Odal - Welten Mutter (2021)

With a very well curated roster of artists, Eisenwald surprises us today with Odal and their highly melodic release “Welten Mutter”. Featuring over 47 minutes of crafty Pagan Black Metal, this German outfit manages to carve a unique style out of combining traditional elements with unconventional instruments. If you are into bands like Thyrfing and Månegarm, this is a band that will catch your attention.

Opening with the melodically intense “...um Ewiges zu schaffen”, the band sets a very lively and intense mood with piercing guitars and catchy tempo changes. We particularly enjoy the band’s superbly melodic core, as waves and waves of riffs make tracks like this, and “Hellwach schwelgend”, and “Schattental” very enjoyable. The additional string instruments nicely give that Pagan/Folk BM edge to the music, breaking any monotony and keeping things interesting.

Reminding us of early Satyricon, tracks like the album title track and “Welten Geflecht” perfectly combine the harshness of BM with more lush and atmospheric elements, captivating the listener and delivering countless headbanging moments. Overall, “Welten Mutter” is one very well crafted and engaging release. Featuring a bit of everything for everybody, Odal creates a very enjoyable experience with their balance of fury and melody. Highly recommended for fans of Black Metal with a few extra bells and whistles, and a heavy dose of melody.

Label: Eisenwald

Release: April 23rd, 2021

Genre: Pagan Black Metal

Country: Germany