Review by Alex Grindor on February 22, 2022.

Corpsegrinder. That right there is a name immediately associated with death metal. Ever since the man joined Cannibal Corpse, replacing Chris Barnes, he has become known for his powerful and consistent vocals. Which, for a man who has been doing this for more than 30 years, is not a mean feat. This man was my inspiration as well, when I got in the realm of death metal, I wanted to sing like him. Those who have followed the carrer of Cannibal Corpse closely can bear testament to my words; the man is a fucking beast and deserves all the love and respect in his field. And if you happen to not be sated enough with Cannibal Corpse's latest offering, then fear not my friend, for he has answered your pleas!

Yes, Corpsegrinder has decided to put out a solo album that brings his voice into a more old-school sound, more reminiscent of the death metal of yore than the dissonant technicality that has come to characterize Cannibal Corpse's work since the man joined their ranks. And while the album never strays too far from a mid-paced rhythm, it still fucking crushes. Corpsegrinder as a whole is a great old-school-sounding record that takes a variety of elements from many OSDM bands from the past and throws it all in. The tracks have all some degree of variety so it never feels dull to listen to, and with none of the tracks being longer than 3-4 minutes, it's dosed well and no song overstays it's welcome.

The guitars and bass have a thick yet raw-ish approach while retaining some level of clarity, enough so as to enjoy the pummeling riffs constantly being thrown. The drums do sound like they're programmed but I could be mistaken. Nonetheless they are well mixed and rarely rely on blast-beats at 250 BPM, instead going for a more controlled pace. And regarding the man's voice, well... is there anything I can say that hasn't been said already? His vocals are as crisp and menacing as they were 30 years ago and age seems to not have affected his vocals at all, which is really commendable and speaks volumes of how much Mr. Fisher cares about his craft and his voice.

Overall, if you are a fan of Corpsegrinder's work (be it past or present) then you should totally get this. As I stated, do not expect this record to bear any similarity with his work in Cannibal Corpse, as it is less chaotic than his work there but brutal in it's own way. Corpsegrinder is a great record that shows once again why the old ways of death metal are so beloved, coupled with what can be easily considered the most powerful and consistent voice in death metal. Some moments might feel repetitive but it is worth the time nonetheless.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Joshua on February 20, 2005.

If you've heard Einherjer's full-length debut, try to remember the songs "Dreamstorm" and "Forever Empire," and imagine what expanding upon those musical ideas would sound like as a full-length compact disc.

If not, try to imagine what the "Viking" metal style would sound like without the tone-deaf "clean" baritone singing about hair-shirts and dragon's breath. Now turn the keyboards down or off, relegate the "clean" vocals to sporadic appearances on the last few songs, and teach the "clean" vocalist to properly sing. There; that's a good comparison for the uninitiated.

If that still makes no sense, or you've never even heard of "Viking" metal, that's ok. It's a stupid term anyway, and I don't see any of these "Viking" people raiding French or English shores. So, try to imagine black metal with thrash and death influences, rhythms grounded heavily in Norwegian traditional music, and snarling vocals. The songs are of average length, midway between the verse/chorus/verse structure of traditional metal, and the flowing, epic style ofnumerous black metal bands; in fact, Einherjer's song structure strikes an almost perfect balance between those extremes.

Is there a trend of metal bands returning to their eighties roots? It's starting to sound that way. One listen of a song like "Wolf-Age" makes my intended point obvious: Eighties thrash solos and melody have both returned to black metal, and Blot is peppered with a handful of them. "Wolf-Age" is the most obvious example, sounding disturbingly like Savatage, but the eighties influence is everywhere. This isn't necessarily bad; tempering Einherjer's characteristic sound with a concentration on catchy rhythms keep the band far above the cesspool of lousy "Viking" metal acts that’s overflowed on the genre's bathroom floor. In fact, it only improves on the concepts that Einherjer used for their last CD.

This album's defects are few, but I can't let them slide. First, like so many other modern metal bands, Einherjer intersperse their songs with melodic passages; and, like so many other modern metal bands, they often sound completely out of place, to the point where I think "what the hell just happened here? Did they get bored?" There aren't many melodic sections, and most of the songs make do without, but that only makes the contrast more glaring when it surfaces. Also, Einherjer's strong Norwegian folk influence gives some songs a really annoying "sing-song" feel, especially during those melodic breaks - about how I’d imagine the Swedish Chef sounding, on a black metal CD. Thankfully, there are no clean vocals singing "bork bork bork." If you really want those, look for Thyrfing's latest.

Ah, yes, metal clichés: There are a couple, but you’ll be straining to find them, so they don't detract from anything. Keyboards, for example, are generally minimalist, or else relegated to providing atmosphere- but Einherjer have always used those, and they're a lot less prevalent than on their last two CDs. Also, a singing chorus makes an appearance during Ingen Grid, but they're so unusually talented that it fits inperfectly. Overall, though, this one's sound is heavier, occasional acoustic introduction notwithstanding.

What more is there to say? Einherjer have always had a unique sense of musicianship, and here they present it in a refined and developed form. The balance of playing styles and influences broaden this album’s appeal, while their songs are interesting enough that one can replay the album without getting bored. It’s not so melodic as to annoy a seasoned listener, but there’s enough atmosphere to set a proud and near-Medevial tone. I'd call this their greatest effort yet, and I'd recommend the disc to anyone.

The Bottom Line: An excellent, mature effort from Einherjer, showing an impressive range of influences. In the end, it's Viking metal with snarling vocals, but it's so exceptionally well performed that even genre newcomers should have a listen.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Originality: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.8 out of 10