JUSTIN’S METAL
REVIEWS W/C 29/9/08
KAMPFAR /
HEIMGNAG
For those who
don’t know Kampfar are a Norwegian Pagan Black Metal
band, their music is dark, brooding and oppressive, just how good Norwegian
Black Metal should be.
The bands sound
is lifted above the norm because of the Folk roots that are prevalent
thought-out this fine CD, this comes out musically in the style of the rhythm
guitar licks and as all the songs are about Norse mythology and legends it adds
a firm note of authenticity. The
fact that nearly all the songs are sung in their native tongue does not distract
from how good they are, the track “Ventro” is an
instrumental with a nice keyboard touches in it before Blackness ensues with
“Inferno”, “Dodems Vee” has
a very fine Folk inspired guitar riff that really does set the band apart form
the competition and has a very quirky off beat rhythm, the darkness ensues
with “Skogens Dyp” and “Vansinn” and
doesn’t let up until the slower, haunting melodies of “Vendring” have subsided.
If you are
serious about your Extreme Metal and like bands like Immortal, and Mayhem then
this is a good album that will reward you with listening pleasure, you can
guarantee I will be playing tracks off this on my HFM
show.
WEBSTIE http://www.kampfar.com/ & http://www.napalmrecords.com/
TOTAL PLAYING
TIME = 47 mins + 10 TRACKS
TRIVIUM / SHOGUN
Trivium continue their world domination with the
4th album “Shogun” and like the warrior it’s named after the album is
merciless in its attack and takes no prisoners.
The band start as they mean to go with the
first download track “Krisute And Gomen” full of angst and melody, this is Metalcore at its best and this is only the first track,
“Down From The Sky” and “Into The Mouth Of Hell” are just as hard but just as
good but you know this already. The
opening harmony guitar riffs of “Throes Of Perdition”
are Trivium at their utmost best and “Insurrection”,
Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven” and “The Calamity”
are just as good. The title track
“Shogun” is a real epic in both terms of length, 11 minutes plus as well as
giving the band a chance to show off their musical prowess and is full of twists
and turn with more dynamics than you could wish for.
If you haven’t taken much notice of Trivium before you will find them hard to ignore after this
album, the band have even been given the credit for inspiring Metallica to get
their act together and come up with the goods, a better recommendation than that
you cant get, this album is totally essential.
WEBSITE http://www.trivium.org/ & http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/
TOTAL PLAYING TIEM – 66 mins + 11 BLISTERING TRACKS