Named after a Nordic warrior, chosen by Odin to guard the mead, Germany's STRYDEGOR started in 2005 under the name, THE ALPHES before becoming this current act in 2007. "Enraged" is their third album, and they perform in a Melodic Death Metal style with a boatload of Viking influence. I'm sure they've heard more than a few times that comparisons to AMON AMARTH are inevitable - fortunately in the vocal department Florian is not as deep a bellower, his voice more of a raspy blackened /death crossover.

Occasionally coming down the pike in more of an older Melodic Death Metal manner, especially on certain mid-tempo riffs and trills for "Final Judgement Day", and the harmonic elements and persistent double bass for "Rise of Hel". You can sense warrior-themed unison chants going over well during the title cut, the energy of the riffing and pacing, prime for a lot of audience call and response parts. Breaking up the Death Metal side is the use of tender acoustic guitars, a perfect tranquil opening to the 6:34 "Zuarina", as the drum beat is part tribal, part progressive before picking up to a Viking-style arrangement. And then we get clean vocals for parts of "Throughout the Darkness", the mid-section featuring some brutal riff circles and speedy, semi-thrash blasting tempos.

I'll have to be honest; I need to be in the right mood to handle STRYDEGOR in heavy doses. I believe they have the right skills in songwriting and playing ability to make their mark in the community. It's just that how many people want to hear a mix of AMON AMARTH and older Melodic Death Metal, when there seems to be a flood of artists creating this mixture in today's marketplace? Time will tell; the consumers ultimately decide based on their attention span and purchasing power - but for my tastes "Enraged" is adequate, but not overwhelmingly awesome Viking/Melodic Death Metal.<