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AFM Records [release date 7.07.23]
Since the early nineties, Northern European Metal bands have progressively sought to explore and celebrate the history and impact of Viking Culture.
“Viking Metal” has grown considerably since then.
One of today’s key exponents is Power Metal band, Bloodbound.
Founder members Fredrik Bergh and Tomas Olsson were AOR/Melodic rock men with Street Talk up until 2004. Since then, with Bloodbound, they have released ten albums, including this new recording, Tales From The North.
The band’s lightfooted, theatrical power metal comes equipped with equal parts melody and harmony, usually climaxing in an anthemic chorus. And it all comes with galloping rhythms and a folky, celtic taste no matter the approach.
The standout songs, ‘The Raven’s Cry’, ‘Odin’s Prayer’ and ‘Land Of Heroes’ arrive in a glorious rush of amplitude, speed and complexity. You get a strong sense of freedom in the music, having apparently abandoned the limiting strictures of the melodic rock formula all those years ago.
Yet, as the album moves forward, that freedom doesn’t seem to stretch too far. It gets progressively difficult to differentiate between the hi speed fretwork and accelerating rhythms of consecutive tracks. ‘Mimi’s Crystal Eye’ and ‘Between The Enemy Lines’ are particularly guilty, running into each other like they didn’t notice the lights had changed.
That said, the declamatory vocals and rushing rhythms, two of almost every song’s prime building blocks, have a significant grow-on-you factor.
With the Karmoygeddon, RockHarz, Masters of Rock and other festivals coming up, it sounds like Bloodbound’s latest instalment in the myth and mystery of Viking Metal is ready to roll. ***
Review by Brian McGowan
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