Dawn of Iron Blades

Whenever it comes to Graveland, I am in a miserable situation. To me, all their albums sound more or less the same. Okay, this does not include their early works. The uniform stream of mid-paced anthems began with "Creed of Iron" after the transitional "Immortal Pride" album. When I think about all these releases, maybe with the exception of "Fire Chariot of Destruction", they coalesce with each other, generating endlessly plodding rhythms which are accompanied by more or less effective guitars. Not to forget the wolfish vocals of Rob. Even the productions do not deliver specific features. This mix is not bad, don't get me wrong. However, the question remains why Darken loves stagnation. "Dawn of Iron Blades", the album which is in the focus here, starts with a painfully generic opener. Its pretty tired guitars fail to set milestones and so the song just passes by. Of course, monotony is part of Graveland's business model, but exactly this circumstance makes it all the more important that the guitar lines boast with charisma. Thank Wotan, the next songs show a better appearance.

Both "Semper Fidelis" and "Immortal Bloodline" rely on a more combative approach. The latter gives the well-known female background choirs - or billowing keyboard lines - a pretty salient role. Darken wallows in his kind of Wagnerism, but I don't think that Richie's descendants appreciate Graveland's simply designed music very much. And to be honest, even without the genetic material of such a musical genius, I must admit that Darken's way of proceeding suffers from predictability, not only in view of the mostly missing breaks. No doubt, he reaches his top form whenever he is able to create a menacing atmosphere, for example during the verses of "Crown Heroic My Departure". But at the end of the day, Darken is not able to add a surprising element every now and then and this is slightly sad. I don't speak of a dubious form of evolution and I like his stubbornness, but to enrich a stable approach with one or two previously unknown aspects on a new longplayer is not necessarily a bad idea, to express it mildly.

The album in its entirety is solid, no doubt about it. The production has a natural touch and shines with a good balance. A few number of apocalyptic wolf screams disturbs the silence of the long and slow music river which flows through my living room, but most of the time the songs do not present any unexpected details, if I neglect that a guy called Garhard III has written the lyrics for exactly three tracks. This number is only logical in view of the name his mother gave him... However, this fun fact has no further implications. Thus, the only surprising detail is that an unknown bungler did not print the name of the second song correctly. "Semper Fidelix" is naturally nonsense, "Semper Felix" is the right title and, needless to say, this track constitutes the climax of the album. Thanks to Darken for this small gift and don't worry, my Polish friend. I will stay true, even though I realize your compositional limitation. Nevertheless, almost each and every Graveland album offers good entertainment and the here sharpened iron blades do not mark an exception.

Graveland’s viking metal period started out with a blast. The first three albums each consist of epic riffs, textured keyboards and glorious melodies that vividly depict stories of battle and/or folklore. While the core elements are the same, each album employs them in an original manner, developing its own identity. Immortal Pride is big and bombastic with massive orchestral synths dominating the soundscape. Creed of Iron is similarly epic, but opts for a more riff oriented, aggressive sound. Memory and Destiny deemphasizes the militant themes and creates a beautiful, lush soundscape that revolves around oceanic folklore. With 2004’s The Fire of Awakening Rob finally ran out of ways to reemploy the style. The riffs are cookie cutter and the songs are overlong and bloated.

Rob must have recognized that the style had become stale, because Dawn of Iron Blades contains some fairly significant changes. Dawn of Iron Blades is the most aggressive album of Graveland’s viking metal period. While there is still a fair share of melodic passages, there is way more attacking passages than usual. There are far fewer keys than on most of Graveland’s earlier albums and in general the soundscape involves far fewer elements and layers. The keys are truly a background instrument and Rob is willing to let them disappear for long stretches of time. There are even some piercing banshee wails that supplement Rob’s signature dry rasp. (These wails are definitely the best contribution Dawn of Iron Blades has to offer, though they will be better employed on the next album, Fire Chariot of Destruction.)

Unfortunately, all these changes do not manage to resuscitate the struggling Graveland project. The problem begins with the production, which is just awful. The sound is extremely flat. Graveland have suffered from weak production in the past but never to this degree. The shaky, weak tone of the guitars is especially bad. Considering that the goal of this album is to create a more violent atmosphere, the weakness of the guitars is a major issue. Here we are with these pounding drums and spiteful vocals, but the guitars are as thin as rice paper! The epic passages sound equally poor. The guitars lack the force to sweep the listener away.

