Powerful Stuff Indeed!
James B. Whitney | Minneapolis, MN. USA | 12/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These lads rock harder than hard. Uffda! This is viking metal. When I first heard of viking metal, this is what I was hoping for. Anyone who has read any of my other reviews knows I am no fan of the growling thing and although Manegarm do growl, they also have some truly great clean vocals at times done by a young woman. Awesome! Even though the music is often brutal, it never loses its sense of melody. They also have a fiddle player firmly rooted in the traditional music of Scandinavia who is as wild as most axe slingers. As a Heathen (Asatru), it is also refreshing to hear a pagan band praise the old gods and the traditions of the ancirnt North without needing to mention the one god's partner in crime, Satan. The songs are in Swedish but the band is kind enough to include English translations. Very moving, poetic lyrics about Heathen themes.
This cd, like all of Manegarms' offerings, is powerful and passionate but oddly enough it also has a tenderness and respect. This is especially evident on the final track which is a farewell to loved ones who have made the journey to join the ancestors. Hail Freyja, Hail Odin, Hail Manegarm!"