Gates to Valhalla

I have no idea how I first stumbled across this German five-piece. Indeed, poking around online for information on and reviews of their albums proves to be more than a little disappointing – there’s very little to be found. Regardless, I had an mp3 of the title track from this album and it was good enough to convince me to take a chance on this disc ($8 from Sentinel Steel). Some bands just seem doomed to always dwell in obscurity. In the case of Morbid Jester, this obscurity is quite unfair. I can’t speak for their back catalogue, but “Gates to Valhalla” is a very solid slab of traditional metal mixed with bits of speed and power metal.

The first thing you’ll notice about the disc is the cover art – I thought it was a little silly, maybe even a bit amateurish-looking. Not that it really matters, but as someone who’s listened to a lot of third-rate power metal (not always by choice, mind you) I was wondering if this disc would join the lengthy list of cheesy albums I listened to once and promptly forgot. Not a chance. I already knew the title track so I skipped to track two, and what a song! Probably the best thing on here, “Stallion of Steel” is pure anthemic Euro metal at its absolute best. Great vocals, a stirring chorus, tons of melody – you name it, this song’s got it. Surprisingly (and refreshingly) there’s a lot of restraint placed on the speed. Things get going at a good clip at times, but it never turns into another generic double-bass fest. The next song is completely worthless, an “instrumental” without any instruments. Skip it. After that we get a couple more solid mid-paced tunes, then a real instrumental, and a good one at that. The remaining jewel is the closer, “In the Sign of Evil”. Not quite as good as “Stallion”, it still more than holds its own as a perfect example of crunchy Teutonic traditional power metal. Heck, there’s even a slightly folk-influenced part in the middle. No, we’re not talking Skyclad, but it was a refreshing segment and worked well as the bridge in this tune, which I suppose is the epic of the disc, though at a shade less than six minutes it’s certainly nothing too pompous.

While it is true that there are elements of speed metal on this disc, don’t expect anything like, say, Paradox. I’d place this disc much closer to bands like Iron Savior, Enola Gay and Angel Dust. Actually, singer Stefan Scholl has a very pleasant voice that sounds perhaps like a mix of Sielck and Thurisch (Iron Savior and Angel Dust, respectively). That is to say, more of a forceful mid-range bellow without the high-pitched wailing of some power metal bands. All of the other players involved in this thing are quite competent, if not exceptional. There’s some solid guitar and bass work to be found, and the drummer, as mentioned, keeps himself from riding the bass pedals nonstop. The production could be beefed up a little – the drums in particular sound a little hollow. However, I’ve heard much worse from similarly obscure bands, so I won’t complain.

Really, there isn’t much more to say about these guys. I doubt anyone will put this album in their top five of all-time, but if you enjoy the darker, heavier brand of German trad/power metal, I’d have to recommend “Gates to Valhalla”. Aside from one throwaway track it’s a remarkably solid collection of songs. Head over to the Morbid Jester site and download the full title track. Obscure bands like this need all the exposure they can get, especially the good ones like Morbid Jester.