Wrath of Fenrir and their EP of the same name has an immediate impact with the fantastic artwork instantly grabbing your attention and begging you to find out what lies within the realms of this Viking metal band’s music and stories.
I am instantly transported to another time and place with the sound of medieval shipyards and the blowing of the Gjallarhorn and impressed greatly by the grandiose and heavy guitar riffs as if inspiring legions of marauders ready for bloodthirsty battle. I loved the imagery and escapism of this opening track Awaken the Frost. An excellent opener with and clearly defining the time and background of this band and their EP. Excellent war god vocals from Hans with some rather epic chanting towards the end of the song. The danger with an EP is that it can feel very lacking and almost ripped off for content but on this, the songs are so involving and captivating, you are more than satisfied with the journey and the ebbs and flows that give a full story and you really feel like it’s a full album.
online pharmacy order xenical online best drugstore for you
The second track On This Conquered Land is a winding, shape-changing, mind-altering masterpiece that I kept coming back to over and over again. With some of the most addictive, headbang-provoking guitars and rhythms you could hope to hear.
online pharmacy order augmentin online best drugstore for you
The pace changes here and there with some great melodic sections and some pure hammering also. All the while with an atmosphere of otherworldly and mythical. Excellent songwriting, top-notch song.
My other standout song on Wrath of Fenrir is the title track. Heavy and brooding with just that bit more gravel in Hans’ growl on this one. The best riffs on the album called this song home and the hooks are big while still maintaining their brutality and gut-wrenching effectiveness. A real force of a metal track that is utterly brilliant.
The final song is fun but still aggressive jig of a melody celebrating all things won by Wrath of Fenrir, obviously called Victory Chant, locking arms with your fellow kin and holding a beer mug on the other hand seems mandatory while enjoying this song. A nice way to finish off the journey and story that is this album.
Simon Holland on guitars really does some great stuff on this recording giving a full array of sounds and styles and somehow combing sounds of Viking beer halls and brutal heavy metal. Love it.
Nick Bean on drums has created an excellent thunderous sound with a real full and grand sound, worthy of driving hordes into battle. Simon Brown ties it all in very nicely on bass with some great gallop when the mood calls for it.
Hans Fan Der Linden is absolutely brilliant on vocals with a great heavy growl, for the most part, varying it just enough which provides emotion and character and helps tell the story with some haunting chanting that actually provides small doses of sing-along moments.
I have no real negatives for this EP only it should have been a full album so there was even more to hear. The way they set the scene with imagery and drama takes you to the time and place of this album’s stories and settings. I thoroughly enjoyed Wrath of Fenrir by Wrath of Fenrir. This is metal excellence!
Wrath of Fenrir: Facebook
Release Year: 2012
Label: self-released
Category: EP
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Chris Rankin
