Y Gododdin

Not quite as crazy as The Meads Of Asphodel but undoubtedly connected due to relatively similar names and the presence of the armoured Metatron, The Wolves Of Avalon have been around over a decade already and returned last year after a long quiet spell for a fourth full-length. Y Gododdin is quite a short one though, its 29 minutes even briefer than the “one long song” approach taken on Across Corpses Grey. Thankfully, the quintet pack in drama, emotion, and riffs to a satisfying degree, keeping things mainly on the melodic side with occasional folk touches added to heavy metal-based pagan tunes. Even if you might mistake it as an intro, I’ll gladly report that the narration on 'Through the Murdering Night' hits peak battle-ready sonority, while Tony Dolan’s (Venom Inc.) guest appearance adds the required grit when it finally gets going. A few other vocal cameos - from Hoest (Taake), Thurios (Drudkh), and Wulfstan (Forefather) - bring a sense of drama to even slow-moving cuts like 'Dead Men’s Cloaks', not to mention the textured instrumentation from the other members.

I feel that the songs work best when they take their own course and develop further, meaning specifically 'Is This How It’s Meant to Be?' as the longest of the 5 songs. The dynamics allow it to return a few times to soft violin and acoustic guitar, which accompany the most tender Metatron contribution here in a very British-sounding folk manner. A few rattling riffs get thrown down on that song and also the title track, dragging me between badass stomp and “where have all the fields gone?” lament, although moments of true extremity are very few. In fact, what impresses most is the lush balance that the album possesses, meaning that despite its brevity Y Gododdin just about ends up as a fully positive return for The Wolves Of Avalon, along with all the camaraderie, nostalgia, and subtle oddness that entails.


Originally written as part of Slow Cuts of 2022 for The Metal Observer - https://www.metal-observer.com/3.o/slow-cuts-of-2022/