Reviews: Thyrfing, Mentalist, Mystery, Ravenlight (Reviews By Richard Oliver, Paul Hutchings, Matt Bladen & Simon Black)

Thyrfing - Vanagandr (Despotz Records) [Richard Oliver]

After a gap of eight years, Sweden’s Thyrfing are back with a new album. Though we haven’t had any new music from the band since 2013’s De ödeslösa album, Thyrfing have remained active on the touring circuit but plans were put in place back in 2015 for some new music and finally in 2021 we have Vanagandr which is the eighth album from the band. Although they have been an active band since 1995, Thyrfing are definitely one of the more overlooked and underappreciated bands in the folk/viking metal genres. They have a sound that is more indebted to the epic viking metal sound forged by Quorthon with the legendary Bathory rather than the knees up joviality of many European folk metal bands and have a far darker and more epic sound and one that is also heavily influenced by black metal. 

The music on Vanagandr continues to be that meld of the dark and aggressive with the epic and triumphant. Songs such as Döp dem i eld, Järnhand and Håg och minne mix all these elements together in equal measure whilst you also get songs such as Rötter which sits on the more dark and aggressive side of the bands sound whilst album closer Jordafärd very much plays to the epic side of the bands sound being a huge, sweeping and epic song. The heavy use of string sections throughout the album very much help this epic sound throughout the album whilst the guitars are very much on the blackened side with some very gnarly riffs popping up throughout the album. 

The vocals are generally on the harsh and blackened side of things though there are multiple uses of clean vocals during the albums duration. If you like your folk/viking metal on the dark and epic side of things rather than the jaunty and fun then Thyrfing are definitely a band that should be on your radar. With a band history of 26 years Thyrfing know their strengths and how to play to them and Vanagandr is another worthy piece of dark epic metal. If bands such as Moonsorrow, Finsterforst and Falkenbach are your bag then you should definitely give this a listen. 8/10

Mentalist - A Journey Into The Unknown (Pride & Joy Music) [Matt Bladen]

Mentalist are not a band that hang around. Quickly following up their 2020 debut with the sophomore album. The international line up means that the band have probably yet to perform in the same room, since the release of their first album but on record they have created some highly polished, thundering melodic power metal. The drum work of Blind Guardian founding drummer Thomen Stauch is a clear benefit to this record, as he provides power behind tracks such as the title track and other speedy numbers such as Evil Eye that are in those early Blind Guardian numbers. 

The rest of the band are comprised of Florian Hertel on bass, Kai Stringer and Peter Moog on guitars and Rob Lundgren on vocals, but there are also some guest turns from Oliver Palotai (Kamelot) on keyboards, Mike LePond (Symphony X) and Henning Basse (ex-Firewind/ex-Metallium) who adds his voice to Live Forever. I didn't know what to expect when I pressed play on this record as I hadn't heard their debut Freedom Of Speech  but I was very pleasantly surprised on my initial playthrough, with subsequent listens bringing a broader grin to my face each time I listen to it. 

The basswork is in ideal sync with Stauch's drumming, shifting from galloping riffage to a more emotive pop on An Ocean So Deep where they sound an awful lot like bands such as Kamelot and Serenity, the melodic side never overwhelming the metallic bite. Both guitarists work in unison bringing a virtuosic feel, but doesn't ever go too far into fret wankery, while Lundgren has a brilliant vocal, his most varied on their closing cover of Neneh Cherry's Manchild. A Journey Into The Unknown did surprise me with how good it is. High level melodic metal that's a great listening experience. 8/10

Mystery – Live Life Loud (Metalapolis Records) [Paul Hutchings]

Album number three from the Aussie hard rockers who have been in existence for over a decade now. Live Life Loud is 43 minutes of traditional hard rock with an additional ladle of sleaze giving it a typical antipodean flavour. Plenty of hard-edged riffs, underpinned by lashing of melody, gang chanting choruses and Rocky Ravic’s smoky vocal delivery giving the record a distinctly 1980s feel.

From the band’s biog they’ve apparently had some stellar support slots, including some huge names in Mötley Crue, Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Motörhead, Megadeth & Cheap Trick. I can see their sound fitting with some of these bands but it’s a bit of a stretch to see them supporting Megadeth unless we are talking about a festival line-up.

The songs are relatively throw away. Think a harder edged Bon Jovi and that’ll probably be fair. The song titles don’t really surprise. Lust Control, Rock Revolution and Nuke ‘Em High are all standard fare whilst the inevitable ballad All We Need Tonight is as expected. It’s ghastly.

I suppose if you saw Mystery in a bar, you’d grab a drink and pull up a stool for a quick watch. They are coherent and cohesive musicians … but their songs are limited in quality and didn’t do much to spark the interest. Maybe one that I’d let pass on through. 5/10

Ravenlight – Intermission (Self Released) [Simon Black]

The ongoing pandemic has really been a bit of a bummer for any band that has just started to get somewhere. Having begun to build some credibility with the well-received End Of The World EP in 2018, and some high profile shows with Evergrey, their momentum was somewhat sunk by what hit us all after this. Their debut album Project Genesis did get released last year, but without touring to support it has stagnated way more than it deserved. This EP is very much about keeping busy and improving their profile and whilst none too lengthy, is an attempt to highlight the diverse influences behind this Belfast three piece and keep some of that momentum going with some belting and well known covers. 

Opening with The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights, Ravenlight wisely resist the temptation to meld Synthpop sentiments heavily into this track and whilst clearly having a Symphonic and Gothic tone to it, it’s generally a more up tempo delivery than the original, with some Celtic touches to the Synth voices in the opening bars. It’s got a lot of energy, and I can see it working well in a live set, as I’m a great believer that Metal bands doing covers get more mileage when they choose non-Metal source material to work with. Next up is a cover of the somewhat technically challenging Black Diamond, probably the song that best summarises Symphonic/Power metal pioneers Stratovarius, and is a brave choice for a three piece to take on given the blistering pace of its delivery and the not-inconsiderable skills of its progenitors, but manage it they do, although inevitably it’s not as rich sounding when you’re two bodies short on the original. 

Finally Ghost’s harder to find than rocking horse droppings Zenith gets an airing (which only cropped up on a special edition of Meliora if you are wondering why it’s rare) is a more haunting and Symphonic/Gothic affair, but lacks the energy of the first two tracks, and I can’t help but feel that a better known track from that outfit might have been a better choice to cover. Overall I am struck by a band that deliver well considering there’s only the three of them and I’m really enjoying the haunting and evocative delivery from Vocalist Rebecca Feeney, even if the rather short duration does run out of steam at the end. 6/10