Graveland – Fire Chariots Of Destruction (2005)

May 27, 2024

Not sure who or what lit the fire under Rob Darken’s arse but the difference between this album and the previous year’s release, Dawn Of Iron Blades, is staggering. Production is fat, riffs for DAYS, croaky frog vokills better than Abbath and Dagon combined, tales of pride and glory and warships and fuck knows what else. The percussion is still shambolic, like a Viking warrior stumbling onwards from the battle field riddled with arrows and bleeding from the head, but shambling onwards nonetheless.

Bless that (war)horse you rode in on, Mr. Darken, this could well be the best Graveland album. Oh, and is it just me or does “War Wolf” sound like the theme to Twin Peaks? I must be tripping.