Vintersorg-Jordpuls(2011)

If you've never heard Vintersorg before, the first thing you'll notice is how damn catchy this album is. Even if you are familiar with with their work, you notice more clean vocals, harmonies, synths, and an over all more positive atmosphere. You'll notice an abundance of folk melodies, quiet acoustic interludes, complicated chord work and song structures, crisp (almost sterile) production, weird electronic bits here and there, and yes, just the right amount black metal grit to keep this from becoming a total prog fest.

But, if you've heard their other albums, you know that this is just another Vintersorg album. Nothing really new happening here, just a talented musician streamlining and perfecting his craft. The only problem with this album is that it may be too much of a good thing, as the songs start to sound the same a little more than halfway through, which may be the fault of the too sterile production values, also a problem of just needing to cram as many songs as you can on a disk. The lyrics are entirely in Swedish, so English speakers may want to use their Google translators to further appreciate the frosty yet ethereal vibe put forth.

Rating 7.5 out of 10