Stormwarrior - Northern Rage
Remedy Records
True Metal
Disc 1: 11 songs (47'06) Disc 2: 4 songs (12'48)
Release year: 2004
Stormwarrior, Remedy
Reviewed by Ben

Stormwarrior’s self titled debut was a killer platter of True Metal that was a mix of “Hail Metal, Kill Posers” songs and some good old fashioned “soundtrack to an ass kicking” numbers. By this I mean you had super fast and aggressive riffing, heaps and heaps of twin guitar harmony solos, lyrics about fighting, dying, and breaking away from entrapment, and Lars Remcke’s (or Thunder Axe as he is called in the liner notes) aggressive and old school sounding rasp that was surprisingly versatile, it could go from vengeance spitting wrath to soaring high notes at the drop of a hat. Northern Rage differs from the debut in a few major ways. The first and most obvious is that there are no “Hail Metal, Kill Posers” songs anymore. Instead the whole album is based on events that happened in medieval times, the rituals and rites of Odin’s followers from the horrific Blood Eagle sacrifice (the victim would have his back slit, ribs broken and removed and then the lungs would be pulled out into wings like an eagle and then be offered to Odin, all while he was alive), the feast of Sigrblot, the conquering of foreign lands, and finally the sack of the Christian monastery of Lindisfarne. At first I was disappointed that my quota of chest thumping metalness would not be met with Northern Rage but one listen to this album made me not care in the least. The band has progressed in terms of composition as well. I remember reading interviews where Lars stated that he wanted to capture the feel of Bathory’s Hammerheart LP in Northern Rage and although I can’t hear that exactly, I can see where he pushed the epic feel on us. Otherwise, the roots of this band are still the same, their strengths lie in the out and out speed and aggression and there are still minutes (yes minutes, not seconds, but minutes) of twin harmony solos in every song which is what I crave as well as their other fans I’m assuming.

When I said that I could tell where Lars pushed for the epic feel on this I must point towards the double shot of the openers And the Northwinde Bloweth / Heroic Deathe. As the obligatory intro the former is a laid back and folkish acoustic song with wind effects and keyboards that sets a somber and sinister mood in the listener, almost as if it were the calm before a history changing battle. This moment of serenity is shattered however with the raging Heroic Deathe. I can only call this “inspiring”. The lyrics are as powerful as the riffs that assault your ears and when I listen to this I close my eyes and can see a vicious battle and can hear the clash of shields and the breaking of spears on bodies, the lyrics and music are that vivid in their detail and effect. The finale is especially stirring however, Kai Hansen comes in and does a duet with Lars and as they sing about the fallen warriors ride to Valhalla, Quorthon’s influence is at once glaringly obvious. Bookending the album is Lindisfarne, and at almost nine minutes in length this track gives the band free reign to go all over the place which is exactly what they do. A doomish and foreboding mid tempo riff starts the track off with some choir vocals and organ in the background before a ferocious drum fill makes way for the pounding focal riff. For about three minutes the structure is pretty typical until about after the second chorus and the solo section there is a spoken word passage describing the attack on this church before going back into even more glorious soloing and proceeds to solo all the way up until the very end, alternating between fast and furious picking to slow and soaring. In between these two tracks however is a myriad of metalness, from anthemic fist pumpers in which horn throwage is a pre-requisite for listening such as Odin’s Warriors and Thy Laste Fyre to all out speed fests like Valhalla, Welcome Thy Rite, and Sigrblot, this album has everything a fan of True Metal wants to hear.

The bonus disc that came with this package is a nice addition and not just a throw away. Much like Hammerfall educated listeners with their cover of Pretty Maid’s Back to Back so does Stormwarrior with their rendition of Turn the Cross Upside Down by Oz. A very Maidenesque track this is the happiest Anti Christian song I have heard. If you weren’t paying attention too closely you wouldn’t realize that the song is about burning churches and wreaking havoc upon Christianity. There’s even a great mid section with the chorus being repeated over some pounding drums for maximum offensiveness. The many solos however and melodious licks should keep you listening regardless, and I’m sure Oz will find a new set of fans with this faithful cover. Two tracks from the main disc are next but this time they’re done in Swedish, Valhal and Oden’s Krigare. Musically these are identical to the English counterparts but it’s cool hearing them done in a language that the vikings and warriors that this album is based upon.

Northern Rage is True Metal for True Metalheads. There isn’t any “core’s” going on here, no bastardization of the music for the sake of appealing to a wider fanbase, this is out and out, balls to the wall True Heavy Fucking Metal driven by walls and walls of guitars and solos, and I simply cannot recommend this enough. If you’re tired of hearing bands whine about their parents taking away their credit cards, or mallcore bands trying to pass themselves off as non shitty by sprinkling some weak and half assed Gothenburg sounds in their album then grab up Northern Rage and let Stormwarrior bang that unruly head of yours.

Killing Songs :
Heroic Deathe, Odin's Warriors, Sigrblot, Lindisfarne
Ben quoted 86 / 100
Other albums by Stormwarrior that we have reviewed:
Stormwarrior - Norsemen reviewed by Ben and quoted 71 / 100
Stormwarrior - Heathen Warrior reviewed by Thomas and quoted 68 / 100
Stormwarrior - Heading Northe reviewed by Chris and quoted 94 / 100
Stormwarrior - Heavy Metal Fire EP reviewed by Ben and quoted no quote
Stormwarrior - Stormwarrior reviewed by Marty and quoted 88 / 100
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