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Review: Himinbjorg - Golden Age
Himinbjorg
www.himinbjorg.fr
Golden Age

Label: Adipocere Records
Year released: 2003
Duration: 38:43
Tracks: 7
Genre: Black Metal

Rating:
4/5


Review online: September 22, 2003
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 2.75/5 (55%) (4 Votes)
Review

You can be pretty sure if a CD is a Pagan Black Metal release from Adipocere that I will like it at least a little. I don't know what it is, but I have really been developing a taste for this kind of stuff since I got into Berserk. Anyway, this is the fifth release (fourth full-length) from this pagan band from France. I had never heard of Himinbjorg before, but I think they're pretty cool.

Part of what I like about this is that it isn't pure black metal. It's a little blasty, but Himinbjorg (say THAT three times fast) mix things up with some more traditional metal elements – some slow(er) riffing and nice acoustic bits. The whole is a very energetic sound somewhere between death, black, and even a little thrash. I don't really care for the vocals, as they are a bit screamy, but they are aggressive, and fit the music pretty well. It's just that when the music slows down and shows some dynamic, the one-dimensional vocal approach shows its limits.

The booklet has a very neat look, with some sepia pics of scenes from the Gundestrup Cauldron and a nice art design. The lyrics are nothing great, but they are obviously translated from French.

So I dig this. It has aggression mixed with a more mature songwriting approach that results in a pretty cool sound. I don't think the vocals match the variety of the music on all points, and a more dynamic vocal approach could make this a first-rate band.

More about Himinbjorg...
Review: Europa (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Fall of Valhalla (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Wyrd (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
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