Viking Zombie

So much to say about this one! I hadn't heard of Armored Dawn 'til the launch of their sophomore album Barbarians In Black on AFM Records last year. It blew me away with its combination of stoic melody, Norse vibe and pummelling heaviness. Orden Ogan's Seeb Levermann handled production duties on that album and it sounded phenomenal. I wasn't sure if the guy had any part in the songwriting but upon hearing the Brazilian's newest output, Viking Zombie (yes, that's actually the title), I now have little doubt. The difference in quality between these two records is huge for such a relatively short space of time. This new effort is also an independent release, and at points, it shows. The more I listen to VZ, the more I enjoy it. But I can't shake the feeling that this is a huge step down from BIB, both in terms of complexity and energy.

The difference is clear from the get-go. Whereas the previous opus utterly exploded out the speakers with the firestorm of "Beware Of The Dragon", here in 2019, it takes until fourth track "Fire & Flames" to lift the pace above a martial plod. Opener "Ragnarok" is moderately strong, especially the heavy-ass riff at 2:59, but its lack of urgency sums up how I feel about this album overall. There are solid riffs and catchy melodic refrains, but everything is lacking a spark to lift the whole affair. I occasionally struggle to call this 'power metal', even though that's definitely where their roots lie. There are metalcore-esque chugs and even some electronic backbeats which remind me of goth rock to really rile up the elitists. It's an odd timbre overall. Well mixed, and defiantly heavy, but odd.

Some tracks sap the energy from an already meandering record. These duds could have been left on the cutting room floor and made for a much more concise, less flabby listen. The strangely named almost-title-track-but-not-really, "Zombie Viking", is the first offender. It's on this track that Eduardo Parras' bizarre vocal timbre becomes notable. He's always had a queerly straight voice for a power metal singer, but I swear there are times on this album where he's being digitally altered or auto-tuned. I wouldn't dare throw an accusation like that at a metal musician unless I was sure, and it really is a worryingly pervasive issue. He provides enough emotional punch in the songs with gorgeous melodies like "Embrace The Silence" and "Drowning", but unfortunately these are the drabbest cuts, and where the momentum is at its lowest.

Thank fuck, then, for the more hard-hitting, up-tempo numbers which inject much-needed urgency and keep me coming back. "Face To Face" was an instant hit for me with its triumphant chorus and punchy driving rhythms. The riff monster that is "Fire & Flames" hits like a firestorm, despite the weird one-note vocal line in the verses. "Rain On Fire" is an appropriate finale with a real fist-pumping atmosphere. But the surefire highlight must be the hammering "Heads Are Rolling" with its monstrous main riff and shout-along hookline. Viking Zombie is still a strange album which straddles the fence between sub-genres, but it has a weirdly addictive hold over me, and I'm sure it'll grow even more with time. This band have my full support, even through the tumultuous times like these, because I know the awesomeness they're capable of.