Review by Felix on January 3, 2021.

Maybe I'm a technocrat, but I think a piano intro two and a half minutes long is disproportionate on a mini-album with a playing time of less than 25 minutes. On the other hand, I also have to state that this first release of Grimcult itself is also too long - despite its rather meagre overall volume. As the colleague before me has already written correctly, one should not expect high-fidelity sound. But against the dull hum presented here, even Quorthon's second album shines with a differentiated, technically elegant guitar sound. (At this point, the R.I.P. for the much too early deceased Swede must of course not be missing.)

By the way: in terms of composition, Grimcult displays no obvious Bathory influences. The monotonous screaming voice relies on a mixture of despair, violence and hostility, the guitars lack dynamic riffs in places and especially Quorthon's feeling for catchy melodies and choruses remains a mystery with seven seals for the musician active here. Similar to the sound of the release, his compositions reach the quality of an above-average demo at best. But of course, the one conditions the other. A drum kit that would provide a massive drive would already be helpful. But here the snare sounds weak and wooden.

The one or other violent eruption increases my interest in Grimcult's art, but it mostly remains a short-lived pleasure. The songs seem too flat and too dull and even a good start like in 'Death Dream' cannot prevent that in the end also the energy of this song somehow gets lost in a big black hole. The pieces present pure and raw black metal that spits on external inspirations, but they lack coherence, impact and inner strength. I can't really extract any viable substance. Therefore, Grimcult unfortunately belongs to those names that give one-man projects a questionable reputation. In addition, Putrid Cult, for all the merits that the label has, especially for the Polish scene, should perhaps not sign every solitary artist who maltreats his guitar with the clumsy force of a lumbering Berserk and then calls the result black metal. A little more musical finesse is allowed. Otherwise the rehearsal room should be the natural biotope. And last but not least: offering an additional pointless outro of more than one and a half minutes certainly doesn't make the technocrat in me feel any better.

Rating: 2.9 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 19, 2022.

Wotan Mit Mir offers another strong release of Rob Darken, although its cover is defaced with a kitschy artwork, probably created by a talented five-year-old boy. So what? It goes without saying that all of the typical trademarks of Graveland's sound show up again. The listener enjoys dragging rhythms, endless guitar lines, heroic background vocals, pompous keyboards, raw lead vocals and - to mention the probably most important detail - an archaic atmosphere. One might say that Darken walks really well trodden paths. But it is also a matter of fact that he masters this kind of music in a very skillful way. I don't need surprising modifications of his style. Instead, I appreciate the fact that he is a reliable partner for his supporters. More of the same is not the worst dogma as long as a band writes good songs.

The tracks on Wotan Mit Mir do not lack of darkness, dynamism and drama. Once again, Darken heralds the glory of long forgotten days in an almost imploring manner. While finding the right balance between melodic lines and harsh elements, he avoids unsuitable or abrupt breaks. As always, the coherently arranged songs appear like a long and silent river. Well, not completely silent. I hope you know what I want to express. The pieces score with this specific kind of perseverance and the longer they proceed, the more they grow on the listener until they drag him into a medieval scenario. In particular because of the homogeneity of the song material, this well designed 12" develops its full effect.

Irrespective of the celestial vocal performance of the seemingly restless Valkyries, which appears slightly synthetic, the sound does not show major flaws. The production is more or less well balanced and does not try to impress with a modern mix. The focus on a fairly natural sound matches the (non-German) lyrical approach. With regard to the importance of a correct overall impression, any other way of proceeding would have been a bad idea. But Darken is no rookie. He knows how his music must sound and that is exactly the reason for the suitable production.

What did I forget? Well, the red vinyl is a matter of personal taste, but the two and a half songs are fine. In terms of quality and style, they are doubtlessly on an equal footing with the majority of Graveland's further pieces. They would therefore have deserved a place on a regular studio album. But due to the chosen format, they are at risk to be overlooked and this would be a pity.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10