Album Review: Einherjer – Lifeblood
Reviewed by Rich Oliver
Norse mythology and heritage go hand in hand with metal and one band that has been flying the flag for over 30 years are Norway’s Einherjer. Forming in 1993 in their hometown of Haugesand, Einherjer have taken inspiration from their surroundings – the land, the sea, and the cultural memory carried forward through generations. This ethos remains on the band’s tenth album “Lifeblood” – eight songs across fifty minutes and music that is unmistakably nordic with songs that switch between English and the band’s native tongue.
Einherjer described “Lifeblood” as “a reflection around belonging, heritage and roots – both as individuals and as a band. After over thirty years of making music, they look back toward what shaped them and the forces that have followed through all these years”. They are not a band that have drastically changed from their early days but currently are a refinement of the Viking metal sound they helped pioneer and “Lifeblood” is an album that sounds very true to Einherjer but also sounds very fresh and vital. Elements of black metal and traditional heavy metal can be heard throughout as well as a good imbuement of Nordic folk but rather than being a lighthearted bunch of drinking songs like a lot of folk influenced metal, “Lifeblood” is a sweeping, dramatic and atmospheric soundscape with songs that are varied and interesting from the fury of opener ‘Bloodborn’, the dramatic Nordic sound of ‘Malstrøm’, the stripped back acoustics of ‘Dei så ser’ and the folk melody driven ‘Arr for arr’. Some of the finest moments on the album come in the two epics – the rousing ‘Gone’ and the melancholic album closer ‘The Eternal North’.
Only vocalist/bassist Frode Glesnes and drummer/keyboardist Gerhard Storesund remain from the original line-up but the current iteration of the band is a well oiled machine with the same line-up in place that recorded the previous album – 2021’s “North Star”. Guitarists Ole Sønstabø and Tom Enge deliver fantastic riffs and gorgeous melodies whilst the vocals from Frode switch between a ferocious snarl and stirring cleans.
If you aren’t a fan of folk or Viking metal, “Lifeblood” isn’t going to change your mind but if you enjoy epic and rousing metal with the right balance between aggression and melody then you really can’t go wrong with this album. A variation in the mood and feel of the songs means that the 50 minute run-time flys by and Einherjer prove they are at the top of the game when it comes to this style of metal. If you are a fan of Bathory, Ereb Altor, Thyrfing and Moonsorrow, this album comes very much recommended.
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