The Wikings are coming down from the North again, this time they bring Vikingarock with them!!!

NJORD - "MOT HIMLEN" ("Vikingarock Productions"; CD):

Once again a little premier here on this very blog, 'cause it's the first review of a Vikingrock record that I do here. Okay, maybe it's also nothing that special, but I wanted to be sure that you know about it anyhow, haha;-). NJORD are a more or less 'young' Vikingrock band coming out of the cold of Sweden that's really earned themselves a damn huge support at least over here in Germany over the last two or three years. And this record, it's their full length debut for what I know, was praised nearly everywhere. What's my opinion to it? Was this 'hype' justified? One word: Yes!!! Great young and fresh Vikingrock, but let us get one thing straight and clear right here at this point, they are definitely not a copy of ULTIMA THULE and beside the fact that both bands are playing Vikingrock (and so you'll find a 'common sense' that both bands sare in music, not at least 'cause ULTIMA THULE pretty much defined this style) I really think that NJORD are playing a version of their own of the music that's called Vikingrock (or Vikingarock). It's young and fresh, forceful and it pushes forward. The music's driven ahead by very tight and cracking drums that really make the music smash through you ears straight into your whole head, the very present and banging and well-versed and damn heavy bass playing is really just gold, the guitar work is really just like a tempest that's coming over you no matter if it are the angelical leads and melody lines or solos, or if it are the hard and heavy banging riffs (just listen to "LANDSFADER" and "GJALLARHORNET", pure gold) that will make your fist reach to the sky and screaming out your proud denial to this farce this so called 'post-modern' world has degenerated to, and above all we do get very powerful yet clear and very melodic lead vocals all sung in swedish (what else, come on, I mean it's Vikingrock;-)...), that's how the music's coming together that NJORD are hammering out. And they also offering usvery good songwriting, changing pace as mood as attitude of the different ongs very clever so that all the songs are floating well together into one big thing that this record here surely is. I think it's a pretty unique kind of Vikingrock, somewhere between traditional Vikingrock and something that you might call some very day the new school of this genre, who knows, and I mean that they also know smart and clever and well-thought to work with some good Metal influences, especially when it comes to the guitar riffing, and also they know how to work with some special grooves and rhythms that are not your usual Vikingrock menu. If you want to know what I mean, then just listen to the song "DEN NYA LÄRAN", it will make you hold your breath and then you will know what I've meant with this lines. Great!!! Also they integrate some very, very folky parts into their songs (just listen for example to the opening part of "VIKINGABLOT", to know what I mean), and that's also very, very good!!! Even a ballad like "OM VI FÖR LANDET MASTE SLASS" is not annoying but nothing than grapping and great!!! So you're searching for damn good, stand-alone, and fresh and young and enthusiastic as well as passionat Vikingrock?!? Perfect, then get this great record of NJORD and you will find exactly what you're searching for, if not even more!!! To the lyrics: I really could say that much just because I really don't understand one single word, maybe (!) beside some 'common places' like 'Vikinga', 'Vikingablot', 'Blot', 'Stolt', and 'Ragnarök'. But thanx to Carsten, the captain of the mighty "ZWERGPIRAT", that with his great zine he made NJORD well known to me and for also given me and all the other readers (that don't speak swedish) some valuable informations 'bout their lyrics, and so I can tell ya all something about the issues NJORD are dealing with in their lyrics. They're singing about Swedens history and glory, about the Vikings, against Christianity and pro Paganism, about Patriotism and against fuckin' politicians selling out their own nation and culture, northern mythology, they are demanding a stop of the military dismantling of Sweden, and many good stuff more, so you see all you might expect from a Vikingrock and also maybe even a bit more. Also we do get a nice artwork (but the cover looks more like a fuckin' stupid MANOWAR cover, haha, hopefully there will coming something better the next time, haha;-)...), and it all comes in a really just great production sound. If the title track would not be such a let-down (at least for me) they would get the best rating possible, but even so it's nothing but just a great record, point and fact!!! You should call it your own, anyway, and if you're not into Vikingrock this band and record might be a pretty good current starting point for ya all. Great stuff!!! (9 of 10 points)

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