Review by Anna on April 1, 2012.

At first glance it might seem like just another folksy-bluesy acoustic "singer-songwriter"-type album... It's a sad thing if one "hears" that, but doesn't truly hear it.

Though it won't go unnoticed that "Heavy Kingdom" is a "hybrid" of Sir Wino And Conny Ochs's genius, one should listen only to the source- the truth, from whence this album was born. "Heavy Kingdom" carries the essence of each, spiritually and musically, yet blends seamlessly like paints into a familiar yet hitherto unborn shade. The strong structural foundation of the songs lends momentum and lift to a collection of messages, emotions, and truths, manifested through the enlightened arrangement and layering of melody, rhythm, texture, and words. Tradition, style, earthly symbolism, and the exposed sounds of a physical atmosphere keep you cocooned in what would otherwise feel like a full immersion in uncontained and intense raw energies, allowing for easier absorption and perhaps comprehension.

This album is highly pleasurable, though one should make certain to release any existing expectations, judgments, associations, or predispositions beforehand. Reception in a stripped, fully sensitive state is ideal and will yield the most rewarding experience both spiritually and physiologically.

In layman's terms... there is some fucking brilliant, almost understated guitar-work on here. This album is full of heart-swelling melodies, the nearly breathtaking timbre of Mr. Ochs's voice dueting with the idiosyncratic and highly charismatic style of Sir Wino, rustic melancholy, exquisite choke-up moments, muscles, possible homoeroticism, and so much more. It may not exactly blow your mind when you first put it on but somehow I cannot stop grooving to this record- like a fine Wein it just seems to get better all the time. "Heavy Kingdom" is a solid album, and that's the truth.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 9.7

Rating: 9.7 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 11, 2020.

I missed out on reviewing Vananidr’s 2018 self-titled debut and thought ‘fuck it, I’ll do their sophomore Road North released in 2019, not even a full year later, 7 months to be exact, yet I still could not make time to do so. Then out of nowhere comes another record, Damnation due out 24th January 2020, couldn't let this one goes by untouched for I'd be damned. Sweden has had its foot planted in the black void for years now having truly spearheaded the 2nd wave of black metal with both small and big names, now comes a ‘new force, new energy’ under the moniker of Vananidr delivering healthy portions of old school second wave black metal the likes of Marduk, Dissection, Dark Funeral and Lord Belial. I kid you not, I had to check the release dates of their first record given it was so identical to the black metal coming out of Sweden around that 94-97 period. I’d say Vananidr are the sincerest Swedish black metal band going right now; I have heard many try to replicate what had been done during that era of second wave back metal but amounting to nothing memorable. Records were particularly long that time but were damn blissful; nowadays you’d have to dig deep underground to find anything quittable or of the same distinction as those before.

Vananidr’s second album proved that sustaining enjoyment and interest for 1 hour plus was easy in comparison to the failed attempts of countless try-hards. Damnation on the other hand compared to their debut and Road North is shorter, less on the aggressive side, more mature and multilayered but not at the cost of the RIFFS! Yes, one of the main highlights of Vananidr’s prior records particularly the self-titled debut. Addicting-saucy-licks left, right, back, front and frigging center, make no mistake you’ll get the same level of masterclass on Damnation, whether it be in the fiery void of ‘Distilled’ manned by Terrorblaster’s fucking insane drumming (he must be trying out for a new Windswept album) or the moderately paced, eloquence of ‘Tides of Blood’. I’d say Damnation is a toggle between beauty, grace and pugnacity. Split in two it seems with the first 3 tracks tackling the warmonger-like compositions while the latter 4 handle the combat in slower more atmospheric strides, with ‘Reflection’ briefly revisiting the furious surges of bolting and catchy drum and cymbal landscaping-mosaics. It was important to not recreate the debut but at the same time retain some of what made Vananidr and Road North successful entities.

Newest recruit Ljusebring Terrorblaster’s drumming is remarkable and without fault. The blast beats on ‘Distilled’ are insanely good, also his cymbal work is very classy regardless of momentum pacing which by the way, even his slower parts carry the mark of stalwart and scholarly discipline. Rickard Silversjö chipped in with guitars to compliment those of Anders’ and as a combo the executed a fantastic job. You hear it throughout the soaring guitar leads and solos on the very Dark Funeral-esque ‘Damnation’, ‘Hunter’, ‘Wounds of Old’, sometimes atmospheric other times scorching with rage or both. The album’s mastering, mixing and recording was handled by front man Anders Eriksson who did an excellent job, making a significant step up in the production department from decent to an exemplary status. Not to mention his vocals achieve the ideal pitch not too high or low but leveled at mid ranged yells. An all-round exhibition of superb Swedish black metal that’d be a challenge to top by even the icons of the genre.

