Hednaland

I enjoy all of Thyrfing's albums, but I must say that this re-release of their two demos tops them all. The songs are short and sweet, and they never get at all boring. In fact, you will just want to listen to them again and again. Synth is used often, and it adds to the atmosphere of the music. The production isn't incredible, but it is much better than many demos. At some points the vocals get very extreme, but that's how it should be in Viking Metal. The songs Hednaland and Vargavinter appear on Thyrfing's self-titled, but I believe they are in their superior versions here. Both songs are played slower, and they give a feeling of great emotion, especially at about 2:15 on Hednaland when the piano comes in and 1:00 of Vargavinter. När Slaget är Vunnet is a
beautiful keyboard piece, and Färd mot Thrudvang has some excellent riffing at about 2:00. Songs 7-10 are from Thyrfing's earlier demo, and they sound more primitive. The two-part epic Solen Svartnar has some great synth moments, especially in Part 1.Overall, this is highly recommended stuff for anyone interested in Viking Metal. Only those craving speed or metal without any synth should steer clear.