Elvenking Red Silent Tides

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by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

For those unfamiliar with Elvenking, the name and cover art for their newest release, Red Silent Tides, would surely lead most well-trained metal heads to make some reasonable assumptions about the music contained therein. Hell, the name Elvenking and accompanying log would certainly invoke certain images–Viking ships, elves, blood. All would seem to belong to a band residing somewhere in the realm of Ensiferum or Heidevolk, with maybe a little Himinbjorg thrown in. The first few notes of “Dawnmelting” (following a spoken intro) would doubtfully do anything to change that expectation. Then things get weird. Suddenly, amongst the flurry of violin-laced pagan power metal, someone flips the switch, and you realize that somehow you’ve been transported a renaissance fair situated somewhere right around 1988. You read that right.

Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of a strange description, but in reality, Elvenking play a very bizarre mix of pagan power metal and ‘80s radio rock. Clean vocals, great harmonies, big choruses, and all sorts of medieval melodies. Though an unlikely (and rather jarring) mix at first, after a song or two, it’s hard not to see that the members of Elvenking have stumbled across something quite intriguing. Why shouldn’t pagan metal also be radio friendly? It’s about damn time ’80s metal made a comeback, and if it takes a bit of neo-paganism to do it, why complain?

The big question is how well this mix really works. That’s a tough question, and the answer would likely be different depending on the listener’s background. Fans of “traditional” pagan metal may find it all a bit too cheesy (and for a genre that teeters on that edge already, that’s a scary prospect.) Sure, the wandering minstrel melodies are sure to please, and the Helloween-fueled double lead solos are inspiring, but songs like “Those Days” are a likely a bit too close to Bon Jovi for pagan diehards.

On the other side, fans of classic glam/hair/call-it-what-you-want metal will definitely dig the throwback sound, but may be a bit confused by the fantasy lyrics and ale-swinging guitar/violin riffs. It’s easy to picture the band running around in tights, but here they may be a bit more Robin Hood than Hollywood.

Regardless of the weirdness of the whole thing, it’s hard to deny that the members of Elvenking have, at the very least, created a well-written metal record. The riffs are driving, the instruments well played, and the melodies almost annoyingly catchy. To quote the illustrious Derric Miller, “It’s like HIM and the Hooters joined forces and wrote songs together.” Referencing those two names at least tells you that it’s far from bad.

So where does that leave the newest incarnation of Elvenking? Well, that’s tough. They’re too weird and retro to dominate rock radio, but too radio-able to dominate hordes of metal fans. Perhaps that’s the key though; they’ve created something that doesn’t depend on the sides from which it was inspired, and instead appeals to a new breed of metal heads that can listen to their music with an open mind and embrace it for what it is at the core: well-written, fun heavy metal. With all of the genres, subgenres and “this is metal, that’s not metal” debates, maybe that’s what the metal world really needs anyway.

Genre: Pagan Pop Metal

Band:
Damnagoras (v)
Aydan (g)
Rafahel (g)
Gorlan (b)
Elyghen (violin,k)
Zender (d)
Lethien (violin)

Track Listing:
1. Dawnmelting
2. The last hour
3. Silence de mort
4. The cabal
5. Runereader
6. Possession
7. Your heroes are dead
8. Those days
9. This nightmare will never end
10. What’s left of me
11. The play of the leaves

Label: AFM Records

Website: http://www.elvenking.net

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.2/10