Brisbane based masters of all things Viking and melodic Valhalore have woven an EP of such proportions is almost mind blowing. With three original tracks on the 5 song EP with the songs covered from Eluveitie and Blind Guardian blends seamlessly so much you would be forgiven to think they are original tracks.
The EP is all acoustical and unplugged from the usual face-melting riffing from the band and what a haunting and beautiful piece of music they have created. In the first song, Solace opens this little opus. It’s a bit hard to describe but, imagine riding through the snow-capped mountains with fire-breathing dragons circling the skies, with a chalice of mead in hand because you’ve just defeated your enemy. This would be your victory soundtrack.
This is how uplifting and powerful these songs are.
The cover songs A Rose for Epona by Eluveitie is a melo-death song with death metal screams and crunchy guitars, but the interpretation and love Valhalore give the song is a testament to the skills the band possess, the instrumentation is spot-on in the acoustical sense. The Bard Song from Blind Guardian is an acoustic song but, please don’t mention this to Blind Guardian but I actually prefer the version on here…
The song in the middle of this beast is Valhalore’s own treatment of the song Guardians of Time. I’m conflicted here because both versions of the songs are heroic in their own way.
I am fond of the brutal drumming on the original version which is on the album Voyage into Eternity. I adore the way it made me feel, with the use of flutes, whistles and the like.
The last song Solitude rounds out the EP in perfect fashion Hands down, or more fittingly, Horns up, Valhalore have created an exhilarating EP worth the respect from fans in Australia and World-Wide.
Release Year: 2019
Label: self-released
Category: EP
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Adrian ‘Dren’ Barham
