• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Rebellion comes back three years after their last output, which was sort of a disappointment compared to the great History of the Vikings trilogy. This new album, Wyrd Biŏ Ful Aræd - The History of the Saxons (that for the sake of my sanity I'll refer to only as Saxons from now on) borrows what was used in the Vikings trilogy concept-wise to tell the story of the Saxon people.

Since Uwe Lulis left the band in 2010, it became clear that half the strength of the band came from him, as their last album was no masterpiece, like I mentioned above. Saxons takes more from Arminius: Furor Teutonicus than from their previous efforts, which turns out to be not as good as expected. The main problem with the album for me is the feeling that something is missing. It has its moments, like in the good "Take to the Sea", reminiscing the days of the Vikings trilogy, the groovy "Hengist" and the weird but fun "Slave Religion". But the album lacks punch, and by the end you don't feel completely satisfied with the outcome.

While it's not a bad album, Saxons shows a Rebellion at half-mast, alternating between good and mediocre songs, giving you the sensation that the band is performing on autopilot, without passion or inspiration. Recommended only for longtime fans, as there are better displays of Power Metal albums out there.