pull off with absolute brilliance. Anyone who is a fan of this band knows it's history of vocalists with Kristoffer "Garm, Fiery G" Rygg on the debut and sophomore before handing the torch over to Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnaes. After two albums Vortex is gone and Andreas "Vintersorg, Mr. V." Hedlund steps in adding his own brand of legendary vocals to the band. However, beginning with 2012's Urd, ICS Vortex is once again a full time member and both he and Vintersorg share vocal duties along with keyboard player Lars R. "Lazare" Nedland, who has an incredible voice and has appeared on all of Solefald's releases as well as guesting on such incredible albums like Ásmegin's incredible debut and some of Vintersorg's solo albums. So here, again, we see a band that takes it vocals seriously. So what would be the next step in this pattern that is obviously emerging?

Well, what would have seemed so unlikely a few years ago has now happened and the result is nothing short of brilliant. This album has two songs in which every vocalist that has ever been in Borknagar is singing together. The title track, could quite possibly be the best song they've ever done, even beating out "The Earthling" from Urd. The song is epic as fuck with amazing riffs and a melody that has so much atmosphere. But the best part is where you hear the unmistakable voice of Mr. Rygg and then you know this is something magical. They could have played it safe and just had him come in a sing a few bars so they can say they did it. No, instead every moment of this song is written for the person who sings it, including Garm's moments, which are quite a lot on this song. It's as if he never left and was still a part of this band. That's what makes this song so special. "Terminus" is the other song that Garm sings on and is a monster of a seven minute epic. This song is a bit heavier in spots than the title track and Garm's input here is not as prominent as on the title track but his amazing presence is felt in both of these amazing songs.

The rest of the album is no less amazing. Songs like the opener, "Rhymes of the Mountain," grab you with it's hooks immediately and let you know that this will be another amazing effort by this incredible band. "Cold Run's the River" has some really cool melodies and some nice tempo changes, which also shows newcomer Baard Kolstad on drums as a force to be reckoned with. This kid looks like he's twelve but can play his ass off. He can stand in the ranks of Hellhammer and Asgeir Mickelson at his young age and that's an accomplishment. Vintersorg's vocals also stand out as he seems to be using his "old style" baritone, which I think suits him much better. It's actually a blessing we get to hear Mr. V. at all because of his accident last year, which kept most of us wondering if he could continue to perform. Have no fear. It's safe to say that Vintersorg is not throwing in the towel anytime soon. Epics like "When Chaos Calls" and "Erodent" are some of Vintersorg's best performances in years.

So yes, this could be considered the band's magnum opus but I don't think they are finished surprising us with monumental albums. The creative core of this band is firmly in place and their formula for making huge, epic songs without sacrificing hooks and creativity will continue to grace our ears. This band has done no wrong and I think they never will.

10/10

Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud

Let me cut right to the chase, I've been listening to Amorphis' thirteenth full length, Under the Red Cloud, non stop since I got my grubby little paws on it. I've listened to it at work a lot, I've listened to it with headphones on, etc. I know this album quite well and the reason that it's resonated so well with me from my first listen is that it is, simply put, the epitome of the perfect album. Yeah, I know that I'm quite liberal with giving scores that are perfect but for good reason...and this album is no exception. This is a band of amazing musicians and songwriters creating an album that just fits together in perfect harmony from the opening note to the closing.

This album is the culmination of everything that this band has done since the arrival of front man Tomi Joutsen. His growls are deep and harsh while his flawless baritone cleans have become the signature for this band. But a front man alone can not carry an entire band and it's the songs that this amazing front man gets to sing and how he uses his voice to create the atmosphere for the songs is what sets this band apart from the rest. These songs are just flawless and flow from one to another making this an album that must be listened to in full to properly feel the atmosphere. From the opening piano notes of the title track you know that this is a special album. As the song flows to some acoustic guitars with a clean solo mixed in over the piano the song picks up momentum leading to opening riffs where the melody is reminiscent of folk melodies. The majority of this song is sung in Joutsen's amazing cleans with a chorus that is just infectious. This will not be the only time I mention the choruses on this album because every song has these amazing choruses.

