Review by Felix on September 24, 2023.

"We are Körgull The Exterminator... ...and We are here to Stay!!!!" - this is what the constantly angry band tells us in the booklet of the new album. Well, staying alive is no value in itself. If you do not share this point of view, listen to the fantastic "Defenders of the Faith" - and then take a close look at the average quality of the products of Judas Priest during the last thirty years. Indeed, the Priests are still alive, but their miserable condition cannot be overlooked. Thus, I am glad that this review is not about an album of the comatose Grandfathers from Britain. We are talking about Körgull and they have always been a very predictable partner for their maniacs up till now. Unfortunately, their image gets first cracks in view of the material of "Reborn from the Ashes", because the band makes a serious mistake. Admittedly, "Hatred Rules Again" is a strong number. It shows the typical formula of Körgull's best tunes, because it mixes a drilling riff with fanatic power and a tiny pinch of melody. But this song has already been published on their split with Akerbeltz. To re-release this piece is nothing else but a slap in the face of their most loyal fans, who bought the crudely formatted split while hoping they get exclusive tunes. I don't want to hide the fact that the song appears in a slightly modified form. But come on, who has missed another version of this track?

Apart from this shortcoming, the new album holds another negative surprise. Körgull have lost a certain quantum of their previous insanity. They are still heavier than the largest part of their competitors. But the album does not achieve the level of intensity that "War of the Voivodes" and "Metal Fist Destroyer" reached with great ease. A song like "The Stalker" starts with a riff that Lemmy forgot to present under the banner of Motörhead. The number emanates a dirty rock'n roll feeling, before a break at 1:40 gives way to a more chaotic part. The song cannot be dismissed as irrelevant or useless. But it is not the kind of sonic grenade that makes your blood runs cold and the specific cruelty of Körgull does not show up in its full glory. Rather, they sound like Killer from Belgium after 72 hours without sleep. Anyway, the Spanish horde does not only worship Lemmy. The cover version of Razor's debut classic "Take this Torch" proves the good taste of the band, albeit I am no big fan of cover versions. Finally, it goes without saying, that Voivod is the greatest influence. Roughly 40 seconds of "Traitor's Gate", beginning at 1:27, seem to be stolen from previously unknown leftovers of the "Killing Technology" recording session. The order of the blackguards is still alive!

The song material delivers some highlights. The mixture of a concise riff and rushing high speed parts ennobles the title track. Beats of a timpanist make me think of Celtic Frost, although the hectic "Warriors of the Night" has nothing in common with the Swiss revolutionists. "Wall of the Battlefield" shines with a casual riff without neglecting the necessary degree of hostility. But all in all, the quality of the songs is slightly weaker than it was on the preceding works and the production fails to push the tracks on the next level. Nevertheless, the merciless brutality of the death thrash squadron cannot be completely suppressed. Inter alia the demonic parts of "Hellish Onslaught" leave no doubt that the maniacs of Körgull are still immune against any form of effeminacy. For example, Lillith, the female force at the mic, sounds angry as always and I am sure that a kiss of her is as sweet as a kick in the balls. However, Körgull the Exterminator have released a violent fourth album with little blemishes. Music is naturally always a matter of taste, but the recycling of previously released songs must generally be branded as an objective disadvantage. I hope that they will never fool their most enthusiastic fans again. Otherwise it would be difficult for unforgiving dudes like me to stay loyal.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Fernando on June 25, 2019.

Misþyrming are the most recent and acclaimed band to come out of the impressive metal scene of Iceland and for good reason which is their 2015 opus Söngvar elds og óreiðu.

This album is considered a modern masterpiece and I for one very much agree with that sentiment. With this album, founder and multi-instrumentalist D.G. has created one of the most dynamic, bold and forward thinking album in black metal and the results speak for themselves. The album starts at eleven with 3 relentless tracks which display the full extent of D.G.’s talent and vision, these tracks are both a tribute to the black metal of old while also containing bold experimentation in the melodic and ambient department. All the instruments except for the drums are handled by D.G. and he makes full use of his skills, flexing his musical chops to the fullest extent. The drumming by H.R.H. is also excellent and worth noting, he displays the mandatory fast and aggressive blast beats while also switching his drum patterns for the slower and more morose sections of the album, keeping the beat and maintaining the pace.

This careful balance between raw aggression and experimentation is what best describes this album as a whole, it seamlessly switches from chaotic riffing and tremolo picking to complex and layered melodic dirges. The opening track “Söngur heiftar” is easily one of the best tracks and displays that balance I mentioned earlier. D.G.’s guitar playing is the standout here alongside his howling vocals which take the album into a whole different level, the guitar playing itself is more than just the tremolo picking fest most expect from black metal and it shows, songs like “Söngur uppljómunar” take a very folk like direction and plays a lot with distorted melodies. Another very interesting aspect about this album are the two dark ambient tracks that in D.G.’s own words serve as an interlude and epilogue which bind the album together, these tracks enrich the already excellent album with each serving as a break from the chaos and madness created by the music and unlike some other uses of interludes they are full and complete tracks that can be heard on their own. 

Despite having a full band for live performances, this is D.G.’s project and creative vision through and through and as a whole this album is proof of that laser focus vision fully made manifest. Misþyrming is a force to be reckoned with and show the most promise out of all the Icelandic scene.

Best tracks: "Söngur heiftar", "Friðþæging blýþungra hjartna", "Ég byggði dyr í eyðimörkinni".

Rating: 10 out of 10