Põhjast - Matused CD

Põhjast - Matused CD (Warheart) True essence of mighty Bathory Hammerheart and Blood on Ice. Prepare for last battle for North! An international project combining members of three Nordic countries, Pohjast's - Matused (Estonian for funeral) is the band's second full length and once again features a wolf on the cover art.

Eric Syre (well known for his excellent black/thrash solo project Thesyre and more recently for being the singer of up and coming old schoolers Beast Within) is the lead singer and he's absolutely stellar. The majority of the vocals on this album are clean in the purest Quorthon tradition, and Syre is actually a very competent singer with a good range.

The rest of the band is composed of experienced musicians from the Estonian and Finnish scenes (bands like Metsatöll, Ajattara, Sorts…) and the musicianship is extremely solid. The approach is similar to the latest Darkthrone albums but with a powerful and punchy production. It's not really black metal anymore, it's more of an amalgamation of ultra heavy epic Viking metal, pagan metal and even traditional heavy metal. The production, alongside the vocals is simply perfect for their genre. Everything has the room to breathe, it's crystal clear while never being sterile.

The songs all possess this anthem quality due mostly to the simple but catchy guitar riffs and the strong vocals. The bass is loud and it compliments the guitar very well in creating a solid wall of sound bordering on doom and Celtic Frost territories. Well played slow leads are also part of their songwriting credo.

While not reinventing anything, this international project plays an efficient sort of music that is still essential for the well being of the scene.