Ereb Altor The End
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
The sophomore release from Sweden’s Ereb Altor, called The End, blends the moribund embrace of Bathory’s Viking Metal with the operatic doom of Candlemass to create a storytelling sonic abyss based in part on Ragnarok. With seven songs yet nearly 50 minutes in length, the tracks merge into one morose journey that is the soundtrack to a massive funeral pyre long since burnt out, with only choking smoke and charred remains left to be cast about by the poisoned winds. Yes, it’s that fun …
Calling their brand of music “Epic Viking Doom Metal,” the two musicians behind Ereb Altor are Mats (guitars, bass, drums, keys) and vocalist Ragnar. In another incarnation in the 1990s, the duo was known as Forlorn and Isole.
Separating the songs on The End by numbers is a bit misleading, because really, the whole album plays as one large dirge. It opens with “The Entering – Myrding Prologue” that is a spoken-word intro that leads into “Myrding.” At this time, Ragnar begins singing, and his voice is mid-range, clear, melodic and without the guttural grunting you’d expect from something self-titled Viking Metal. It’s really the storytelling aspect of the music that is influenced by that genre, along with some musical tendencies, but overall, Doom Metal would have sufficed. Ragnar’s delivery, like the repetitive drumming and everything else, is perfectly paced. “Myrding” sounds like a movie soundtrack.
“Our Failure” starts with church bells, most likely announcing the world’s end. The same music hits you as the opening songs, same rhythm, but a little more inspired vocals from Ragnar. When the composition picks up about 2:30 into “Our Failure,” you finally hear Ereb Altor change pace, with Ragnar’s vocals becoming more vile and aggressive. With epic choirs soaring in the background and the flexibility on lead vocals, this might be their best shot at a “single.”
You’ll hear a strong Folk Metal vibe on “A New But Past Day,” with acoustic guitar, booming yet almost tribal drums, and massively downtuned electric riffs once the song takes off. Ereb Altor is creating an atmosphere, and if you are not sold on the vibe at the onset, their stubbornness to continue at the same pace with background chants and choirs probably won’t change your mind at this point.
The last three songs are even more tied together: Vargavinter, Balder’s Fall, and The Final War. Loosely defined, Ragnarok is the end and rebirth of the world, with the death and destruction of major Norse heroes and Gods, involving Loki, Thor, Odin, Balder, etc. “Balder’s Fall” strips back all of the doom-laden noise and with just acoustic guitar, you can hear Ragnar speak on Balder’s death and the failure to bring him back, that Odin’s prophecies are coming true.
One reason they added “epic” to the description of their music is the last song, “The Final War.” Stretching nearly 12 minutes, “The Final War” is haunting, foreboding and again, sounds like the perfect soundtrack to a dark fantasy movie. (There may be money for you in this arena, gents). The simplistic singing of, “The End … is near … The Final War is here,” is flawless in communicating exactly what the tale conveys. At around 10 minutes you’ll hear the dénouement, with thunderous crashing of storms and just the end of everything as The End … ends.
Ereb Altor, just by their self-fulfilling prophecy of “Epic Viking Doom Metal,” are going after a selective niche of listeners. Their music is neither easily digestible nor casually absorbed. It takes some dedication and patience on the listener’s part to forge through the monotony and lifeless beauty of the Ereb Altor landscape. That being said, as long as you like Doom Metal in general, the other elements merely color the music, not define it. In the end, Ereb Altor is offering you another way and another chance to “get your doom on,” and it works on a multitude of levels.
Label: Napalm Records
Track listing:
1. The Entering Myrding Prologue
2. Myrding
3. Our Failure
4. A New But Past Day
5. Vargavinter
6. Balder’s Fall
7. The Final War
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.2/10