The Swedish band
Valkyrja play fast, head-down, back-to-basics black metal in the spirit of early
Marduk,
Gorgoroth,
Watain, etc. Their music isn't particularly innovative, but the production is of a higher quality than the genre's artists sometimes settle for, and their ability to write crunching, headbang-worthy riffs is undeniable. Vocalist A.L. has an emphatic, guttural croak that's powerful but also ugly in a compelling way. The occasional sonic surprise, like the acoustic guitar that introduces several songs and provides an interlude in the middle of the otherwise furious and brutal "Plague Death," or the atmospheric instrumental "On Stillborn Wings," which splits the album's two halves, adds to the impact of their basic sound. The thunderous drumming can't be discounted, either -- in a genre that frequently settles for deliberately thin and staticky sound,
Valkyrja's pounding beat is practically tympani-esque. While the basic template from which these Swedes are operating will be instantly familiar to black metal fans, there's enough here that's uniquely their own to vault
Valkyrja out of the pack and make them worthy of attention. [This 2007 release was reissued by Metal Blade in 2009.] ~ Phil Freeman