As you already could have read in our recently held interview with THYRFING, the departure of the two longtime companions of the Tyresö-based band Thomas and Henrik shouldn’t carry weight that much. Regardless, I was skeptical of that, particularly, as Patrik burdened himself with the challenge to take care of the guitars single-handedly, which should be a difficult task to undertake in view of the immensely powerful sound and the central role of the six-strings in the world of THYRFING and one could rightly ask oneself if the band is able to follow up on the masterpieces such as Farsotstider or Vansinnesvisor.
Furthermore, at least for me, the departure of Thomas was a rude shock. Having to fill the vacant position of one of the most talented front-men in Metal just can’t turn out all right.
I blundered on both counts. The guitar work on Hels Vite can’t be surpassed re heaviness and each powerchord punches you so heavily in the gut and it pitilessly floors you. What a pleasure! Moreover, THYRFING have never before proceeded so pedantically in selecting the riffs. Each second is worth its weight in gold!
As is generally known, Mister Rydén was anything but an introverted personality as singer in Naglfar. Not least because of his inhuman screaming records such as Vittra and Diabolical became classics. In the year of 2008 the frontman presents himself as a matured singer, who scores off Mister Väänänen’s masterly performances in nearly all respects. Jens screams aggressively and with a – for a singer not always self-evident – timing-proof feeling through the seven songs and knows exactly when he has to restrain to leave the sound roll enough space to floor the listener.
Of course, the rhythmic fraction may not be left aside, as - after all - THYRFING is logically only functional as a collective. You can’t find any deficiencies here, too. The bass booms and pumps precisely and blends well with the deliciously groovy drums. The keyboardist Peter competently conjures up once dreamy, once ominous melodies and large pad sounds out of his synths.
The album leads off with En Sista Litania, a last prayer, with a slightly crunched guitar. Afterwards the whole band joins in. Here and there you may be reminded of exceptional tracks like The Voyager off the Vansinnesvisor album. The keyboard melody invites you to dream, that’s the way Viking Metal must sound! It’s unbelievable, how fierce the refrain rocks with its staccato chords. I am at loss for words!
In Från Stormens Öga the listener imagines to be on a long-boat on the open sea, left behind the storm. Jens leads in the last refrain with the angriest scream, before the closing acoustic guitar riff dispels the last clouds. You simply can’t translate the stories of traditional sagas about Vikings and their ado musically any better.
Isolation is not just the first of two English songs; it furthermore proves first-time, that THYRFING are still able to floor the accelerator.
Jens holds off quite long in the title track. Thereby one can over and over marvel at how much effort the singer puts not only to “add the vocals to the song” but also sets the pattern re rhythmic and thus is beyond price for the band.
I’ll save now to go into the remaining songs, as I am writing a review, not an essay about the brilliancy of one of the most underrated bands of this planet.
Finally, I can’t forbear coming to a conclusion: Hels Vite sounds like the big brother of all previous records. The songs being mainly in mid-tempo, THYRFING always make it to convince with much power. Each of the mainly overlong songs tells its own story and makes the listener forget everything around him. With their sixth album the Swedes have recorded a classic and get the hard-earned top rating.
I take my inexistent hat off in view of this masterstroke, dear gentlemen!