VEDRFÖLNIR - Loki's Rache

6 songs
30:17 minutes
***** ***
(self-released)

Bandpage

According to Norse mythology, Vedrfölnir is a hawk sitting between the eyes of an eagle on top of the world tree Yggdrasil. Since 2012, there is an extreme pagan metal band from Freiburg in Germany with the same name. After an early demo, they self-released their first EP Loki’s Rache in April 2017 which after nearly two years finally found its way to me.

The short but inconspicuous intro is followed by the title track where the band is going full steam ahead. It’s surprising that despite the band’s love for the extreme, they still have a keyboard player in their line-up. If you think that this doesn’t fit with the black metal inspired shrieked vocals, you are mistaken. Vedrfölnir know how to maintain a captivating melody throughout their brutal riffing. Hasserfüllt is at nine minutes the longest track. Despite its quiet start, things soon get heavier, and after quite a few mood changes, the song ends brutally with searing blast beats. Ymir is the catchiest track on Loki’s Rache. Despite a certain rawness, the band is acting in a cheerful folky way with the keyboard adding an excellent melodic lead. Obviously you can’t have a pagan metal album without a drinking song. Sauflied comes with background noises that give you the impression to sit in an ancient Viking tavern. The accordion made me even think of Korpiklaani. The EP ends with Svadilfari, a fast track combining harmonically speed and melody.

Loki’s Rache doesn’t sound band for a debut. The musicians’ skills are quite impressive, and the songwriting is rather refined. The vocals could be more differentiated, although the rawness of the performance works will with this kind of music. Considering that this EP has been released in early 2017, it should be high time for a successor.