Beyond the production issues, Dawn of Iron Blades suffers from a general dearth of standout songs. While there are a number of decent riffs scattered throughout the album, none of the songs are truly engaging from start to finish. Most of the time, the songs feel aimless. They flounder for two or three minutes before stumbling upon a nice riff or synth line only to fade back into the nebulous fog of mediocrity.

While Rob Darken can be complimented for not making the same mistake twice, making two different mistakes once isn’t a whole lot better. Dawn of Iron Blades avoids the predictable sound and generic songwriting of The Fire of Awakening, but instead suffers from poor mixing and sloppy songwriting. Ultimately these flaws are even more damaging than those of the previous album and as a result Dawn of Iron Blades earns the title of worst Graveland full length to date.

(Originally written for deinos-logos.blogspot.com)

That Graveland has been releasing an album at a seemingly yearly rate, is a very awesome thing if you're like me and can't get enough of epic black metal by them. It would be unreasonable to expect every release to top Thousand Swords. Sometimes Rob Darken has come close more than once but he certainly has yet to put out a disappointment either. Dawn of Iron Blades is one more Graveland release that satisfies my expectation of black/Viking metal. However, it left me with a few questions: Am I getting spoiled? With this band's batting average as high as it is for as long as they've been around, should we raise the bar of expectations a little? Is Darken getting a bit complacent recording in this comfort zone of epic black metal even if each of the albums hit the spot more or less? I've heard all but maybe two of Graveland's LPs and this was the one that had me raising those questions. While those are still valid inquiries, there were always those one or two songs along with some parts of others that seduced me into subjugating overall satisfaction. Kind of like a porno scene with that super sexy secretary whose about to be fired by her boss for slacking on the job until she personally shows him how no he won't!

The glorious epic sound of the Creed of Iron album was too big to fit it's relatively short length. That was one of the few quibbles I had with that album. Dawn of the Iron Blades however suffers from the opposite. It's too leisurely paced. It sounds kind of tired at times. Thousand Swords in contrast had a hateful pace of fire for medieval war. It felt like it was in such a furious hurry to slaughter enemies that it had me panting just listening to it and before I could stop to catch my breath, bodies were strewn everywhere. Listening to Thousand Swords was bloodier than watching the battle scenes in Braveheart. This album has that pagan warrior spirit too but as I said, because it tends to drone on a little longer with its songs than need be, it's not as hot blooded nor does it have that sense of urgency as even some of the other albums besides Swords. This is not to say I don't mind variation and slowing down in comparison with another album because I'm all for it but there's a difference between being slower and being bogged down. The other complaint I have is the shabby production quality found on here( yeah surprise, surprise). Yes, I know that this is a commonplace thing on a Graveland album but on Dawn of Iron Blades it is worse than usual somehow. Did everything really have to sound this far away and granular?

I like the moody and tense melody of the rhythm guitar intro on Iron in the Fog. Its rough transition to the rest of a repetitive song marginalizes its impact though. You almost forget it was there to begin with. Semper Fidelix is Graveland's dullest song that I can recall hearing from any of their albums. From the get go it simply doesn't click with itself. It starts with a faster riff than the opening song did which still made it sound sluggish. And how suddenly Iron in the Fog ended probably didn't help it either. The most frustrating thing about this second track was how overlong and aimless it was. I can tell Darken stumbled into a writer's block. I must also say that when it comes to the drums, this is an album where Capricornus is sorely missed. Darken's drum programming on all other albums since he left have been very well done except maybe on this album. They're thunderless in many places but not all. Semper Fidelix would be the most lacking in the drum department.

