Well then, Wodensthrone, Black/Pagan metal from England. After the masterpiece that was ‘Loss’ I have to admit that I was slightly worried about the follow up, since the ‘loss’ , no pun intended,  of  a vocalist and the fact that it has taken some time for the album to emerge.

Vocal duties are now being shared by Rædwalh and Wildeþrýð which works really well I think it improves the vocal aspect of the recording.

Wodensthrone write, for want of a better superlative, epic songs. The keyboards of  Árfæst are magnificently mixed nicely into the overall sound but never outweigh the guitars and the sound on this album is slightly ‘blacker’ than on the previous album, dare I say a bit more Winterfylleth sounding (which is unsurprising as one member was a member of that band) and I hear a little Watain influence in the track ‘The Great Darkness’.

‘First Light’ is probably my favourite track at the moment, but you see I will still be discovering this album long after the umpteenth listen, so rich is it in its composition, with closing track The Name of the Wind finishing the album on a majestic high. A ‘grower’ in every respect, and a triumphant return! Roll on the live shows!