One feature that still is occurring a lot in Metal is the re-recording of some albums. Sometimes it works fine, other times we have a total loss of time. I know EINHERJER since the 90s, when they released their first album, "Dragons of the North". I thought in those days that the album was great, but maybe a better quality should be fine. Now, 20 years after I heard it for the first time, they released a re-recorded version of the album, called "Dragons of the North XX".

Here, the same songs from the first version, only recorded by the actual band's line-up. But now, with modern technology giving a hand, the album shows what it really was meant to be on the first time. It's heavy and abrasive, but the Viking Metal elements are way clear, so we can take their best. The melodic side of the band is in great evidence as well. Then, we can say that "Dragons of the North XX" is an excellent release. The sound quality is really amazing, because every mistake from the original version was erased, and with the modern devices from recording, the sonority is clear, heavy and aggressive as it was meant to be on the past. All the musical arrangements are finally clear we can get the right idea of what the quartet wanted to do.

The experience that Frode and Gerhard accumulated for all these years is the differential that makes this new version superior to the previous one. Just listen to the excellent technical work and fine guitars on "Dragons of the North" (excellent technical work, indeed), the amazing Viking rage show on the clear melodies of "Dreamstorm" (with very good clean Viking vocals presented in some parts and great solos), the great technique shown by bass guitars and drums on "Conquerer" and "Fimbul Winter" (and very good bitter shrieked vocals and some heathen backing vocals), the epic and complex "Slaget ved Hafrsfjord", and the amazing "Ballad of the Swords", and you'll understand what I mean. "Dragons of the North XX" is a great release, and hope that EINHERJER keeps on with their outstanding musical work.