Best Of... Ultima Thule on 'Olifant Records'

ULTIMA THULE - "THE BEST OF..." ("Olifant Records"; CD):

Okay, decide for yourself if you really need a(nother) Best of record of ULTIMA THULE (beside the anniversary stuff and so on...), but here's a more or less new Best of CD of the swedish Vikings released by the label "Olifant Records" based across the border in Poland. And so this is the special Poland edition or polish edition of this Best of. I don't really know what's so exclusive 'polish' about it at all, maybe the three (as usual good) Bonus tracks "SVERIGE, SVERIGE FOSTERLAND", "DU GAMLA, DU FRIA", and "BROTT OCH STRAFF", but don't ask me anything more. I can't tell ya if the (just great) artwork is exclusively here to see, but how-ever. Now to this record here: We do get around 23 songs in nearly 80 minutes of playing time, and that's what you can call 'value for money', or at least I guess so. A lot of hits are here settled together, first and foremost the legendary two great tracks "SKINHEAD" (damn, I wouldn't have thought that the lyrics would so precise be describing me some day... and I tell ya this song really brings lovely memories to my mind) and "STOLT OCH STARK" (it also really brings a lot of good memories to my mind), beside that we do also get "RAGNAROK", "VARSANG", "BLONDA SEVNSKA VIKINGAR", "SVEA ARV SVEALAND", "WITCH HUNT", "EN FOR ALLA", and "BALDERS HIRD", just to name you my personal favorites. I think you can always question the song compilation of a Best of record of a band like ULTIMA THULE, but I do also think that who ever done this compilation here had done a pretty good job at all. So decide for yourself if you feel the need to get this Best of or not, but it could be a good completion of your ULTIMA THULE collection or a nice and well-profund starting point if you finally want to get something to know about ULTIMA THULE (but if that's the case it would mean that you missed them right to this very day, and damn it, how could you do this, how could it happen...). We get also a pure beauty of an 'the Vikings are comming' artwork (looks great, fantastic job!!!), linernotes, a big bunch of photos, and all songs are coming to you dressed in a very good production sound. Ah, what music do we get to hear here?!? Vikingrock!!! (Oh come on, it's ULTIMA THULE, what did ya expect?!?) Very melodic and majestic-hymnal guitar leads and melody lines, clever guitar solos, meldoic and clear vocals, a very well-present bass and tight and pushing drumming, all very melodic, yet powerful, folky, nordish, and pretty unique, so like I've said: Vikingrock!!! Good stuff, and truly of course really justified, even if maybe not that necessary at all... (8 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/officialultimathule)

... ultima thule, that's where the ravens sing...

ULTIMA THULE - "KORPKVÄDET" ("Ultima Thule Records"; CD):

And here's already the next Vikingrock record that's waiting to be reviewed. And damn it, but this time it gets prominently, 'cause here we have the inventors, the forefathers and creators, the kings of Vikingrock. I can't tell ya currently how many years it's now been since a last proper record of ULTIMA THULE came out and hit the lights. Beside a huge load of best of and anniversary records the guys of ULTIMA THULE were more active with their Psychobilly band HOT ROD FRANKIE over the last past years, but now they are back on map under their very own banner called ULTIMA THULE. What do you think do we get here to listen to? Right, 'traditional' Vikingrock how it once was meant to be played by the guys who came up with this sound. But it's not just 'a new record of an old style of sound', no, they also pretty much developed over all the years, and this development first and foremost you'll recognize because of the bigger load of more heavyness they've put into their music, but they've done this without becoming some kind of swedish Metal band or something like that, so thumbs up and don't worry at all about it 'cause you'll like it, for sure!!! Hard pounding and very well-versed drumming, a very good present and the songs marking bass playing, heavy and forceful pushing guitar work, and the typical hymnal and melodic clean vocals singing this swedish wisdom for and to us. Hard pounding rhythms and excessive stomping very organic grooves, all good forward hard rockin' onward to Walhalla, and all ennobled by majestic leads, melody lines, and very smart guitar solo work. Sometimes I would just wish that they would change the pace of the songs quite a bit more, 'cause that would be also a proper device to break up the sometimes very inflexible rhythm structure of the songs, and it could maybe also help to configure the mood of the different songs much more exciting and different, 'cause this whole somehow 'melancholic' mood gets a little bit 'grueling' over the complete distance of this record. But okay, ULTIMA THULE had founded this music so they might know best how it's should be played at all... We do get heavy rockin' smasher, folky anthems, and beautiful ballads ("JORDEN LUKTAR GOTT" is just awesome and breath-taking, I really love it), and if you like Vikingrock in general- and especially ULTIMA THULE (how could ya not?)- you'll get here a really good record that you should not miss, even if I would have somehow expected even a bit more... but my expectations are my problem or fault, so don't understand anything wrong, 'cause this is really a pretty damn good record that everyone who's at least a little bit of a Vikingrock fan should truly call his or her own. Good stuff!!! We do get all lyrics in swedish (so don't ask me anything... but I think the typical patriotic and mythologic ULTIMA THULE mixture...), a pretty good artwork, and a a really good, hard, warm, and clear sound. Good job!!! By now you're also able to get it on vinyl via the german label "Dim Records", I think colored and limited so you better be quick before the LP version's sold out too fast. Good stuff, and if I need a fresh dose of Vikingrock that's even more than truly really good stuff then I listen to NJORD, haha;-). Good stuff!!! For sure!!! Cheers & Oi! (8 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/officialultimathule)