Miellnir - Incineration Astern (CD Review)

01.Incineration Overture (Intro)
02.Prey
03.Legends Of The Fallen
04.Stand Against
05.Journey Through The Nine Worlds
06.Ugar-buhlo
07.Embraced By Ire
08.Jörð
09.The Gallows Tree
10.Valhalla Awaits

Frozensoul (Vocals/Bass)
Gjallarhorn (Guitar)
Yarek Ovich (Guitar)
Daimonos (Drums)

Hailing from Ukraine, this pagan viking band formed in 2005, but only now have released an album, i have found no demos or other recordings or come to think of it any information about them either.
Delving a little deeper i discovered that 'Embraced By Ire' was first released in 2011, and so i assume that the other 3 tracks that follow were also from that same time as they are listed as bonus on the info i was supplied, but not it seems on the actual cd, get the feeling that the record company couldnt give a shit? I do !

Another pointless intro to start with and guess what? It goes straight into the next song, so why have it as a seperate first track???
'Prey' when it gets going is a good mix of styles, mainly symphonic black metal and with vocal style to match, in fact this is more like Dimmu Borgir than Turisas.

Now with 'Legends Of The Fallen' we get two very distinct styles from extreme metal to quite traditional pagan/folk metal.This one has a Thrash metal tempo in places and the timing changes match said genre, nice to hear some normal vocals blended with the growling ones.

'Stand Against' again this reminds me of Dimmu Borgir, not much in the way of viking/pagan coming across here in this mid placed almost doomy/symphonic piece.

What spolis 'Journey...." is the vocals, the music is a beautiful piano driven almost ballad melody, but the softly sung gruff vocal just kills it.

First real appearence of pagan/viking/folk on 'Ugar-buhlo', thanks to some great accordian playing, this mixes it up with full on blasts of metal, but works very well.

'Embraced By Ire', clearly an earlier track by the fact that the music is slightly rawer, yet musically there seems to be more instrumentation going on with various keyboard sounds utilised and a very nice guitar solo.

'Joro' is a bit of a bland track, does little to enhance the bands overall sound, but 'The Gallows Tree' returns to some quality symphonic metal and finally 'Valhalla' is borderline power metal with a hint of thrash.

Overall a really good and varied album, hpefully the record company will do more to promote it and the band.

Rating 9/10
For fans of: Dimmu Borgir, Amon Amarth, Turisas

Tharaphita - Ulestous (CD Review)

01.Ülestõus (Uprising)
02.Viimsepäeva koidik (The Dawn of Armageddon)
03.Luupainaja (The Nightmare)
04.Tuhandeaastase orjaöö tuhast (From the Ashes of a Thousand Years of Slavery)
05.Sõnad sõlmedesse (Knotting the Words)
06.Surma-arbujad (Sorcerers of Death)
07.Tuuled rändavad ringi (Winds Wander)
08.Terasest taotud teel (On a Road Made of Steel)

Ank (vocals/Guitar)
Benton (Guitar)
Draconic (Guitar/Synthersiser)
Brutalis (Bass)
Melu (Drums)

Created as a solo project of the vocalist-guitarist Ank, Tharaphita soon became one of the most influential and unique Estonian pagan metal bands. The idea of Tharaphita was created in 1993, the band was planned to carry the name Ancestral Damnation, and the music to be raw black-metal.
For different reasons, the idea somewhat changed and developed further until the first rehearsals with the initial line-up of Tharaphita in March 1995. During August and September of the same year, the first rehearsal demo Must Viirastus was recorded.

The first gig of Tharaphita took place in 18.05.1996. For now, there have been more than 100 gigs, also in other Baltic states, Finland and Norway, besides the homeland Estonia.
During the time, black-metal core of the music became complemented by pagan thinking, some epic elements and influences of heavy and thrash metal. The new album’s music is a mix of black, heavy and thrash metal. The lyrics are mainly in Estonian and are mostly inspired by Estonian history.

The cover of the latest album “Ülestõus” depicts the main crater of lake Kaali, which was formed by a meteorite thousands of years ago.

'Uprising' sounds like an intresting mix of Satyricon and Amon Amarth, blending various elements of extreme metal with near thrash structures, not much in the way of those symphonic style viking bands, this is less subtle and sticks with the aggression.

Each of the following songs just does the same, an epic and refined mixture of genre influences, all the time you almost forget it's not sung in English, somehow it doesn't matter the vocals carry the songs perfectly.

My fave track is the last one, its a mainly instrumental piece with some quite outstanding bass and drum work.

Rating 9/10

For fans of: Bathory, Skyforger, Satyricon, Amon Amarth

Chalice - Chalice EP (Cassette Review)

01.Witchfynder
02.Gaudete
03.Merlin's Lament
04.Raise Your Chalice


Joshua
John
Matthew
Hagthorn


Traditional heavy/doom metal band from the misty mountains of Vermont, there is little information on them, in fact i recieved none at all and their facebook page was no help either, still this is a limited edition cassette release of just 95 copies from the 'War On All Fronts' label.

Coming out with some pure NWOBHM sounding music on 'Witchfynder', solid riffs, pounding drums and some quality screaming vocals.

'Gaudete' is a mixture of neo pagan folk and NWOBHM doom, beautiful vocals really make this one something a bit special.

At 11 minutes 'Merlins Lament' starts with a slow and simple guitar strum, soon turning into another occult/folk song, the heavy side of things is more up to date, a crushing but melodic heavy metal workout that towards the end borderlines some proto thrash.

Finally a symphonic beginning greets 'Raise Your Chalice', this one is reminiscent of early 70's guitar lead rock blending the power of say Blackmore and the dual guitar sounds of early wishbone ash, then somehow ends up like Judas Priest.

Totally brilliant little EP, sure they are looking back for their influences but have produced a solid modern heavy metal record (err sorry tape).
One to look out for this year.

Rating 10/10
For fans of: Amulet, Blood Ceremony, Cathedral, Crystal Viper, The Oath

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ChaliceMetal

Itnuveth - The Way Of The Berserker (CD Review)

01.The Learning (Intro)
02.Legacy Of A Dead Wolf
03.Death We Are
04.Skoll
05.Black Henbane
06.Chaotic Chasm
07.Northern Demons
08.Lif In Hoddmimis Holt
09.Lianne

Lianne (Vocals)
Volundr (Guitar/Bass)

1st album by this spanish band formed by Volundr (SVIPDAGR) and Lianne Krossburner (EDENKAISER) where they play a raw and melodic Pagan Black Metal.

Weird intro, but still pointless to have it as a seperate track, anyway 'Legacy Of A Dead Wolf' kicks in and already i can hear the problem, we have great guitar and good evil sounding vocals and the shittest drum machine sound ever with horrible tinny cymbal tink tink sound!

The drum actually sounds a bit better on 'Death We Are' but it really does kill the darkend vibe!

Even the doom composition of 'Skoll' with its awesome guitar sound is killed by the machine.

Look guys sorry i cant go on, this is such a shame, you have put in the work, created great vocal and guitar stuff, but the drum machine is fucking it up!

Rating 5/10