My favorite song on this album is "Bad Blood." It begins with some cool sounding keys playing a sort of folk melody leading to this simple but really cool main riff. Joutsen shows his growling skills here but the fucking chorus just gives me chills. His cleans are so full of emotion and feeling you can't help but feel this music while listening. There's a cool bridge in the song that has a single note lead melody over Joutsen's cleans that is absolutely beautiful. This is goosebump shit here. "Death of a King" is another one of these amazing songs that infuse folk elements into it by both modern means such as keys and traditional means such as a guest appearance by Chigrel Glanzmann of Eluveitie. The verse is growled over the folk elements leading to a nice bridge that flows to another one of those choruses full of emotion and atmosphere. The solo on this is very melodic and it helps the flow of the song instead of being just a solo. Just another example of creating a song where all the pieces fit perfectly.

The lyrical content on a good bit of this album is quite spiritual with a couple of references to "the skull of a bear" in a spiritual or something of an ancient religious nature. The opener and title track mentions this as well as "The Skull." "Sacrifice" is another that has a deeper spiritual feeling, and even being probably the most rock oriented song on this album it still reflects the sheer brilliance of this album with it's deep spiritual meaning and amazing musicianship. "Tree of Ages" also has a spiritual feel to it with more of the flutes and traditional folk melodies but still having some serious riffs in there. This is another song that has that infectious chorus and amazing solo. "White Night" is the perfect ending to an absolutely brilliant album. It begins melodic but with an epic feeling to it. Soft female vocals begin the verse with Joutsen's growls coming in. Once again, the chorus is the star of the show here. This song just feels like it should end this album and I'm not sure why I get that feeling and I'm sure that was the artists intention.

I have the digipak version which has two bonus songs, "Come The Spring" and the amazing "Winter's Sleep." The latter is a monster of a song that shows all of the elements of this amazing band. In it's 25 year existence this band really hasn't released anything that could be considered a bad album. However, they seem to have finally found a sound that truly compliments this truly talented band. Everything they've ever done has led up to this album. I'm even going to go out on a limb here and say that could easily be album of the year. This album is a musical journey where you feel the music instead of just listening...and that is why this is the perfect album.

10/10

Sylvatica - Evil Seeds

Sylvatica are a folk/melo-death metal band from Denmark that sounds like some of the bands that popped up in the Finnish scene in the early years of the 2000s. They formed in 2009 and have released an EP, a couple of singles and a compilation album. This is their debut, entitled Evil Seeds, and it shows a band that has taken what was done by bands like Ensiferum and Turisas and expanded on it just a bit to create an album that is actually pretty good despite not really bringing anything really new to the table. The mix of melodic death metal with the folk riffing create nice melodies. A lot of this reminds me of Ensiferum's debut, which is not a bad thing.

This riffs on this album are crunchy at times while they use the lead melodies to add the folk sounds. The vocals are your typical death growls that actually work here. After a brief piano intro we have "Psychopatica" which has some nice melodies over top of the riffing. There's some blast beats in there as well but the guitars drive this song. After the intro riffing we have some sweep arpeggio leads that are nicely placed and not sounding pretentious. This song is an epic song that has some nice acoustic interludes as well. All in all this is what you will expect on the rest of the album. My only gripe is that at seven minutes this could have been shortened a bit or inserted some slick lead solos used to make it overly epic. Even though it's a good song, I was expecting that climax that never came.

"The Ascension" starts with some interesting riffing in the beginning that actually leads to a Moonsorrow sounding  melody. The riffs over the blast beats are good with some tremolos and some thrashers mixed in. The folky lead riffing in there adds to the melody of the song. They even throw some traditional metal riffing into the mix here adding a bit more dimension to the song. The title track is a straight up thrasher with some nice riffing and some nice leads melodies thrown in. This is more of a straight ahead melo-death metal song for the most part but leads to a nice acoustic and melodic lead part halfway through. Once the song gets rocking again the leads are really nice and melodic although there isn't an actual solo in there. As a matter of fact, this band doesn't really play solos on this but, instead, the leads are actually part of the melodies of the songs. The guitarist is quite talented and plays some nice sweeps, I just would have liked to have some proper solos in some of the songs. The leads on "God of the Gallows" are just killer and shows the capabilities of this young band.

