Nothgard - Age of Pandora Review

The number one reason I am very glad I started Temple of Darkness is because of bands like Nothgard.  I don’t know if I would have ever discovered something this amazing without having an avenue like this blog to do so.  They are unlike anything I usually review for this site and I’m glad because switching it up is important sometimes.  Started back in 2008 as Nordavind, Nothgard plays a blend of melodic death metal and pagan metal with a lot of folk influences.  Age of Pandora, being released later this year, is their second full length release.  Just a fun fact, the lead guitarist known as Dom is also the lead guitarist for the well-known German band Equilibrium. 

Alright, let’s get into the music!  To play this type of music, every single member of the band has to be amazing.  The drummer not only is amazing, he exceeds every aspect of the word.  The speed and precision he plays with is astounding.  The kit sound has a very epic and large feel to it, giving an unforgettable feel to the music.  The lead guitarist whom I mentioned earlier is an incredible player.  His solos are wicked fast and really stand out, adding a whole layer of amazing to each and every song.  He is also the studio keyboardist so on top of being a stellar guitar player, he also is talented enough to write gorgeous symphonic parts to go along with the music.  That, along with the fact that he also does lead vocals makes him invaluable to this band.  The vocals are very cautious to not overpower what the music is doing in the background and I am a fan of that.  The music can hold its own so the vocals are just an added bonus on top of everything!  The chorus section of Black Witch Venture can get annoying after a few listens but that is a very minor problem compared to the rest of the album.  The music itself is exactly what you would expect from their genre.  It blends together blasting double kick and crazy drum fills with traditional melodies that are played by shredding guitars and a massive sounding symphony.  The tempo is not always fast and crazy, as they can really lock into some mid-tempo riffs and still devastate. 

Nothgard is growing to be a pretty popular name in the melodic death scene, especially in Europe.  This summer, they are sharing the stage with some big names such as Trollfest and Equilibrium.  Something tells me they are not going to stop there, these guys are just getting started.  Check out Nothgard and be sure to pick up Age of Pandora when it drops mid-September!

9.5/10

https://www.facebook.com/Nothgard