Vananidr is on a streak of producing high caliber black metal despite spawning the albums in short succession of each other. And with Damnation, the foundation of Vananidr strengthens.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 11, 2020.

I missed out on reviewing Vananidr’s 2018 self-titled debut and thought ‘fuck it, I’ll do their sophomore Road North released in 2019, not even a full year later, 7 months to be exact, yet I still could not make time to do so. Then out of nowhere comes another record, Damnation due out 24th January 2020, couldn't let this one goes by untouched for I'd be damned. Sweden has had its foot planted in the black void for years now having truly spearheaded the 2nd wave of black metal with both small and big names, now comes a ‘new force, new energy’ under the moniker of Vananidr delivering healthy portions of old school second wave black metal the likes of Marduk, Dissection, Dark Funeral and Lord Belial. I kid you not, I had to check the release dates of their first record given it was so identical to the black metal coming out of Sweden around that 94-97 period. I’d say Vananidr are the sincerest Swedish black metal band going right now; I have heard many try to replicate what had been done during that era of second wave back metal but amounting to nothing memorable. Records were particularly long that time but were damn blissful; nowadays you’d have to dig deep underground to find anything quittable or of the same distinction as those before.

Vananidr’s second album proved that sustaining enjoyment and interest for 1 hour plus was easy in comparison to the failed attempts of countless try-hards. Damnation on the other hand compared to their debut and Road North is shorter, less on the aggressive side, more mature and multilayered but not at the cost of the RIFFS! Yes, one of the main highlights of Vananidr’s prior records particularly the self-titled debut. Addicting-saucy-licks left, right, back, front and frigging center, make no mistake you’ll get the same level of masterclass on Damnation, whether it be in the fiery void of ‘Distilled’ manned by Terrorblaster’s fucking insane drumming (he must be trying out for a new Windswept album) or the moderately paced, eloquence of ‘Tides of Blood’. I’d say Damnation is a toggle between beauty, grace and pugnacity. Split in two it seems with the first 3 tracks tackling the warmonger-like compositions while the latter 4 handle the combat in slower more atmospheric strides, with ‘Reflection’ briefly revisiting the furious surges of bolting and catchy drum and cymbal landscaping-mosaics. It was important to not recreate the debut but at the same time retain some of what made Vananidr and Road North successful entities.

Newest recruit Ljusebring Terrorblaster’s drumming is remarkable and without fault. The blast beats on ‘Distilled’ are insanely good, also his cymbal work is very classy regardless of momentum pacing which by the way, even his slower parts carry the mark of stalwart and scholarly discipline. Rickard Silversjö chipped in with guitars to compliment those of Anders’ and as a combo the executed a fantastic job. You hear it throughout the soaring guitar leads and solos on the very Dark Funeral-esque ‘Damnation’, ‘Hunter’, ‘Wounds of Old’, sometimes atmospheric other times scorching with rage or both. The album’s mastering, mixing and recording was handled by front man Anders Eriksson who did an excellent job, making a significant step up in the production department from decent to an exemplary status. Not to mention his vocals achieve the ideal pitch not too high or low but leveled at mid ranged yells. An all-round exhibition of superb Swedish black metal that’d be a challenge to top by even the icons of the genre.

Vananidr is on a streak of producing high caliber black metal despite spawning the albums in short succession of each other. And with Damnation, the foundation of Vananidr strengthens.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 11, 2020.

I missed out on reviewing Vananidr’s 2018 self-titled debut and thought ‘fuck it, I’ll do their sophomore Road North released in 2019, not even a full year later, 7 months to be exact, yet I still could not make time to do so. Then out of nowhere comes another record, Damnation due out 24th January 2020, couldn't let this one goes by untouched for I'd be damned. Sweden has had its foot planted in the black void for years now having truly spearheaded the 2nd wave of black metal with both small and big names, now comes a ‘new force, new energy’ under the moniker of Vananidr delivering healthy portions of old school second wave black metal the likes of Marduk, Dissection, Dark Funeral and Lord Belial. I kid you not, I had to check the release dates of their first record given it was so identical to the black metal coming out of Sweden around that 94-97 period. I’d say Vananidr are the sincerest Swedish black metal band going right now; I have heard many try to replicate what had been done during that era of second wave back metal but amounting to nothing memorable. Records were particularly long that time but were damn blissful; nowadays you’d have to dig deep underground to find anything quittable or of the same distinction as those before.