As I said, this band is young and even though they don't really  bring anything new to the table, they are still a talented band. They have an interesting take on what was done previously and that makes for an enjoyable album. Some of the songs just don't reach the plateau that I was looking for. The album closer, "Sect of Sleep," is probably the best song on the album and is both epic and heavy to create that perfect balance. If they used that same formula in all of their songs this would have been an album that was close to perfect. I think that this band has the potential to do great things as long as they can take their songwriting to the next level. Overall, I enjoyed the album and am looking forward to what they do next.

Thanks to Markus Eck from Metalmessage.de for the digital promo.

7.5/10

Alvenrad - Habitat

My love of folk metal started back when I first heard Moonsorrow. Since that time I have just embraced the genre with open arms. Lately, though, it seems that the genre has become saturated with bands that just don't bring that much to the table that hasn't already been brought by bands like Moonsorrow, Borknagar, Vintersorg, Finntroll, etc. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this Dutch trio calling themselves Alvenrad. This is the most refreshing thing that has happened to folk metal and heavy metal in general in a long time. Part Borknagar, part Jethro Tull, part classic prog rock, part traditional heavy metal, this band is just an all around enjoyable band.

This band actually plays some of the best metal riffs I've heard in a while, all the while adding some classic sounding keyboards that give it that 70s prog rock feeling. The vocals are mostly clean but do have some black metal vocals placed sparsely here and there as well as some female vocals. They sing in their native Dutch so I'm not sure what they are saying but I would give my paycheck that it has something to do with nature. The opener, "Woudakoestiek," is a diverse song with crushing riffs and catchy melodies but with some hooks as well. This is one of the songs that includes the black metal vocals. The main riff is what's truly catchy about this song. It's a fast number in places but very melodic as well. The keyboards are used perfectly here to give this that aforementioned 70s feel. The second song, "Zwatwildernis," is another song that uses that keyboard sound as well as catchy riffs. The melodies are so good you would want to actually learn Dutch so you can sing along. Then in the middle of the song, they change it up, slow it down and make it sound like something straight out of the 70s. That keyboard sound is prominent on "Foreest in Tweelicht" as well but adding a black metal element along with some absolutely godly solos. I've never heard anything like this before and I am really liking this. The production on this album is absolutely brilliant as each instrument shines on it's own. Nothing is overdone or drowned out by the other. It's clean and clear making this album that much more enjoyable.

"Verweven Klauwen" sounds like it's part Jethro Tull and part Lumsk with some Vintersorg metal throw in with some crushing solos. "O Patrones" has a main piano part that sounds a lot like "Till Fjalls" by Vintersorg without ripping it off by adding it's own twists to it. They really know how to mix it up and keep you interested. If you would have asked me years ago if this formula would have worked I would have thought you were crazy...but it fucking works! "1911" is the most black metal sounding track on the album starting off with some crushing tremolo riffs, blasts, and black metal vocals. They mix it up as well with some great solos and keyboard melodies that has this song. This is a complex number that has many parts that fit together to make it an epic song even if it falls just under four and a half minutes. There is so much diversity going on with these songs but they don't come off as pretentious or to proggy. Instead the parts fall into place to keep the flow of the songs intact. The title track is just that type of song and coming in at just under six and a half minutes is the longest song on the album. There are so many elements to this song but it doesn't make you feel like you can't keep up. And the album closer, "Ondermaans,"..FINALLY a good metal ballad. I was beginning to think that metal bands forgot how to write good ballads. Beautiful acoustic guitars with some flute thrown in and an awesome solo. These guys are just great songwriters.

So here we have a debut album that does not sound like a debut album. This band has a sound all it's own and they sound like they have been doing this for years. I'm really interested in seeing what's next for this band. This band has a magic that I've not seen in a very long time. The sky's the limit for this band.

