EINHERJER
Norron

There are many bands that claim to be viking metal, folk metal, neo-pagan etc. Many people, even fans of the music get mixed messages about who the vikings were and why they are important (For example no viking ever wore horns. Not once.) Most vikings were simple farmers, ship builders and artists, not all of them were fierce warriors. If you truly want to learn about the history and legacy of this culture I recommend reading books or attending lectures by William R. Short, one of the foremost authorities on the subject. As for the music few bands can boast the cred and the history of Norway’s EINHERJER who were one of the originators of the the style of viking metal. They have reunited after eight years away and they are back with much force.

Norrøn (which means Norse) opens with the epic “Norrøn Kraft”. It has a grand scope of themes, both classical and metal. Leader/front man Frode Glesnes has a gnarly vocie that reminds me a lot of the early black metal vocalists. His crusty throated missives cut through the music in an impressive manner. The music has equal parts doom, thrash and epic metal all at once. The sing-a-long parts about half way through gave me chills. After a folk-ish interlude the track comes back with full power. “Nalfgar” has musical war like imagry in the form of military drums and bombastic riffs. This certainly doesn’t sound like a band from almost twenty years ago. They sound envigorated and you can hear where they have influenced the modern bands like the more raucous songs by AGALLOCH. Buzzsaw guitars are intercut with symphonic flourishes by Gerhard Storsund who plays keybords and drums. “Alu Alu Laukar” threw me for a bit of a loop. Even though I think they were going for a marching to war type of theme, the beat comes off like disco music and kills an otherwise potentially good song. Luckily it goes by quickly at under three minutes. “Varden Brenne” is a much better effort full of great beat and cool chords changes. “Malmting” shifts back and forth between a more modern black metal sound (no triggers, but the same beats), thrash and another classic groove laden song. Glesnes is masterful in melding dirparite parts together in a cohesive manner, owing much to his expereince. The final track “Balledem Om Bifrost” or “The Ballad of Bifrost” tells the story of the famed “Rainbow Bridge” between the nine worlds of norse mythology. Musically it takes the form of a blackened folk death ballad that never drops down to a whisper nor a true all out roar, but has many emotionally rousing moments. The album is really solid except for the one mistep track so if viking metal is your thing, pick up this album.
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