Never change a winning team… or the concept… is what Thomas Bergli might have thought after having successfully released the debut Vorunah two years ago. On their sophomore Oldarhian they exactly set in where Vorunah was left of. That’s ok at first; the debut record kicked so much ass and is still great entertainment. Talking about innovation, well…
However, although I still like vibes and attitude Oldarhian spreads I sorely miss the hits the predecessor had to offer. Oldarhian is sooo predictable and uniform; there is not even a tiny twist or different nuances to find. In consideration of the fact that this time the entire live crew has recorded the album I would have expected more. A different sound, darker, more powerful, some tricks and some great musicianship… you know such kind. Even the progressive note Vorunah offered in one or the other track completely disappeared without being replaced by any other musical mean. Only Passage To Oldarhian and Captured stand a little bit out but, to be honest, that’s not enough to score again.
Having a sharp tongue one could state the songs on Oldarhian have been written in one go back in the time and were just divided on two records, whereas the second one falls short. I just wonder then why it took two years at all… Anyway, it’s really a pity, I expected so much more.