9/10

Moonsorrow - Suden Uni

Moonsorrow are probably my favorite band of the new millennium era of metal bands. These guys play a folk metal/black metal/pagan metal. It's kinda hard to nail them down....I like to call them heathen/nature metal due to their lyrics. And speaking of lyrics, thankfully they translate all of their lyrics because they sing in Finnish, their native tongue. They have six full lengths, four demos and an EP to date. This is Suden Uni, their debut full length released in February of 2001. I first heard this band some time right after their third full length was released in 2003 and I immediately became a fan. This band is epic as fuck and the talent that is displayed by these guys is undeniable. Their mix of  folk and metal is stunning and this album is a fine example of the best of this sub genre of metal that seemed to grow very large during the previous decade.

The album kicks off with "Ukkosenjumalan Poika" ("Son of the God of Thunder" if your Finnish is rusty) and the riffs begin with bombastic drums and epic keys. The songwriting here is just amazing with the keyboards providing a symphonic atmosphere that can take you away but without overpowering the guitars. The guitars are done with riffs and huge chords to pummel you. The vocals are of a black metal nature that sound painful and maybe angry at times but full of emotion. This is the quintessential album opener that leads right into the opening riff of the second song, "Köyliönjärven jäällä (Pakanavedet II") ("On the Ice of Köyliönjärvi (Pagan Waters II"). Along with the epic riffs of this song the keys are right in there...then what the fuck? Accordion? Yes, it is and this is one of those things that make this band so special. But along with accordions and even mouth harps is this massive wall of guitars, electric and acoustic, giving this song even more depth. There are some clean vocals here and there that sound like male choirs.

This band writes long songs and on this album the longer songs range between six and eleven minutes in length with two instrumentals that are not as long. Given their length, these songs never get boring or get cumbersome. They flow along and keep you interested...because they can write good songs. The songs are intricate without becoming pretentious. "Kuin ikuinen" ("As Eternal") is a fine example with many tempo changes and riff changes that keep you listening, even the sound of an epic battle is included. How can you not love this band? Once again, the keys give this even more depth and an epic feeling. "Tuulen koti, aaltojen koti" ("Home of the Wind, Home of the Waves") is an absolute beautiful instrumental that starts with the sound of the ocean and acoustic guitars for the intro going into bombastic guitars and keyboards making you feel like you are there. There's a faint flute playing in there as well. The song builds with guitars (acoustic and electric), keys, accordions and that faint flute. That shit gives me goose bumps! More proof that this is one of the finest bands in metal and above that, something very special.

Now "1065: Aika" ("1065: Time") has to be given mention just due to it's complexity and epic sound. This is the longest song on the album clocking in at eleven minutes. It begins with the sound of wind, some keyboards and some far off acoustic guitars very softly slowly getting louder that builds up to these massive guitar riffs and vocal screams. Then this builds up with epic guitars and keys with some clean vocals as well as some black metal screams all leading to a crescendo of clean vocal choirs. Here's them goddamn goosebumps again! Look, if you don't get goosebumps from this, check your pulse because you may be DEAD! No other band has made me feel this way about their music. Pop the CD on, get your headphones on, lay back and go on a journey that takes you to the forest, then to epic battle scenes, and then to the sea. There is no other band like this, anywhere!

10/10

Falkenbach - Asa

I've been a huge fan of Falkenbach since first hearing their 2003 opus, Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty when it was released. To me, that album was an album that defined a genre, being heavy but seriously melodic I instantly became a fan. I immediately acquired the remainder of what was their discography up to that time. I have since picked up all subsequent releases as well. Heralding - The Fireblade was good but not as good as their previous releases and Tiurida slipped even more. They were not bad albums in any way as I believe that Vratyas Vakyas in incapable of releasing anything that's truly bad. These albums just did not live up to the band's former glory.

In April of 2013 we were given a teaser of the new album in the single titled "Eweroun". I knew at that point we were in for something special from Vratyas Vakyas and his hired guns. On November 1, 2013 Asa was unleashed upon the world (a day before my birthday so happy birthday to me!) and to my wondrous ears it appeared that the Falkenbach I knew and loved were back. All was right with the world. The album kicks off with "Vaer Stjernar Vaerdan" which is your typical Falkenbach song with flowing melodies and acoustic and electric guitars playing together. This album already reminded me of Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty in the way it sounded. The song had Vratyas singing his hypnotic clean vocals in a language that I'm not quite sure of but appears to be an extinct Germanic language. There's even some lead guitar there adding melody and atmosphere to the song.