Immortal Bloodline finally gets the album on a good track. This is a song where the drumming sounds pretty damn good. There's an impressive build up from a slow sweeping riff to a steady battle speed of rhythms. I think of a heavy Viking ship being loaded up and slowly pushed out from the beachhead into the sea to go to battle; gaining speed the farther it sails away. Good song! It's not overlength-y either. By the way, this song reminded me of Valhalla by Bathory and that scores major points with me. To The North Of Rubicon is just as impressive. The way it starts is with a self-assured perseverance using the consistent thin-ish tone from throughout the album. The sure handed palm muting does the trick with that riff. There's some good old tremolo picking towards the end. Those previous two songs were well on the way to winning me over but Crown Heroic My Departure sealed the deal. The title alone conjures up a grand image of a Viking burial ship cast away to sea in fiery commencement but the song itself cements that vision. There's a beautifully epic riff to start it out that it straddles with a shorn arpeggio to give it yet more epic dissonance. On almost all of the Graveland albums, Darken has been excellent at having the final tracks as one the most memorable on his albums. I have to say though that on Dawn of Iron Blades, the song While I Ride with the Valkyries falls short in this case. It's like Semper Fidelix in that it is just way too long and rambling plus that banshee warrior wailing bit that was on a couple of the other songs got old pretty quick. It sounded more like a Comanche.

After numerous times playing it and close examination of the album, I did notice one very interesting thing about Dawn of Iron Blades. Underneath the epic arrangement, guitar tone, vocals and lyrics et cetera, this structurally resembles Carpathian Wolves especially in drum patterns. I doubt this was a conscious decision but I found it quite an intriguing little hidden egg of a thing. This album has much going for it but his record's pitfalls are that,overall, it tends to lumber from song to song and the guitar transitions in most all of the tracks are graceless. The devil is in the details. However, even if you like only some albums by this band, you should still go and get this anyway. With Dawn of Iron Blades, the weaponry is impressive, the armory opens early and they could use a bit of a shine before sun up.

In the fine tradition of recent Graveland records, Rob Darken continues to borrow elements from his last few projects, mix in some of the reignited passion of the early days, and blend them under the auspices of his burgeoning songwriting skills. Far removed from the awkward, clunking tempo switches of Carpathian Wolves, the newest incarnation of this Polish pagan metal demagogue displays a compositional aptitude that could also impress the most impartial of listeners, who couldn't give a darn about the spirit of ancient warriors clad in funky plate armour and brandishing obsolete weaponry.

So what can we expect from Graveland on this tenth full-length outing? Best to look at the opening numbers, which contain some of Rob's finest work in some time. "Iron in the Fog" gets the game under way in style, commencing with some calm, understated "nostalgia riffing" from the Memory and Destiny days, before launching into that wonderful rolling style first seen in tracks like "The Dark Battlefied" from Thousand Swords. It's the kind of rhythm that evokes the image of a wave of cavaliers sweeping across the hills, obfuscated by the smoke of burning villages. As further resistance is encountered, the guitars take on that urgent, driving nature we saw in the last album, The Fire of Awakening. Darken lets rip with some blood curdling battle cries that again take us back to Thousand Swords and its chilling exhortations of revenge.

Moving on to track two, "Semper Fidelix", and the tempo is pushed up a notch as a flurry of activity portends a coming war. This leads us into one of the finest moments in Graveland's esteemed history, as midway through the song a reflective passage -- perhaps a pre-battle prayer to the ancient gods -- yields to an aggressive push, as the attack is launched. The pattern is repeated with a haunting choral accompaniment, like the final scenes of an epic war film, as the enemy starts to fall but the anguished cries and horrific deaths leave their mark on one's soul. An unforgettable moment in an evocative 9-minute masterpiece.

Dawn of Iron Blades does lose some impetus in the middle section, as the above formulas are applied again but without being quite as memorable as the initial efforts. However, in the latter stages of the album a steady, cantering pace keeps the mood alive, producing a pleasing blend of aggression and soul. The final track finishes very strongly, with pounding drums, an ominous roaring riff and one last bloodied cry from our hero. Just a final reminder that the Graveland battle is far from over...

Graveland needs no introduction for those into NSBM. Having relations to some of the best bands in the genre such as Thor's Hammer, Capricornus, and Absurd, Rob Darken is quite a powerful force to be dealt with. The music found on Dawn of Iron Blades is a testament to his ingenious musical capabilities and his passion for his ideology. This is top quality NSBM from the music to the album's artwork and a must have for those into epic black metal as well.

