Album Review: Asenblut - Die Wilde Jagd
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
If you like the powerful uncompromising metal of Amon Amarth and Equilibrium, you’re probably already a fan of Asenblut. If not, this album is likely to be one for the collection.
This is full-length record number four, and whilst I’ve limited knowledge of their back catalogue, my money is on them sounding similar on the previous releases. Formed in Germany in 2007, their previous long player ‘Bezerker’ was released in 2016 whilst 2018’s EP ‘Legenden’ received mainly positive reviews.
Combining elements of black, melodic death and thrash metal, it’s hard to look past Amon Amarth in terms of comparisons, especially when their topics focus on stories rooted in classical mythology. Lead singer Tetzel (Tim Schmidt) is a professional strongman/weightlifter (his lifting on the band’s Facebook page are mightily impressive) and his burly approach (impossible to ignore the gruff vocal similarity with Johan Hegg) is ideally suited to the muscular sound of the band.
Musically, there is little to be disappointed about. The songs are well delivered and crafted, sung in their native tongue and carved with attention and care. Sure, the blast beats and the riffs are definite Viking metal, the songs echoing those of some of their peers, but it’s stirring stuff and the album is potent enough to get the head moving. And yet, after three listens, there is little that remains in the memory. It’s majestic, anthemic, roaring melodic death metal that pounds away with an intense ferocity. But instead of ‘Penumbra’ I merely heard ‘Runes to my Memory’ to the extent that I could almost match the hooks, breaks and choruses from the latter to the former. It’s the same for every track and whilst it would be entirely fair to level that accusation at virtually any band in the metal genre, it’s originality that really gets the juices flowing.
So, whilst I am certainly not being negative about this bone-crunching album in many respects, when the challenge to avoid the comparisons becomes impossible to do, a more detailed analysis is pointless. Asenblut are solid, they play fiery Viking/Pagan metal and they do it well. Enjoyable from start to finish, I’ll leave it to you to form your own opinion
'Die Wilde Jagd' is released via AFM Records on April 17th.
