Anyone else remember the White Dwarf comic strip Thrud The Barbarian? Only me then. Probably just as well….
Anyway, if like me you’ve never come across them in their 14 odd years of releases, German band Thrudvangar (it’s from the Prose Edda people…. Have a read) are signed to epic label Trollzorn and so fairly unsurprisingly they play a form of Viking metal. What kind? Well after the title track, a gentle rolling intro like slowly approaching longships we launch into ‘Wachter Der Brucke’. It’s epic with a dirty great E, hugely melodic, keyboard enhanced black tinged stuff. I can’t tell you how catchy this is from the off; the great swell of melody, the clean backing vocals chanting, the ravenous snarled lead voice and the great galloping riff. You’re swinging your sword before you know what hit you. Straight into ‘Jormungandr’ on the back of a sound that Amon Amarth keep for special occasions, the refrain would have a gig (*sigh*) bouncing around like a squall on the ocean. It’s just a bit mad how many hooks this song has…. Fantastic. I’m screaming along despite not having more than three word of German…
Ok… So this lot ain’t messing around and they sure know how to riddle a song with hooks. There is a lot of Amon Amarth here yes, indeed, but… But there’s something rather special, and extra here. ‘Ran’ doesn’t just have a great refrain but relying less on the sheer weight of riffs the thick vein of melody runs through the entire song, holding you. ‘Hravnagud’ begins with an almost NWOBHM riff before the weight increases and we’re off on a rumbling, stomping ride. The vocals are frankly superb; it takes so much to get the variation in expression from the death style and these work so well, just more colour and variation to this uber melodic rampage.
Yeah, I’m a bit taken by this, much to my surprise. Ok ‘Fenrirs Brut’ is just a bit ok for me until the lead break but it’s still a well-crafted song. I guess the tempos here are fairly consistent too, but as the songs have such individual identity it becomes no problem. ‘Siegvaters Maid’ has another of those stirring refrains. ‘Sturm Aus Eisen’ and ‘Fur Die Ewigkeit’ roll by in their own thunder. I guess it might become a little predictable but…
Yep they even manage a little shake up as a closer. ‘Alles Was Bleibt’ is a slow and melancholy number. Lots of massed vocals, clean lead vocals. A little nod to early Tyr maybe. It’s a neat ending to a fine album and neither album nor sings ever outstay their welcome.
Honestly? I know it’s not a competition but this is significantly better than the last couple of Amon Amarth albums for me. It has its own character too, the odd surprise and just a great epic feel amongst a sea of hooks and excellent song-writing. Well worth getting for your raiding fix….
(8/10 Gizmo)
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