Viking metal is in a very interesting
place these days. The genre is slowly recovering from the mess that
happened due to an oversaturation of band with bad songwriting and is
now pushing toward powerful new sounds that reflect ancient times and
require a new level of musicality. It means that the genre is perhaps
truer t its rots than ever before and certainly more interesting.
This is what makes the latest from King Of Asgard, Taudr,
so goddamn good. It shows us the true power of the genre, with an
inherent sense of musical might that can't help but to seduce the
listener.
Taudr is
one of those records that really represents a full sonic experience.
It's an album that burns forward with powerful Viking choruses
padding out massive sounding chords. The clean vocals are reminiscent
of groups like Heidevolk, hinting at a much older musical culture
behind the band. Meanwhile the melody lines are totally on point,
driving the band forward just as much as the riffs do, but also
continually reminding us of where King Of Asgard fit into the metal
map. There is something endlessly engaging about the driving guitars
of a song like Death... And A New Sun especially when counterbalanced
with the huge sounding choruses that pump forth.
At the
end of the day, Taudr is
absolutely entrancing. They are a band who have a certain internal
viciousness that is only tempered by their dedication to higher, and
far more ancient concepts. As you listen to Taudr you
can see the unique landscape of Scandinavia unfolding before your
very eyes and you start to fall into the reassuring rhythms and
dominating choruses of the band. King Of Asgard are a band who are
going to captivate you and remind you once more that Viking metal
will never die, but only rise, harder and stronger.
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