When someone says the phrase "Viking themed Pagan Black Metal", you're more inclined to think that a band that writes this kind of music comes from Northern Europe, or maybe even mainland Europe. The first place you would think of definitely wouldn't be Spain. But this is where the band ITNUVETH hail from, more specifically, the city of Barcelona. Just after releasing their first full length with Xtreem Music, "The Way of the Berserker", they are ready to take the world by storm, like the Vikings of old.

After the Folky intro, "The Learning" has come and gone, the album proper begins, with the track "Legacy of a Dead Wolf". This is very cool, Melodic Black Metal, which evokes images of cold lands and long journeys. This mammoth seven-minute track has a very epic feel to it, coupled with the harsh, Black Metal edge. "Death We Are" is another fast, melodic piece of Black Metal which works incredibly well, and has more of an element of being able to hum along to the music than many other Black Metal bands have. "Skoll", the obligatory drinking song, has a very uplifting sound to it, and plenty of great riffs. "Black Henbane" is another really fierce sounding Black Metal track, and has a lot of power to it as well. Overall, the production of this record is the thing that makes it. It has a rawness to it, most noticeable on tracks such as "Chaotic Chasm", whilst having a much more polished production which means it will be more accessible to those outside of the Black Metal underground. The highlight of this album is the Blackened Pagan masterpiece that is "Northern Demons". This song is monolithic, and will likely be a crowd favorite in the near future. "Lif in Hoddmimis Holt" opens with a very atmospheric intro, which gives way to being a really good Black Metal tune. The last song on the album is "Lianne", which, at fewer than two minutes, is the shortest full track on the album. It is very atmospheric, and has a much cleaner guitar line than the rest of the record. The guitars are complemented by the soft vocals that are layered over the top. It's a great way to bring this album to a close.

For a first release, this is very good. It's clear that this band have already begun to establish their own sound within the Black Metal scene, and in all seriousness, it is a great sound. This will appeal to fans of Black Metal, in both its raw and more accessible forms, and it may even garner attention from those outside the Black Metal scene to some extent. The framework for a list of solid releases is there, and with any luck, the next album will be even better than this one.<