Månegarm: 'Odin Owns Ye All' Video

Chainmail, battle axes, drinking horns, vikings, and of course Odin…

I actually quite like this video. It's fairly simple yet it creates the perfect atmosphere for the song. While it still seems a little strange to hear this band singing in english, it works. 'Odin Owns Ye All' is a good choice as a preview to the album as it's quite accessible and anthemic, although not quite as much so as a few of the tracks from their last release, "Legions Of The North".

I always look forward to new material from Månegarm and this video serves to increase my anticipation  of the release of the new self titled album later this year.

Månegarm Re-Issues

I was quite excited to see the news that Månegarm shared the other day regarding their catalogue of recordings (from the band's Facebook page):

"Månegarm and Black Lodge records are very proud to announce that we will re-release all of Månegarms early albums. The plan is to have them all released before the end of this year; starting with the very first album "Nordstjärnans Tidsålder" set for release April 10th. All albums will be re-mastered and will come with exclusive liner notes from the band. An exclusive bundle-pack (CD + T-shirt with a brand new design) will also be available for each release in limited editions.

The band says: "Finally we will get our old albums out in the stores again. We have gotten a lot of requests for these albums and now we can proudly tell you that the time has finally come! So don't miss this great opportunity to experience Månegarm in the early years; now in re-mastered shape along with some great new merchandise"

Although I have managed to track down most of their material, including Nordstjärnans Tidsålder, I am still missing two albums. This is definitely a welcome announcement considering that some of the Månegarm releases are actually quite difficult to get ahold of. 

Intriguing Releases for 2015

I wanted to share a few of the albums set to be released in 2015 that have piqued my interest. Some of my favourite artists will be releasing new material, and material that can likely be counted on to be solid. While I have probably missed a few albums/artists that I am interested in, the following list gives a brief commentary on the ones I know about, and am excited for. 

Eye of Horus

Eye of Horus are a local death metal band who can be likened to several prominent names in the genre such as Bloodbath and At The Gates. Their ‘Suffer Eternity’ EP is fantastic, and they are just as solid live. I’m looking forward to a full-length from this band in 2015, as well as attending (hopefully) several shows.

https://www.facebook.com/EyeofHorusOfficial

BLËED 

Another local band, playing ‘death n’ roll’ (as described by one of the band members in an interview). BLËED is a hard band to put into a genre, drawing influences from many different genres. I think they have a bit of a death metal vibe, but others have differing opinions on the subject. Either way, another great band with absolutely insane live shows. Their EP was impressive, and they seem to have several other songs (that have been played live) in their repertoire. While I have yet to see anything official, BLËED did hint they would be recording a full-length album this year. I sure hope so!

https://www.facebook.com/bleedband

Entrails

Earlier this month, Entrails finished the recording process of their upcoming album. Dan Swanö has been put in charge of the mixing, which bodes well for a death metal album. I am incredibly excited for this one as Entrails instantly shot into place as being one of my favourite bands from the moment I first heard them. If you don’t like death metal with an old-school Swedish feel, I doubt this one will change your mind. But if you enjoy that sound, it will definitely be an album worth checking out. 

Månegarm

Another Swedish band, and another one of my personal favourites, will also be releasing a new album this year. While the details are scarce at this time, it will be a “late” 2015 release. Månegarm has been in the studio the last several weeks working on the upcoming album. While I am not typically a fan of a band that changes their style, it worked incredibly well for Månegarm on their last release, ‘Legions of the North’. That being said, it wasn’t so much a departure from their style as it was having a lot of the lyrics in english, instead of Swedish. It will be interesting to see what the band chooses for this next album. 

Unleashed

While the title has yet to be announced, we can expect an ‘early spring’ release from Unleashed. This will be the 12th full length album from this particular band, and a release that I am quite excited about. Apparently picking up where ‘Odalheim’ left off, it should be a solid album for anyone who is a fan of Unleashed, or the style of music that they play. My fingers are crossed for a pre-order bundle with a really nice hoodie included...

Kataklysm

“Of Ghosts & Gods”

I do not believe there is a set release date for the new Kataklysm album yet. According to some of their webpages, we should expect a summer release. With Kataklysm on the 70 000 Tons of Metal cruise currently taking place, I wonder if they will preview a new track or two? This could be interesting as it seems as though they are just wrapping up the recording process. One thing is for certain: this will be a decent album as you can always count on Kataklysm to sound like Kataklysm. 

