Blot

Over the last couple of years some bands were quite reluctant to categorize their music as Viking Metal. I can simply agree with them since you can't say Falkenbach, Bathory, Thyrfing or Einherjer play the same kind of Viking Metal. Although Viking Metal mainly focuses on the lyrics side of music, I, probably just like thousands of other metal heads, don't really care about the lyrics. So, when someone says this or other band doesn't play Viking Metal because of the lyrics, then I can simply disagree. To me, and whatever people will post in the forum, Einherjer belongs to the category of Viking Metal. I don't really know what the band claims to be, but as for myself this is quite clear. They definitely are among my favorite Viking Metal bands with the release of their fourth album Blot. If you read their biography and their discography, you might notice that the line-up slowly but surely shrunk album after album, from a five piece band to an ultimate three piece band. Frode Glesnes,originaly on guitar, is now taking care of the vocals duties too, Aksel Herloe on guitars, is playing all bass on this album, and finally founding member Gehrard Storesund on drums complete the new line-up. Gone is vocalist Ragnar Vikse and as I stated in my previous Einherjer review of their latest demo, I am very glad since I never liked his singing. Gone are the clean vocals too. Frode Glesnes now deals with the vocals duty for this recording and his way of singing compliments the music better than Ragnar Vikse ever did from what I have heard of their previous releases. This albums conbines many different elements ranging from traditional Viking Metal to relishing Black Metal and makes it probably, because I am not familiar with their back catalogue, the best album the band ever recorded. I cannot say however this is the best Viking Metal album I have ever heard because this release still suffers from a lack of consistency due to the fact that the band probably wanted to propose a diversified album rather than a compact one. Songs are indeed very diversified as I said earlier and unfortunately not every song is of a satisfactory level. Another important thing that does bother me is the sound quality of this recording. Nowadays nearly every band from the leaders of the black metal scene to the garage band willing to be signed should be able to have the latest sound quality recordings, alas it seems that on this release the sound is not as clear and compact as the latest other major releases. All in all, to me Blot is the beginning of a new era for Einherjer and this new release is probably the first stone of a new edifice the band will slowly but surely be building album after album.