The Viking in the Wilderness - reviews and news

(52:08; Fastball Music) Track list: 1. The Birth of a Star 1:29 2. Nocturne of Cold Mystery 4:45 3. Through Fire 5:48 4. By God 4:30 5. To Ailsa Rock 8:57 6. Reprise: Harbor Lights 1:59 7. Hibernation 5:28 8. Dark Night of the Soul Pt. I 4:18 9. Seven Years 4:58 10. Viator 3:53 11. The King's Song 6:03 Line-up: Raphael Gruenig - drums Benjamin Wiesli - guitars, vocals Elia Schmidt - vocals, bass Miril Schmidt - vocals, piano with: Judith Stuber - cello Swiss band Askara has been around for around a decade at this point, and released their debut album "Horizon of Hope'' back in 2016. Following a succession of single releases the band released their second album "Lights of Night" in the spring of 2022 through German label Fastball Music. This is a production that has been made with a fairly strong, distinct and uniform focus in mind from what I can hear: To make use of distinct contrasts between light and dark and between the harsh and the beautiful. The vocals...

(37:52; Apollon Records) Track list: 1. No Man's Land 6:23 2. The Compass 4:30 3. Streams 1:29 4. Dawning 2:52 5. Into the Light 3:54 6. The Hunter 4:49 7. The Great Divide 5:26 8. Chronicle 4:17 9. Opening – Woodlands 0:49 10. Woodlands 3:23 Line-up: Michael Aadal - guitars André Kassen - saxophone Audun Ramo - bass Gunnar Sæter - drums Norwegian foursome Aadal revolves around the compositions of presumed band leader Michael Aadal, who besides composing all the material contributes with the guitars in this quartet. The band has been around for a few years by now, and have two studio albums to their name so far. "Lost Songs" is the most recent of these, and was released through Norwegian label Apollon Records in the spring of 2022. Jazz is the genre of music explored on this production, and as I'm not at all an expert in this field my simple description of the music provided to us here is that it can be described as soft, elegant and atmospheric laden. Elegant, wander...

(45:46; That's Entertainment Records / Apollon Records [2022 Edition] ) Track list: 1. (Can't Do) Another Mistake 2:55 2. Yeah 1:20 3. I Want You 2:49 4. Been So Long 2:50 5. Night of the Sadist 3:01 6. Game of Love 2:27 7. Won't Be Running 2:34 8. That's Okay 2:18 9. I'm Down 2:19 10. Trip Me Up 2:01 11. In and Out 1:44 12. Run From Her 2:48 13. I Need to Know 2:31 14. (She Left Me) Crying 2:47 15. Again and Again 2:22 16. Gotta Be Loved 3:54 17. Trasher 0:36 18. She Just Left 2:12 19. 1-2-5 (Live) 2:18 Line-up: Arne Thelin - vocals, harmonica, tambourine, maraccas Erik Hovde - guitars, harmonica, vocals Sjur Fladager - organ Rolf Yngve Uggen - bass, vocals Bulle - drums, percussion with: Carsten Johansen - bass Norwegian band The Lust-O-Rama was an active band between 1989 and 1993, releasing a score of singles and EPs in those years before calling it quits. They also released an album, "Twenty-Six Screams, on US label Skyclad Records. Following many years ou...

(57:38; Echozone) Track list: 1. Kybalion (Time To Fly) 2:14 2. Burn 4:44 3. On the Barricades 5:14 4. Coven of the Drowned 4:42 5. Passengers 4:18 6. Black Forest Calling 4:21 7. We Are the Ravens 6:20 8. Source of It All 4:59 9. Solitude 5:20 10. Fading 4:11 11. Nothing Lasts Forever 7:17 12. Running Up That Hill 3:58 Line-up: Ben Richter - vocals Chris Lang - guitars Christof Uhlmann - violin Christian Ryll - bass Markus Felber - drums with: Johanna Krins - vocals German band Thanateros has a history that stretch back more than two decades, but in their current guise they have only been active for a handful of years following a long hiatus. "On Fragile Wings" is their sixth studio album overall, their second since getting back together again, and was released through German label Echozone. The music explored by this band falls in under the heavy metal category somewhere. We have the guitars and the rhythm section in more of a traditional heavy metal mode of delivery, altho...

(37:29; Apollon Records) Track list: 1. Hey Byrdie 4:06 2. Lynx 3:52 3. Hold Your Horses 4:56 4. Away in the Wilderness 3:24 5. Darling 3:35 6. Signs Mock Me 5:00 7. Dead Dog 5:03 8. Fools Gold 3:00 9. Big Lonely 4:33 Line-up: Gunn Alstadhaug - vocals Rune Walle - vocals, guitars, sitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, organ, harmonica Stein Urheim - guitars, bass, mandolin, piano, samples, percussion, vocals Ole Ludvig Krüger - drums with: Sara Taraldsen - vocals Norwegian duo and couple Rune Walle and Gunn Alstadhaug are veterans in the Norwegian music scene, with Rune Walle in particular being a well known veteran at that, mainly due to his tenure in US band Ozark Mountain Daredevils back in the 1970's. "Byrdie's Dream" is the first album they release as a creative duo, and was released by Norwegian label Apollon Records in the spring of 2022. Given Walle's past in various national country rock bands as well as his tenure with the very well known and regarded aforement...