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Ereb Altor - Nattramn review




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Reviewer:
8.2

83 users:
8.08
Band: Ereb Altor
Album: Nattramn
Release date: April 2015


01. The Son Of Vindsvalr
02. Midsommarblot
03. Nattramn
04. The Dance Of The Elves
05. Dark Waters
06. Across The Giant's Blood
07. The Nemesis Of Frei

From Gefle, Sweden hail Ereb Altor, a band playing a mix of pagan and black metal, with their new album Nattramn. Many people compare them with the almighty Bathory, their epic and pagan era to be precise. If this holds true we shall find out, but what can already be said is that the music is indeed epic.

On Nattramn can be found many facets and influences of other bands; actually, the best thing about this work is that it blends in different styles with a constantly high level of musicianship. While the pace is basically mid-tempo all the time, the instruments and vocals work together as one unit to bring the various styles together. With a running time of less than three-quarters of an hour it is definitely shorter than your average album within that genre, but brevity is the soul of wit, which is no less true for Nattramn than for last year's big surprise From The Dead Villages' Darkness by Sivyj Yar.

So now that it has been talked a lot about different styles on this album, what exactly are they? First of all there is a huge pagan and folk influence, as heard for example on the first two tracks. The opener "Midsommarblot" is a hymn that works a lot with melodic guitars and acoustic support. After some seconds the rhythm drifts into a doomish kind of epicness. Later in the song the bass drum gains importance, which foreshadows of the coming songs. The title track then stands exemplary for the other huge influence of Ereb Altor, that is mid-tempo black metal resembling the good old Darkthrone and Immortal times.

Until now I haven't mentioned the most interesting part of it, namely the vocals. There are three vocalists in the band that each have their duty. We can hear both clean and harsh vocals, while the clean ones can be separated into epic singing known from pagan metal and a theatre-like voice that lets me think of Falconer somehow, although the pitch isn't as high. The harsh vocals are well understandable and sound mostly like Abbath on epic mode. The variation in vocals actually is the least accessible thing on this album, but after some spins it's a key factor that makes it so good. One of the weaker points, however, is the lyrics. When on the title track it goes like, "From east to west, from dusk till dawn," it somehow sounds like a hip-hop / gothic combination and on "The Dance Of The Elves" the following can be heard: "We're invisible, can't you see?"... what could be wrong with that one?

But back to other good things, which are the guitar leads and solos like on the last mentioned track. Although the melodies are nothing outstanding by themselves, in combination with the other instruments they give a good feeling. So, is there some Bathory in Ereb Altor? Yes. Can they rival Quorthon's gifts for us peasants? No. However, they deliver a great album which never gets boring due to the different styles and shouldn't be missing in good collections.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8

Written by Windrider | 04.05.2015




Comments

Comments: 12   Visited by: 134 users
05.05.2015 - 10:40
Rating: 8
M C Vice
ex-polydactyl
Hopefully it's better than the last Isole album. That one was rather disappointing.
----
"Another day, another Doug."
"I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples."
" 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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06.05.2015 - 16:27
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Interesting review, just re-upped Spotify and was building a 2015 playlist... this was added so will be checking it out.

Written by M C Vice on 05.05.2015 at 10:40

Hopefully it's better than the last Isole album. That one was rather disappointing.


Isole have been up and down their entire career it seems. every other album is really enjoyable or really "meh".
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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06.05.2015 - 20:02
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Great review.

Interesting to see diversity of styles and will be worth checking out.

Goes into my wishlist.
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07.05.2015 - 17:23
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Its Gävle , you spelled town name wrong
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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07.05.2015 - 17:25
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
But it don't change a fact how awesome and how great this and is....upper epic band, better as isole bTW
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
07.05.2015 - 22:22
Rating: 8
Windrider
Raureif
Written by Bad English on 07.05.2015 at 17:23

Its Gävle , you spelled town name wrong

Haha thanks, but that's how they spell it on their official facebook page
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07.05.2015 - 23:55
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Windrider on 07.05.2015 at 22:22

Written by Bad English on 07.05.2015 at 17:23

Its Gävle , you spelled town name wrong

Haha thanks, but that's how they spell it on their official facebook page


Try google that name you will find only this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gefle_IF
Maybe its some part of city, or maybe English name but current name is Gävle .... don't mix whit this name jävlar pronaumcation is similar werry similar
But maybe ask Johan about Gävle englsih name because Gefle I only know football club
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
08.05.2015 - 09:55
Rating: 8
Windrider
Raureif
Written by Bad English on 07.05.2015 at 23:55

Try google that name you will find only this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gefle_IF
Maybe its some part of city, or maybe English name but current name is Gävle .... don't mix whit this name jävlar pronaumcation is similar werry similar
But maybe ask Johan about Gävle englsih name because Gefle I only know football club

Yes you're right indeed, but that facebook page is just where the mistake came from Next time I know when there's a band from that town haha.
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08.05.2015 - 11:44
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Windrider on 08.05.2015 at 09:55

Written by Bad English on 07.05.2015 at 23:55

Try google that name you will find only this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gefle_IF
Maybe its some part of city, or maybe English name but current name is Gävle .... don't mix whit this name jävlar pronaumcation is similar werry similar
But maybe ask Johan about Gävle englsih name because Gefle I only know football club

Yes you're right indeed, but that facebook page is just where the mistake came from Next time I know when there's a band from that town haha.


Many foregners might not know since its not so big as Gothenburg - Göteborg , but Gefle I never heard it in English, I kow only its football team
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
11.05.2015 - 17:56
Rating: 7
Ag Fox
Angel No More
"We're invisible, can't you see?"
so funny haha

Will check out the music. thanks for the review
----
loves 小巫
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12.06.2015 - 01:40
Rating: 6
nablock

I love Midsommarblot, but the rest of the album falls flat for me.
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26.10.2015 - 12:38
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by nablock on 12.06.2015 at 01:40

I love Midsommarblot, but the rest of the album falls flat for me.


don't say so .. if you bought it , spin more, online, download albums works that way ....
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...

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