Darken has created an epic masterpiece that hasn't been too talked about this year even though it is one of the best black metal releases to come out of 2004 along with Drudkh and Capricornus' new ones. Dawn of Iron Blades clearly sets a strong mood that is abundant with the passion for war and honor. One can easily find themselves immersed in the music and imagine being on a battlefield ready to fight for glory against their enemies. Darken creates some terrific atmospheric melodies that do battle with catchy warlike riffs through each of the six epic songs. Each track is pretty long and builds up more and more mood as it progresses. Fortunately there is not a single dull moment to be found on the entire album. The music just has such a grasp that forces listeners to pay attention to everything that is going on. Darken's vocals are in a clear raspy black metal vain with occassional battle cries added throughout the album that work very well to even further enhance the atmosphere of Dawn of Iron Blades. The drums are exceptional as well. They work very naturally along with the music, never getting too over the top as so many black metal bands do. Keyboards and acoustics really get the listener deep into the music, further expanding the experience. Everything about this album works perfectly.

The production is absolutely superb. It is crisp and clear, not too raw but not too clean either- just right. Synths are blended in so smoothly with the guitars, drums, and vocals. There is great equilibrium found in the sound of Dawn of Iron Blades and it is flawless.

If you are a Graveland fan, you should already own this. If you are new to the band, this is a great album to start with. Dawn of Iron Blades can appeal to many types of black metal fans. Those into epic, atmospheric, and NSBM will completely love this record. Therefore, this release is strongly reccomended as one of the top contenders for 2004. Graveland captures the spirit of ancient ways in a way no other band can.

Wow, its hard for me to admit it, and I’m wary of the dangers of overrating… but I think (after 2 full listens so far) that this is clearly the best Graveland release since Following The Voice Of Blood. Its like Rob Darken suddenly overcame what limited writer’s block he had and pushed forward with some of the most inspired work of the last 6 years of his career. Since Creed Of Iron, many critics have been skeptical of Graveland’s artistic relevance, citing Thousand Swords as the pinnacle of Darken’s discography, with Graveland slowly descending in quality afterward. I too started to think that Lord Wind was Darken’s future, given its brilliance and seeming artistic superiority to the last few Graveland metal albums. Dawn Of Iron Blades is making me rethink.

Pros:

Dawn Of Iron Blades represents a monumental improvement in songwriting for Rob Darken. There are fewer examples of awkward transitions from one progression to the next; almost every passage, every phrase is staggered perfectly. I could hear no segment that was brainlessly repetitive or that made me groan “come on, come on, get on with it,” as was the case with some of his post-Following The Voice material. Changes in progression abound, with varied tempo, melody, and drumwork that reveal this album to be far more cerebral than Darkens last few offerings. Occasional acoustics, keys, interludes, samples, screams, gongs, and other sounds never seem random or out of place, and they really enhance the mood. The entire album is simply more mature than the Fire Of Awakening.

I’m hard pressed to think of a band making similar sounding black metal.

The production is close to perfect. It’s far from clinical, but has a rougher edge than Fire Of Awakening; not quite as thick, more "black metal" in sound. The drums hardly sound synthetic, and the the mix is unbeatable for Graveland standards. Extensive layered guitar parts really enrich this album as well. I honestly don’t believe Rob Darken has paid this much attention to artistic detail in years.

Darken does wailing, echoing screams on occasion that I don’t think I’ve ever heard him do! They remind me a bit of Varg, but with a far more warlike ferocity, like the howling of a Ringwraith or troll thirsting for death. The vocals are definitely less restrained and more intense, reminding me of the way Abbath slowly improved his vocal style.

At times, this album has a ferocious beauty that reminds me of the best of Immortal combined with the might of Graveland’s earlier efforts. Intently, Dawn Of Iron Blades seems to be a statement of world-conquering dauntlessness similar to what made Thousand Swords so significant for me.

Probably my favorite moment is the sudden change in atmosphere at around 2:20 in “Crown Heroic My Departure.” The song instantly heightens in intensity, and makes you really wonder what’s going to come next.

Cons:

Although I haven’t read the lyrics, I am betting on engrish.

Listening to it the first time was slightly more exciting than the second time.

This album requires more attention (headphones/dark/blah) to appreciate than the Fire Of Awakening, probably because there's more going on. I'm not sure if this is really a con.