Heidevolk

“Velua”

Heidevolk’s newest effort, ‘Velua’, is set to be released in March. The track listings are already available, as well as some really good pre-order packages. I couldn’t help myself and ordered the limited edition deluxe box set. I decided that besides getting what I’m sure will be a great album, I needed that wicked flag to add to the collection. The necklace is a very nice touch as well. 

LTD edition Heidevolk pre-order bundle from Napalm Records. 

New Arrivals

The post office has been busy delivering CDs in the last few days.

These are the new (old) gems that I managed to get my hands on:

Favorite Pagan Metal Bands

        Without giving any precedence to the various arguments about what exactly constitutes folk, pagan and/or viking metal bands, the following is a list of my top ten favorites. I’m not a big fan of pointlessly debating the nuances of sub-genres, therefore these are what I consider pagan-themed metal bands. In no particular order (other than alphabetical), here are my top ten picks:

Amon Amarth

From: Sweden

Finntroll

From: Finland

Heidevolk

From: The Netherlands

Korpiklaani

From: Finland

Månegarm

From: Sweden

Moonsorrow

From: Finland

Thyrfing

From: Sweden

Unleashed

From: Sweden

Waylander

From: Ireland

Wolfchant

From: Germany

The musical influences and sounds between these bands are widely varied. There are also several other pagan-themed bands that I listen to on a semi-regular basis. Ensiferum and Turisas were left off this list due to some fantastic early albums and some not-so-great later ones. Bathory was left off for the simple reason that not all of their albums are pagan-themed. 

Death Metal Visuals

Vampire. Photographed by Christine Andersson. (gaffa.se)

Thyrfing. Photo by Soile Siirtola.

Thyrfing. Photo by Soile Siirtola.

Grave. Photo by Soile Siirtola.

Månegarm. Photo by Soile Siirtola. 

Entrails. Photo by Soile Siirtola.

Entrails. Photo by Soile Siirtola.

T-shirt Tuesday: Round Four

More Månegarm & Thyrfing

Reflecting on my previous post regarding my list of albums I will be attempting to acquire over the next while brought to mind a few things I would like to share.

Firstly, Månegarm released their music video for 'Sons of War', a track from the Legions Of The North album. It was released a while ago, and I have watched it before, but I thought it was worth mentioning here. I personally really enjoy the song and quite like the video. Have a quick watch if you haven't already done so:

Månegarm - Sons of War Official Video


Secondly, this show would have been spectacular to see:

While I have never heard of Netherbird, both Thyrfing and Månegarm playing a show together? I must admit I am a little envious of the Swedes who were able to attend. Just seeing photos of the show makes me feel like I missed out, even though it would have been in no way possible to travel to Sweden for one concert. If this particular line-up decided to tour and stop in my city, well, I can't even express how excited I would be. (But that's wishful thinking, right?)

Photos of the event can be found on the Facebook page of photographer Soile Siirtola (extreMMetal.se) or on the extreMMetal.se website.

Facebook

Website

Checking Off The List

Like almost every other metal head out there, I find myself continually making and amending lists of albums that I would like to acquire. I did actually manage to cross several off my list last year, and thus have found myself creating a new list. This is how it is shaping up so far:

This one should be in the mail some time soon:

These are a few I'd like to get my hands on sometime soon, although some of them are proving quite difficult to find unless I'm willing to pay an outrageous price:

Top 5 Albums of 2013

Being that I was unable to write reviews to do justice to each new album I got my hands on in 2013, I thought I'd pick my five favorites of the year. I am hoping to still do the reviews,  but they are currently a work in progress and I just ran out of time.

Picking five was somewhat difficult. Both Finntroll and Kataklysm released albums that could have easily made this list. The reason they didn't? Because I was expecting excellence and familiarity out of both of those bands, and they delivered. I picked albums that came as a bit of a pleasant surprise, and that unexpectedly blew me away. I did manage to listen to several other very solid albums, and some of them were so early into 2013 that I feel like I'd have to put in some serious listening and comparison effort in regards to making a list like this. There were also a few albums that I got ahold of so late in the year that I have not had the time to properly absorb them, and they may very well have been strong contenders for this list. There were also a few that had one or two things I didn't like, which took them out of contention for such a short list. That being said, this is what I have come up with off the top of my head in terms of memorable albums.

