Review by Felix on May 18, 2019.

My first contact with Dark Angel came about through their contribution to the sixth issue of Metal Massacre, the probably most influential and most ass-kicking metal sampler series of all times. "Welcome to the Slaughter House" was a kind of promise. My metal brother and I enjoyed its dynamic, merciless approach and we were sure that these ruffians would be able to release highly interesting albums. Time has told us that we were right. Especially "Darkness Descends" has stood the test of time, but the band's debut also still makes fun every now and then. Well, I have to warn the comparatively young freaks who are only familiar with the late outputs of Dark Angel. To be cautious about this, We Have Arrived has not much in common with the complex material of Time Does Not Heal. It delivers a rather primitive song-writing concept, but come on, "Show No Mercy" or "Kill 'em All" also did not score with academic compositions. These groundbreaking works have other qualities. However, let's keep the eye on Dark Angel's first longplayer.

The first sequence of the opening title track equals the intro of "Hell Awaits", but "We Have Arrived" appeared almost simultaneously. Therefore, this is rather a coincidence than an act of imitation. But as mentioned before, Dark Angel's seven tracks are less complicated than that of Slayer's eternal monument. They are clearly structured and can be inhaled easily. The less strong parts present run-of-the-mill thrash, the stronger sections live on their great riffs and a proper dose of velocity. The explosive "Merciless Death" presents some cutting guitars and an almost lacerating, catchy chorus. It has a lot of brutal charm, although its second version, released on "Darkness Descends" shows its superiority in view of the much better production. By contrast, the here reviewed full-length lacks pressure and force, but it comes along with natural, pure and belligerent. The stripped-down sound matches the clarity of great songs like the opener. "We Have Arrived" (the track) scores with straight lines and a menacing chorus. Well-dosed high-pitched screams of Don Doty make the picture complete.

Some tracks have fallen into oblivion and that's a pity, because pieces like "Falling from the Sky" still present solid, slightly naive thrash. Okay, the band has lent the air raid siren from Atlain (listen to "Sphinx" from "Living in the Dark", released in 1984) in order to start this song, but this alone does not mean that the acceptable tune can keep up with the remaining compositions of the vinyl's A side. The entire B side also does not hold jewels in abundance, even though the minimally melancholic frame of "No Tomorrow" captures my attention. "Hell's on Its Knees" gives full speed ahead, but it suffers from an overlong acoustic intro. Be that as it may, it underlines the ability of the protagonists to write memorable choruses and the part after the intro impresses with compactness. Dark Angel were most likely influenced by Slayer's debut, some Hanneman/King-like solos point in this direction, but their debut stood on its own feet. Admittedly, it left room for improvement, but regardless of this, I regret that they never reached the status of idols as well. Guess my metal brother shares this point of view.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 4, 2020.

Usually I don’t care a lot about Viking metal, but Heidevolk’s album from 2008 caught my attention due to three reasons. The first one is the opener. 'Saksenland' combines vigour, melody, velocity, strength and folklore in a fascinating way. Powerful guitars are accompanied by a voluminous voice and occasionally many-voiced background choirs. The song marks a glorious beginning and moreover it is fully aligned with the atmosphere of the album’s great artwork. Secondly, I like the title track very much because of its catchy vocals and the strict and pretty merciless guitars that follow the calm beginning. The third reason is called 'Zwaarden Geheven'. This late highlight shines with a belligerent beginning and drums that pelt down like a thunderstorm. Nevertheless, the band has also kept an eye on a coherent melody again. However, the song’s degree of harshness is remarkable.

What about the rest of the album? Well, it explains to me why I normally leave the Viking scene alone. Generally speaking, the songs are not bad, but sometimes they sound like I am on a medieval market. Fortunately, some vehement eruptions are integrated and I appreciate them a lot, because the Dutch crew knows its metier. Be that as it may, guess you know the usual ingredients of Viking metal (horns, tin whistle, male choirs and so on) and here you will find them all. In addition, the fiddle at the beginning of 'Wodan Heerst' reminds me of Skyclad, but this is also a slightly ambivalent association and the exceptionally sleepy vocals of the first verse do not make things better.

A positive feature is the production. The album sounds full, warm, heavy and transparent. It gives room for all musicians to prove their skills and I have no doubt that all of the six upright fighters add value to the compositions. This does not mean that no song falls through the net. The archaic chants 'Hulde Aan De Kastelein' and 'Naar De Hal Der Gevallenen' leave a vapid impression, but they appear rather as intermezzos than as wholesome tunes. Apart from these little defects, one can feel that the songs and the entire album (artwork, booklet) were forged with dedication. The well thought out lyrics and the liner notes in the booklet speak a clear language.

I'm sure that Vikings can use this album for their next drinking session and more – and they can add some percentage points to my rating. From my thrash and black metal-imbued taste Walhalla Wacht is a really good album, no more, no less. And if someone needs a fourth reason to give the album a chance, just listen to 'Het Wilde Heer'. It suffers slightly from the presence of the fiddle, but here the outstanding vocals that characterise the entire work come into their own excellently.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10