Review by Felix on October 14, 2024.

It sounds promising when a Swordmaster presents a Deathraider. But it is not written in the books that every promise is kept. The “Death Rider 2000” surfaced already in1998 and we know what it is like sometimes with premature births – they have to struggle. “Deathraider” shares this destiny, but unlike real fighters with strong hearts and an iron will, the EP cannot compete with more mature albums.

Generally speaking, Swordmaster did not leave a big impact on the scene. In hindsight, it is surprising that they were supported by Osmose, a label that usually stands for high quality, especially at the end of the nineties – remember “Panzer Divison Marduk”, “Ugra-karma” or “Diabolical Desecration”. In comparison, Swordmaster’s black/thrash/speed bastard falls by the wayside. This is not just because of the stylistic disorientation which is revealed by this EP. The fourth track is an under-average grindcore-affine wannabe shocker, while the closer, a cover version, has a dark pop appeal. Only the raw vocals remind me that I am listening to a metal output. Okay, EPs can be a field of experimentation, but was it really meant this way? If we consider these tracks, it is only logical that the release has been forgotten quickly.

Fortunately, the first songs give the EP some solid musical substance. The rapid “Death Rider 2000” has aggressive, thrashing verses, a blackened coloring and an almost catchy (but not very exciting) chorus. Anyway, the song is a minute too long and it gets obvious that the production meets the standard, no more, no less. The creaky guitar sound does not make my day, but I would not speak of an evident deficiency. “Firefall of the Fireball” shows that the mix is not an insurmountable hurdle. The track shines with some bone-dry, very aggressive parts. Yet short melodic arcs also reveal a preference for Iron Maiden. These two songs are the (pretty little) highlights of the EP. The third “regular” song, “Necronaut Psychout”, lacks intensity – and almost anything else.

Summing up, “Death Rider” has not withstood the test of time. Not because its glamour has quickly faded, but because there was already little luster here at the time of publication. Needless to say, its artwork also does not make much sense. Four creatures, half-skeleton, and half-human, wave their swords around. What does that have to do with a death rider? Or have the horses beneath them simply been burnt to death in the flames? We will never know.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 14, 2024.

It sounds promising when a Swordmaster presents a Deathraider. But it is not written in the books that every promise is kept. The “Death Rider 2000” surfaced already in1998 and we know what it is like sometimes with premature births – they have to struggle. “Deathraider” shares this destiny, but unlike real fighters with strong hearts and an iron will, the EP cannot compete with more mature albums.

Generally speaking, Swordmaster did not leave a big impact on the scene. In hindsight, it is surprising that they were supported by Osmose, a label that usually stands for high quality, especially at the end of the nineties – remember “Panzer Divison Marduk”, “Ugra-karma” or “Diabolical Desecration”. In comparison, Swordmaster’s black/thrash/speed bastard falls by the wayside. This is not just because of the stylistic disorientation which is revealed by this EP. The fourth track is an under-average grindcore-affine wannabe shocker, while the closer, a cover version, has a dark pop appeal. Only the raw vocals remind me that I am listening to a metal output. Okay, EPs can be a field of experimentation, but was it really meant this way? If we consider these tracks, it is only logical that the release has been forgotten quickly.

Fortunately, the first songs give the EP some solid musical substance. The rapid “Death Rider 2000” has aggressive, thrashing verses, a blackened coloring and an almost catchy (but not very exciting) chorus. Anyway, the song is a minute too long and it gets obvious that the production meets the standard, no more, no less. The creaky guitar sound does not make my day, but I would not speak of an evident deficiency. “Firefall of the Fireball” shows that the mix is not an insurmountable hurdle. The track shines with some bone-dry, very aggressive parts. Yet short melodic arcs also reveal a preference for Iron Maiden. These two songs are the (pretty little) highlights of the EP. The third “regular” song, “Necronaut Psychout”, lacks intensity – and almost anything else.

Summing up, “Death Rider” has not withstood the test of time. Not because its glamour has quickly faded, but because there was already little luster here at the time of publication. Needless to say, its artwork also does not make much sense. Four creatures, half-skeleton, and half-human, wave their swords around. What does that have to do with a death rider? Or have the horses beneath them simply been burnt to death in the flames? We will never know.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 14, 2023.

A (maybe not only) German proverb says that there is a kind of magic in every beginning. This does not mean that every debut album has an unexplainable core which makes it larger it is in fact. But this rule is often valid when a debut is part of a new current that places the material contained on it in a larger context that potentiates the tension. Ragnarok’s first full-length was released in 1995. They were not first mover, but still among the first wave of the second wave, if anybody understands what I want to say. If not, just concentrate on the music of “Nattferd”.

Well, we don’t speak about a milestone of Norwegian black metal everybody has to know. “Nattferd” lacks the murderous recklessness of “Pure Holocaust”, the intelligence of “In the Nightside Eclipse” and, needless to say, the diabolic ceremony called “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” is far out of reach. But it holds genre-typical, throaty vocals, attacking guitars and some atmospheric keyboards that reveal a certain closeness to the early sounds of Ancient or create an almost folkloric aura (“Daudens Natt”). However, regardless of the different facets of the material, there is one stable component. All songs sound credible and authentic, inter alia due to the dense, comparatively raw and appropriate production which reflects (just like the artwork) the underground status of the band at that time. It is therefore a bit sad that only a few compositions reach an outstanding quality level. “The Norse Winter Demon” with its captivating, finally dominating keyboard line and its explosive, merciless guitars shows that the dudes know how to pen an excellent piece, but often the finishing touch is missing and so the pretty dynamic songs remain on a solid-to-good level.

Doubtlessly, Ragnarok have a good instinct for the arrangement of the single tracks and the flow of the album. The few number of comparatively soft parts is a welcome change rather than a violation of the coherence of “Nattferd”. Every now and then the band is also able to deliver a more or less catchy sequence, but I can't shake the feeling that they never quite play their trump cards. For example, they used the actually stage-setting title track as outro, but it would have been a much better intro than the one they chose. Anyway, fans of formations such as Mactätus or Svartahrid can have a good time with this album, especially when it comes to well arranged cuts like “From the Darkest Deep” or “Daudens Natt” which offer, both very sharp guitars and an atmosphere of dignity and grandeur. These fans will possibly not find true magic here, but enough songs to enjoy.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10