Review Summary: Master of thunder, lightning, and rain, soon your hammer and cross shall collide!
Falkenbach is a somewhat well-known Viking metal band hailing from Germany. Masterminded by Vratyas Vakyas (who impressively plays all of the instruments on this release), Falkenbach has gained a fairly strong global following over the years without the need for touring or crowd-pandering; Falkenbach’s music is strong enough on its own.
...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri is at something of a middle-ground between his previous and subsequent albums, still bearing some black metal influence from the past but not yet as clean and palatable as the approach he later took on
Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty.
At times heroic and glorious, at other times dark and brooding, and at other times mournful and full of regret,
...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri is an excellent musical representation of the life, conviction, and spirit of a proud Viking warrior. Keyboards, vocals, guitars, and flutes share the duty of carrying the folksy melodies throughout the pieces, alternating fairly frequently while the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums gallop along carrying the triumphant rhythms that drive the songs forward. A steady gallop persists throughout
...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri, granting each song immense energy and power without the need for exceeding middle-paced tempos. Each song’s content speaks for itself; it doesn’t need to be played at lightning speeds to get its point across.
Vratyas uses both clean and harsh vocals about the same amount on this release, using each when appropriate for the piece. His clean voice is glorious; his accent gives the lyrics a breath of authenticity and the melodies are excellent and cleverly written. His harsh vocals are sort of a low rasp coming from the back of the throat, spoken with distinction yet clearly reserved in intensity; after all, he’s just trying to accent the darker points in the music, not scare you. The lyrics are excellent for what they are. The English isn’t perfect but they’re written with conviction and “heathenpride” and make excellent use of imagery, conjuring clear pictures in the mind of the listener.
The instrumental song “Baldurs Tod” is not only the best song on the album but is also one of the strongest instrumentals I’ve ever heard. It opens with keyboards taking turns at holding the melody before the drums come in steadily from a distance, then finally the guitars start playing and the song hits its full stride. The keyboard lines in this song are absolutely wonderful in their melancholy; imitating flutes, horns, and even an entire string section, they do absolutely no wrong here.
The production is perfectly fitting for what the album is trying to get across. Far from raw but also far from sterile, the production captures the primal energy that the songs are trying to get across without sacrificing clarity. The guitar tone is fairly thin while the bass fills in the gaps behind it. Keyboards are clear but not tastelessly loud and overbearing as is so often the case in metal. The drums can be heard clearly and by my judgment don’t use triggers at all; their sound is perfectly organic and fits in well with the rest of the instruments’ production.
So with conviction, sufficient knowledge of Viking lore, and more than just a little Bathory influence, Falkenbach has summoned one of the greatest Viking metal albums ever conceived. If you’re looking for honest to Odin uncompromising Viking metal full of pride and conviction, to look any further than
...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri would almost be a complete waste of time.
