Wulfgar - With Gods and Legends Unite

[Kane]

Genre: Viking Metal

MYSPACE

This is the debut album of the local death/Viking metal act Wulfgar. I got the CD at one of their gigs a few weeks ago, and I”ve listened to it quite a number of times before actually taking the time to review it. Not ”˜cause it”s bad (since that can make some records terribly difficult to review), just because I really wanted to take it all in. It”s a fairly hefty album clocking in at 55 minutes, which in all honesty I think is maybe ten minutes too long. But besides that there”s nothing to make a negative remark on.
Death metal with emphasis on melody is rarely trouble free for me to digest, but I have no problems with Wulfgar. With Gods and Legends Unite is at a sort of steady tempo going from slow to mid tempo. And in today”s metal scene the trend seems to be a contest of who can blast the fastest. So it is actually refreshing with a band that is confident enough to put its weight on strong melody and not blazing speed. . ”˜Cause this CD is jam-packed with powerful, chilling riffs, churning drum work and rough vocals. And speaking of vocals, there”s tons of variety in Emil”s voice, and neither growling nor screaming is very conventional. Lyrically it”s mostly Viking lore that”s the subject; may it be an ode to Odin, Thor or just the Vikings themselves. The artwork and layout is absolutely top notch, and you can see that a lot of effort”s been put into getting it looking wicked. The musicianship is tremendous and each instrument interact perfectly. And the thick sound lets each riff really make a full impact on the listener.
Amon Amarth is an obvious act for comparison, but it also reminds me a bit of Portal, a Swedish band that released a great album in ”01. With Gods and Legends Unite is strong melodic death metal with a Viking theme. An excellent debut album by a promising act.
Quelle

Die Band hat 2007 ein durchaus gelungenes Debüt Album ab, nichts weltbewegend neues, das ist in der Viking/Pagan Schiene auch wohl gar nicht mehr möglich, aber sehr solide und gut anzuhören. Besonders die tiefe Stimme gefällt mir. Die Produktion ist auch amtlich. Mir gefällts!