Band: NIDHOEGGR
Country: Switzerland
Title: Arise
Label: Art Gates Records
Year: 2021
Style: Folk Death Metal
Review:
I'm sure at least 90% of the audience (including me, obviously) won't be able to pronounce this band's name correctly at first try, I'd be curious to know how does a band get to choose a name like that, as there are more an more such bands everyday. Anyway, Nidhoeggr are around since 2009 and this is only their second full-length album although they've been quite active in the meantime releasing various EPs, demos and singles to keep things alive. We're dealing here with a Folk infused Death Metal that swings between the gloomy, heavy parts and the party-like rhythmic passages a la Finntroll or Korpiklaani, or if you prefer Humpa Metal, but there are some Symphonic Metal passages thrown here and there to spice things up, so fans of bands like Ensiferum will find meat for their teeth, too. A raw, growling voice is fronting the whole giving it a bit more of that dark side of Death Metal, but the overall impression is of a fun band, not original but well prepared in the technical compartment, rich in harmonies pretty much all the time, and why not, capable of more impressive things. This album sounds ok but to become influential it has to bring in some more hooks, some more memorable parts that sound a bit more original, what I hear here I get the constant impression I've heard it all before somewhere.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 7/10