Then to my surprise the second track, "Wulfarweijd", kicks in and this is an ass kicker from start to finish. It's speedy with double bass and Vratyas doing harsh vocals throughout taking me even further back into this band's discography. This was a welcoming sign because I thought that maybe Vratyas was running out of new ideas. However, this album seemed like he had finally found his niche and was able to combine the aggressiveness of his earlier releases with the melodies of Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty. I was right because this album is the combination of everything that is Falkenbach...aggression, melody and his odes to the Gods of old! Songs like "Mijn Laezt Wourd", "Eweroun", and "Ufirstanan Folk" are your melodic Falkenbach songs with the acoustic guitars just slightly back in the mix over the electrics and Vratyas' clean vocals singing just making beautiful music.

Then you have songs like "Bronzen Embrace" (the only song sung in English), and "I Nattens Stilta" being your more aggressive songs. The songs are catchy and melodic even though they are faster and Vratyas uses only his harsh vocals on these songs. His harsh vocals are really good too as not to overpower the music or sound like he's trying to hard to be grim. Once again, the musicianship on these songs is really good and the songs are catchy as well. There's even "Bluot Fuër Bluot" that combines the two styles that takes me back to ...En Their Medh Riki Fara...

This album takes everything that makes Falkenbach what it is and molds it together to make this the best release from Falkenbach in over a decade. I thoroughly enjoy this album and gets played regularly. I do love this type of folk metal and no one does it better than this band. If you were a fan of this band but were not impressed with their last two releases then get this....you won't be disappointed.

9/10

Kampfar - Djevelmakt

Pagan black metal band Kampfar just recently released their sixth full length titled Djevelmakt. I have always been very fond of this band and have enjoyed all of their previous releases. Created by main man Dolk after his previous band Mock split, these guys began playing a folk infused black metal along the lines of Windir but also sounding similar to Taake. These days they seem to be going in a more epic and progressive direction that resembles Enslaved a bit. With this new album they have seem to have found that perfect balance between progression and aggression without losing the folk influence.

The album opener "Mylder" was also the first single released from this album. Starting off with a mild piano intro the song quickly moves into a progressive black metal sound that, as I said, reminds me of latter day Enslaved but with a layer of Moonsorrow thrown in there. The riffs are a bit slower without the signature tremolo riffing of most black metal. There are some clean vocals as well as some flute sounds in the song giving it that folk feel without being flat out folk metal. And the Enslaved comparisons keep coming as we go into "Kujon" with it's slower more progressive sound. "Blod, Ederog Galle" is more typical Kampfar with a bit more blasting and riffs that could have been on Mellom Skogkledde Aaser.

This album has the distinction of having a huge variety in the songs. No two sound the same nor does this album have a typical sound. The second single "Swarm Norvegicus", for example, is slow with orchestrated synths creating an almost eerie atmosphere. Dolk's growls are more aggressive and in your face. The keyboards on some songs are used in a refined way without being too over the top usually as an intro to a song, as with the opener and "Fortapelse", or to create the song's atmosphere as with the blaster "Svarte Sjelers Salme". The production on this album is clean and clear without being overtly slick. As a matter of fact, this is the best sounding mix job ever done by Peter Tagtgren.

This album marks 20 years for this band and it appears that they have no intention of slowing down. This also does not seem like a band that will regurgitate the same riffs just to put out an album ever two years. This album is proof of that. When one talks of a band "progressing" or altering their sound, this is an example of doing it the right way. There is no weak songs on this album. I have all of their releases and love every one of them and this one is no exception. This album is essential for any metal fan.

9/10

Enslaved - Eld

My favorite genre of metal at this point in my life is epic viking/folk metal. Bands like Moonsorrow, Falkenbach, Windir as well as countless others. The music is rooted in mixing folk elements into extreme metal....usually epic black metal. The lyrical content is usually centered around Germanic/Northern mythology and folklore. Of course the credit for creating this genre is usually applied to Quorthon and Bathory and I agree. However,  Norway's Enslaved came along and took the concept a step further and on Eld, they perfected it. This is epic viking metal at it's finest and, in my opinion, and has way more in common with the aforementioned bands than does Bathory.

