Ereb Altor
Nattramn
Cyclone Empire
2015
These Swedens have been going on for almost 12 years now. “Nattramn” is their fifth studio work after the 2013’s “Fire Meets Ice”. Following the sound they have crafted over the years Ereb Altor continue to blend black metal with Viking and epic metal along with atmospheric passages. They follow their Scandi heritage and deal with Norse mythology & dark legends in Sweden, which help them to create a rather murky outcome.
It’s true that at times the spirit of Bathory has a vastly influence in their music on the whole. I do fancy their atmospheric Viking/epic metal themes a lot… but I think that the extreme/black metal ones (along with the vocals) are not offering anything to the final result… on the contrary they make it too generic & predictable at long last. The sound is quite good & somewhat “gloomy”– but not so much clear as I would want it to be. I think it has been done intentionally as the album was recorded and mixed by (the band’s drummer) Jonas Lindstrom (Isole, Havenless, etc.) at Studio Apocalypse and mastered by Jens Bogren at famous Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Kreator, Pradise Lost, Amon Amarth, etc.).
Nevertheless, “Nattramn” will surely satisfy the fans of the band and all those who are into bands like Bathory, Enslaved and Borknagar. I cannot tell if this the band’s top work to date, but I can surely tell that Ereb Altor are quite good at what they do and they totally love it… that’s the most important of all.
It’s true that at times the spirit of Bathory has a vastly influence in their music on the whole. I do fancy their atmospheric Viking/epic metal themes a lot… but I think that the extreme/black metal ones (along with the vocals) are not offering anything to the final result… on the contrary they make it too generic & predictable at long last. The sound is quite good & somewhat “gloomy”– but not so much clear as I would want it to be. I think it has been done intentionally as the album was recorded and mixed by (the band’s drummer) Jonas Lindstrom (Isole, Havenless, etc.) at Studio Apocalypse and mastered by Jens Bogren at famous Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Kreator, Pradise Lost, Amon Amarth, etc.).
Nevertheless, “Nattramn” will surely satisfy the fans of the band and all those who are into bands like Bathory, Enslaved and Borknagar. I cannot tell if this the band’s top work to date, but I can surely tell that Ereb Altor are quite good at what they do and they totally love it… that’s the most important of all.