My top five albums of 2013, in no particular order:

Månegarm - Legions Of The North

Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony

Entrails - Raging Death

Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods

Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood

Månegarm - Legions Of The North Review

Track Listing:

1. Arise
2. Legions Of The North
3. Eternity Awaits
4. Helvegr
5. Hordes of Hel
6. Tor Hjälpe
7. Wake The Gods
8. Vigverk
9. Sons Of War
10. Echoes From The Past
11. Fallen
12. Forged In Fire
13. Raadh

Released in early July, Legions Of The North is Månegarm’s eighth studio album. Much less known than some of their contemporaries in the viking/pagan metal genre, Månegarm have proven themselves as innovators. In a departure from previous albums, the majority of the tracks on Legions Of The North are comprised of lyrics in English, which, in this case, actually works brilliantly. (‘Raadh’ is the only song sung in Swedish, with both male and female vocals).

The album opens with the instrumental ‘Arise’, leading into the much heavier title track. Folk-influences are obvious, mixed perfectly with the heavy stylings that one expects from the viking/pagan metal genre. Catchy melodies abound on this album, allowing for plenty of head-banging and creating the urge to shout along. Lyrical themes are aptly previewed by the album title itself, generally consisting of anthems of vengeance, battle, death and solidarity. ‘Wake The Gods’ is frantically fast, calling for a return to the pagan past, and a battle cry to bring back the wisdom of yesteryear. Legions Of The North is broken by the instrumental tracks ‘Helvegr’ and ‘Vigverk’, although broken may not be an appropriate descriptor, as the instrumental songs fit seamlessly into the album as a whole. The relatively clean vocals on ‘Sons Of War’ add to the song, making it a powerful anthem. The addition of the female vocals on ‘Echoes From The Past’ creates a sentiment that could not have been expressed as perfectly if they were left out, again demonstrating that this band has a vision and has mastered its execution. 

Reminiscent of fellow Swedish artists Amon Amarth and Unleashed, Månegarm adds a signature flavor to their music that is difficult to pinpoint, but is definitely noticeable. Legions Of The North is undeniably a vigorous, heavy hitting album, made more accessible due to the mostly english lyrics. It’s well worth a listen. 

Månegarm has also very recently released the video for 'Sons Of War':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfOBpMpYAxc

'Legions Of The North' Teaser

Being a long time coming, Månegarm’s next release promises to be well worth checking out. Like so many other bands have been doing recently, they’ve also released a teaser trailer for Legions Of The North. 

Legions Of The North teaser trailer

Sounding similar to the Månegarm that I have come to thoroughly enjoy, the major difference seems to be the presence of a few tracks with lyrics in English. I managed to get a laugh out of a comment I read regarding this album in which the poster alluded to Månegarm being ‘worth checking out’ now that they have some English lyrics. I was not previously aware of the fact that a band is only ‘worth checking out’ if their lyrics are in English. (Detect a slight undertone of sarcasm, anyone?)

I just hope I have the luxury of considering a pre-order package for this CD, complete with cover art t-shirt, as I’ve already sang my praises for the cover design. 

The Year of Metal

It always seems the metal artists I get excited about release albums in a horde that comes all at once. Or relatively all at once, if you consider within months of each other all at once. This year seems to be the year that it happens again. What upcoming albums am I looking forward to? 

Destruction - ‘Spiritual Genocide’

Thyrfing - ‘De Ödeslösa’

Wolfchant - ‘Embraced By Fire’

Sodom - ‘Epitome of Torture’

Bands Currently In the Studio:

Månegarm 

Amon Amarth

Children of Bodom

Finntroll

Turisas 

 I might have to check out the new Hypocrisy album, dependent on how much cash I manage to spend on these releases and the numerous promising shows that are coming through town in the next few months. I believe Arkona is also releasing an album, which I might have to pick up as well. Surprisingly I don’t own anything by Arkona, although I do enjoy seeing them live. 

 I also hear that Behemoth, Satyricon and potentially Slayer will be releasing albums this year as well. 

I suppose I can add these to the list of previously released albums by various other artists that are on my “to purchase” list. Oh, the woes of having so much music to check out and so little cash to do it on. I’m sure all you other metal heads know the feeling. 

(Wolfchant - Embraced By Fire image from Wolfchant's Facebook page)