A lot of people, it appears, have given this album rather unflattering reviews whereas I believe that this album is nothing short of perfect. No, this is not black metal but Enslaved never were a black metal band! Their music had a black metal "sound" but that's where the similarities end. Listen to Vikingligr Veldi and Frost and you will see that Enslaved were much more than black metal not to mention the lyrics not being as dark as their peers with the emphasis on Nordic Mythology. With their third full length, Eld, from the opening track "793 (slaget om Lindisfarne)" the genius of this album shows. The song starts slowly with the keys providing an orchestral sound slowly building with choral voices as the keys build the atmosphere. Acoustic and electric guitars fade up into the song along along with the rhythm section to the main riff of the song. The verse and Grutle's clean vocals can make me think of a Viking chanting a song of victory. This song is epic and shows a band expanding a genre and setting the bar for future bands. This song clocks in at 16:10 and never ceases to grab your interest. It is one of the best metal songs ever made.

The rest of the album is just as good and even expands further on the sound they were trying to create on this album...epic black metal. Yes, you can see that Enslaved were moving towards a more progressive sound with this album. But songs like "Hordalendingen", "Alfablot", and "Kvasirs Blod" unleash the black metal with blasts and killer riffs. Grutle's rasps are as powerful as ever and he adds his clean chants in there as well. The remainder of the album seems to go back into epic territory again with songs like "For Lenge Siden" and "Glemt" going in a more epic direction with less focus on playing fast and instead the focus is on creating huge compositions. Closing out the album is the title tack and is another great track that about sums up the sound on this album going from blasts to epic sounds and chants. A perfect close to the album.

I don't understand the negative press this album sometimes gets. I guess those who do not like this album are the people that think this band should have kept regurgitating Frost over and over again. I think this album sees a band maturing and giving us a taste of the further genius that is to come. I do think this band could do no wrong so it could just be my bias but I'm not so sure. This album, in my opinion, is one of the best metal albums ever made.

10/10

Borknagar - Urd

This is my first review on this blog and my first album review in almost 10 years....so here goes.

This is a special album for me.  I've been a fan of Borknagar since their first album and have followed their career closely.  They have made changes to their sound but I see that as progression in this case.  They have also had some of extreme metal's biggest names front this band and each album has its own sound and feel.  That being said, this album is the Borknagar album I have waited for.  This album features the vocal talents of not only current and long time vocalist Vintersorg handling all grim as well as clean vocals but also features Simen Hestnæs (ICS Vortex) on bass and clean vocals.  Of course you know he sang with the band after the departure of Garm in the late 90s.  Along with Lars Are Nedland providing his signature backing vocals, this is the vocal line-up that any Borknagar fan could ask for....unless you believe in miracles and are waiting for Garm to re-join the band!

The songs on this album remind me of the entire Borknagar catalog but also seems the perfect follow up to "Universal."  They are structured for a perfect flow and are full of melody and hooks.  The guitars are extremely prominent with the keys providing just the right mix of old progressive rock and classic metal to provide the perfect atmosphere.  The album starts with "Epochalypse", a speedy song fitting for an intro but also giving you a taste of the epic songs to follow.  "Roots" continues the momentum where you begin to feel the nature and earthiness of this album.  "The Earthling" is just about the best song they have ever done...period!  With the slow emotional beginning this song just builds to this climax of emotion.  This song is where Mr. V. really shows his vocal talents.  The lyrics just touch home for me.

The latter half of the album is just as strong with songs like "Mount Regency" picking the pace back up but also being a varied song.  The vocals, once again, stand out with Mr. V. and ICS Vortex sharing the vocal duties.  "Frostrite" continues the flow with Vortex showing his beautiful clean vocals.  This vocals on this song reminds me of something from The Archaic Course.  "The Winter Eclipse" is the longest song on the album, clocking in a 8:45 this is another song that shows the absolute talent of this band.  Rounding out the album is the proggy "In a Deeper World"  where Vortex is the shining star with his soaring clean vocals.

This is not an album you just listen to.  You have to experience this album.  This is not the kick your teeth in metal album.  Instead what you get here are songs that flow together to make the album a musical journey about nature and life instead of just a collection of songs.

9/10