A new battle lies ahead for Vanir!

Two years after their last triumph, Martin “Drageholm” (vocals, Lotan), Kirk Backarach (guitar, Iron Fire, Vansind), Stefan Dujardin (keyboards), Lasse Heiberg (guitar, Lastera, Lotan), Mikael Christensen (bass, ex-Vansind), and Jon Elmquist Schmidt (drums, Lotan) have taken up arms once more to release Wyrd, their eighth album.

Against the Storm welcomes us with riffs rooted in Melodic Death Metal, but also a rather heavy atmosphere, thanks in particular to the keyboards that accompany the march while the vocalist roars. The choruses slow the pace slightly, but the band quickly launches another assault, leading us to Never Surrender, which features some piercing leads to accompany its onslaught, adding an extra layer of melodic ferocity to an already massive and catchy foundation that easily makes us want to bang our heads. The same goes for Braavalla, one of the most unifying tracks, tailor-made for live performances, which focuses on uncompromising heaviness, while Boudica offers a very different approach, starting with an acoustic intro, then shifting to a somewhat jerky rhythm and more ethereal leads, followed by highly catchy choruses. The long, epic composition finally slows down to make way for Da Lammet Brød det 6. Segl begins with a vocal sample before shifting to a Swedish-style approach featuring waves of controlled rage beneath a relentless vocal assault, only losing steam as it approaches the majestic Helgrinidir—a powerful, equally jerky track that doesn’t shy away from playing with harmonic dissonance. We immediately move on to Mod & Ære, which starts at full speed and barely slows down for ferocious choruses with bestial screams, then to De Forbandede År, which offers a rather majestic approach while allowing a certain freedom to the leads, which don’t hold back from multiplying. Nine starts off slightly more solemn, but the final track soon ignites and becomes just as restless as the previous ones, bringing the album to a fitting close.

With Wyrd, the Danes have shown that they’ve mastered both Melodic Death Metal and the epic atmosphere of their tracks. Vanir keeps getting better every year, and their rise has only just begun!

90/100

Version Française ?