Vananidr’s second album proved that sustaining enjoyment and interest for 1 hour plus was easy in comparison to the failed attempts of countless try-hards. Damnation on the other hand compared to their debut and Road North is shorter, less on the aggressive side, more mature and multilayered but not at the cost of the RIFFS! Yes, one of the main highlights of Vananidr’s prior records particularly the self-titled debut. Addicting-saucy-licks left, right, back, front and frigging center, make no mistake you’ll get the same level of masterclass on Damnation, whether it be in the fiery void of ‘Distilled’ manned by Terrorblaster’s fucking insane drumming (he must be trying out for a new Windswept album) or the moderately paced, eloquence of ‘Tides of Blood’. I’d say Damnation is a toggle between beauty, grace and pugnacity. Split in two it seems with the first 3 tracks tackling the warmonger-like compositions while the latter 4 handle the combat in slower more atmospheric strides, with ‘Reflection’ briefly revisiting the furious surges of bolting and catchy drum and cymbal landscaping-mosaics. It was important to not recreate the debut but at the same time retain some of what made Vananidr and Road North successful entities.

Newest recruit Ljusebring Terrorblaster’s drumming is remarkable and without fault. The blast beats on ‘Distilled’ are insanely good, also his cymbal work is very classy regardless of momentum pacing which by the way, even his slower parts carry the mark of stalwart and scholarly discipline. Rickard Silversjö chipped in with guitars to compliment those of Anders’ and as a combo the executed a fantastic job. You hear it throughout the soaring guitar leads and solos on the very Dark Funeral-esque ‘Damnation’, ‘Hunter’, ‘Wounds of Old’, sometimes atmospheric other times scorching with rage or both. The album’s mastering, mixing and recording was handled by front man Anders Eriksson who did an excellent job, making a significant step up in the production department from decent to an exemplary status. Not to mention his vocals achieve the ideal pitch not too high or low but leveled at mid ranged yells. An all-round exhibition of superb Swedish black metal that’d be a challenge to top by even the icons of the genre.

Vananidr is on a streak of producing high caliber black metal despite spawning the albums in short succession of each other. And with Damnation, the foundation of Vananidr strengthens.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Fernando on October 13, 2022.

The rustic Alpine metal maniacs Ungfell at this point need no introduction. With three records these Swiss warlocks have made their mark with their brand of savage folkish black metal that’s relentless yet very melodic and vibrant, and this month they’re reissuing the record that started it all for them, their Demo(lition), through Eisenwald.

Formed in 2014 by Menentekel, in this early incarnation the drums were played by Infermità, and while the current drummer Vâlant is present here (more on that later), for the most part this is indeed a demo, a very primitive and raw sounding demo, however, what’s very impressive and the definitive proof as to why Ungfell deserve the hype they’ve gotten, is how from the very beginning, Ungfell had a definitive and unmistakable sound, and ever since this demo, they’ve only improved.

However, and this is something I just have to say for the sake of disclosure, while Ungfell’s sound is indeed distinct and they would make it their own moving forward, this demo is where they overtly display their influences, and the influence a lot of metalheads will notice, is that of the unsavory and extremely controversial French band; Peste Noire, who are a band I really don’t have nor want to elaborate on, if you know, you know. The major differences Ungfell has with that band are obviously the lyrics (thank Satan), and the atmosphere and overall execution, while the band’s style is very much black/folk metal, the songs have a very thrashy and metallic sound, and the overall atmosphere is much more demented in a way that’s similar to old school Norwegian black metal, so while the very obvious comparison and similarity is there, musicwise, I’m also very aware and understand that these are the very fist songs, its a demo, and therefore, wearing their influences in their sleeves is very much inevitable at this stage.

Since this is a remastering, that also means the sound is gonna be different? Well, yes, but the way the demo was remastered is actually a bonus, since the sound is much clearer but all the rawness and grit from the original demo is intact, so it's really a bonus, especially for those looking to buy this on vinyl. And finally, much like when Eisenwald reissued the band’s debut full length, they also included a bonus track, in this case its a previously unreleased track which, according to the band is the very first track Vâlant ever played on, called 'De Wolf Vo Ringgebärg', and was written and recorded back in 2017, so in many ways this one track is the link between the band’s debut and their sophomore where they really hit their stride and locked on their own sound and style, and yes it’s a really good and strong track that could’ve easily fit in the debut or the sophomore, though, that’s also the one issue I have, this track coupled with the demo tracks is a wild disconnect, especially since it follows the rehearsal track that originally closed the demo, so does the feeling makes this reissue feel more like a compilation that a cohesive body of work, but at the same time, that doesn’t make the reissue bad and all the material is strong, but I do recommend approaching this reissue as both a snapshot of the band’s early days with a really good song that exemplifies their development.

All in all, this reissue is a welcomed addition for Ungfell. It shows the band at their early stage and it ends with a display of how far they’ve come so if you’re an Ungfell completionist this is an easy recommend, and for everyone else, a neat little curio.

Best tracks: 'De Wolf Vo Ringgebärg', 'Hagazussa', 'Vom Menschen Und Anderen Krankheiten'

Rating: 8 out of 10