INCORDIA is a Melodic Death metal band from Darmstadt, Germany. They formed in 2012 and released their first demo in 2013 called Terramorphous. In 2015 and with Lee as the only returning member, they released the full length effort The Darkness Surrounding. With a solidified lineup and including the vocals of Catherine Häusler, they went on to release their second album The Talon-Elder in 2017. Now as we fast forward five years and with a returning lineup minus Catherine's vocals, INCORDIA returns with new tales of Viking glory on their newest album The Vastness Of Njordr.

The album leads off with the song "Dark Is Our Fate". The band seems in no hurry to let this track loose as it begins with melodic guitars and drums before amping it up just under two minutes in. The drums are heavy sounding and pack a powerful punch, while once the vocals enter into the fray, adds a nice touch with a darkened growl. The vocals kind of catch you off guard as I had a feeling it was going to be an instrumental opener, but come across sounding great. The next track is "With The First Winter Comes Silence" and does not follow down the same road as the opener, instead starts off with more pace and the vocals have a forceful impact. The song features a well done change of tempo and carries a lot of melody along with it. The drums are active throughout the track with fast aggressive blasts and rumbling double bass.

"In Odins Wald" takes on Death metal feel and is a driving force of sound. The drums and the rhythm of the song, along with the guitars, is spot on. The vocals have a chanting effect to them and at one point... is that a cheek pop, or a clucking of the tongue... or have I finally lost it? A creative way to keep a beat though.

"Lament Of The Wind" comes with creative drumming from Joshua with some nice rolls as this track is very melodically based with the guitars. The vocals cut through the melody and are more impactful because of this. The song "Amidst The Suffering" has parts where Melodic/Doom metal is in full effect, before finishing off with a consistently pace melodic metal riff. The guitars are soaring and seem to have an early 90's Swedish metal influence. "Close To The Sun" opens and could be mistaken for an AMON AMARTH track and follows through as a marching into battle song. The song is a head banger for sure and doesn't feel like it is rushed as the band plays out the riffs to their full potential. The album as a whole has a strong northern Europe influence and the song "Thornfort" is a prime example of this. Pounding drums fluctuating between thunderous double bass and timely tempo controlling blast beats are followed with creative and catchy lead guitars that hold your attention. The album finishes up with the track "Shade Empire" and like the opening track comes slowly to life around drums and guitars before a strong vocal presence takes hold of the song. The vocals are like a raspy Black metal roar and compliment the music as melodic lead guitars carry the song to a finish.

As it seems that the longest standing member Lee is the mastermind behind the band, it is obvious that he knows how to write a catchy tune. The production and overall sound of the album is good, as the drums sound very direct and the lead guitar melodies come through loud and clear. Some could argue that the bass could be a little more active and comes across as a little flat, but it doesn't take away from the impact that the songs have. This album would for sure please the Viking hoards before battle time.