CoC : Einherjer - Odin Owns Ye All : Review

Einherjer - _Odin Owns Ye All_
(Century Media, 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10)

Not having heard Einherjer's _Dragons of the North_ album, I can't comment on the musical progression they have, or haven't, made on _Odin Owns Ye All_ -- but I can inform those interested, and not very well informed, that a new singer and bassist have been recruited after three members departed. My enjoyment of the music displayed on _OOYA_ is not consistent and this is its biggest let down. The band like big, reverbed drums and chunky riffs; they also utilise leading keyboards and clean, pronounced vocals. On first song "Out of Ginnungagap", I like the way these elements come together; but one track later, on "Clash of the Elder", these same elements combine to produce a song which simply annoys me. The band reach their musical peak with "Remember Tokk", which strikes just the right balance of folk melodies, keyboard atmospherics and rock groove. In general, however, _OOYA_ is patchy. One major hole is the chorus vocals, which usually follow melodic progressions using a selection of notes which really don't excite me. The last thing Einherjer, or their press release, puzzle me with is their obsession with being Viking. I see nothing wrong with this, but I do see inconsistencies in how it has been put into practice on _OOYA_. The band have both their album title and all their lyrics in English, and for a band who call themselves "Viking metal", dress in vaguely Viking clothes and chose for their lyrical content Viking legends, I would expect them to present their material in old Norse. This isn't an important factor, though, and for those who go in for mid-paced power riffing, sung/chanted vocals and big reverbed drums, Einherjer will certainly adequately fulfill their expectations.

(article published 8/7/1998)

ALBUMS
5/25/2000	P Azevedo	7	Einherjer - Norwegian Native Art
1/2/1997	S Hoeltzel	8	Einherjer - Dragons of the North

GIGS
10/1/1998	M Noll	Einherjer / Old Man's Child / Gorgoroth / Cradle of Filth	Doom Descends Upon Deutschland