Ereb Altor is the Viking Metal side project from members of Doomsters Isole (or it could be the other way round depending on your musical preference). This is actually their fourth full length album from the band that takes it’s cue from Bathory’s mid catalogue, but probably not as comprehensively as the record label would have you believe. I take it for granted that if a Swedish band class themselves as Viking Metal then Bathory MUST be listed as an influence. It may now be an actual Swedish law. And yes, of course there is some Bathory in “Fire Meets Ice”, but there is much more too…
Ereb Altor are actually a three-piece for recording purposes with guitar, bass and vocals being shared by Mats and Ragnar (drumming duties ably handled by Isole sticks-man Tord), giving an unpredictability to the band’s sound, as they constantly mix vocal styles and musical intensities throughout. The fact that the members of the band are also in Isole means that their style leans much more to the darker side of the genre rather than say Turisas or Ensiferum. So, using Bathory and possibly Doomsword as a basic thread, the band display many more facets to their overall sound – Borknagar to Amon Amarth, Candlemass to Kampfar, Tyr to Emperor and many more spring to mind in various guises.
Tyr are evident in the chord progressions under the twinned clean vocals that crop up in the title track, ‘The Deceiver Shall Repent’ and ‘The Legacy’, but as is the case with the third of those tracks, the sheer gloom and sombre nature of the track separates them from direct comparison. Also I admit that Ereb Altor tend to prefer a nice plod a lot more than on this release as opposed to their previous offering, but they prove they have the speed and aggression of say Amon Amarth or Unleashed on ‘Post Ragnarok’, which has harsh vocals to match. This track, along with ‘The Legacy’ really highlight Ereb Altor’s diversity on “Fire Meets Ice”. Maybe the album title should have been a clue? ‘Post Ragnarok’ is Furious Pagan Melodic Black/Death Metal, yet ‘The Legacy’ is a slow, dark, atmospheric anthem of a track, full of emotion and drama. It’s ironic that these two tracks are the last two on the album as all the other tracks seem to fit into a style within the parameters of these two tracks, pushing the boundaries of both. Nice that the band keep their two extremes until the end rather than showing their cards straight away.
The Borknagar angle that I hear comes from the braver arrangements, where harsher moments are effortlessly blended with melancholic passages – such as ‘Nifelheim’ (which also has parts that remind me of Arcturus through to Primordial) and ‘Sacrifice’ (is that a little Moonsorrow I detect?).
This is a great sound-scape that the band have created. At times you are transported right into the heart of the frozen north (no, not Aberdeen…), and there is always a slight underlying sense of tragedy and hardship to the feel of the songs that some Viking Metal bands can miss. This must be down to the doomy Isole influence I guess which really does give the band an edge. I think Ereb Altor might finally have found their sound on this release. They’ve reeled in the Blacker sound of previous release “Gastrike”, slowed it down and managed to blend it with the feel of their first two. They’ve got a balance of Heavy/Doom/Black/Pagan and Viking Metal that seems to suit them and sounds natural. This is not your average Viking Metal album. Epic Viking Doom Metal also falls short, so forget labels, this is just a good Nordic Metal that has challenges and surprises with every listen.
(7.5/10 Andy Barker)
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