TROLLBAND - IN THE SHADOW OF A MOUNTAIN ~ FOLK METALLER

Recorded on a shoestring budget in a Vancouver apartment, one could be forgiven for having low expectations of Trollband's debut album, In the Shadow of a Mountain. However, those expectations would soon be confounded, as this is an engaging and mature release, and a very enjoyable listen.

The most striking aspect of In the Shadow of a Mountain is the fantastic variety in the songwriting. With songs ranging from the folky 'Heathen Blood', to the epic title track, to the sinister 'Nidhoggr', there is plenty here to keep the listener interested throughout. Every track is competently written as well, and though a few of the tracks feel slightly uninspired, every song is perfectly listenable.

The album begins with 'Fire and Ash', a solid but unspectacular opening track, which acts as a gentle introduction to the band and gives a flavour of what to expect from the rest of the album, with harsh vocals over energetic Viking metal that is reminiscent of Ensiferum. The following track, 'Nidhoggr', veers in a completely different direction, its black metal stylings giving the track a far more sinister edge than most of the other material on the album. Third track, 'Heathen Blood' again signifies a change of tone to a typically high-tempo, folky drinking song. Again, it's competently done, featuring all you would expect from a typical folk metal by-the-numbers song, with folky keyboard melodies overlayed on top of speedy, driving metal. It lifts the pace nicely after the rather ponderous 'Nidhoggr', though it brings little in the way of actual innovation to the table.

Title track, 'In the Shadow of a Mountain' is a hulking beast of a song, sounding epic despite its low-fi production, but the real highlight of this album is 'The Return'. Full of energy and packed with instantly catchy riffs, the bludgeoning verses give way to lighter acoustic sections seamlessly, before returning to pummel the listener once again. A word also for what is effectively the album's closing track, 'We Live'. In truth, much of this song is fairly average – not poor, but nothing particularly special. However, it is the middle section of this song (from about 2 minutes, 40 seconds onwards) that really excited me. Such a simple riff but ever so catchy, it begins with a lone accordion before gradually building to epic proportions. This section alone is worth getting the album for.

As a self-funded release the production is understandably rough, but this hardly detracts from the music at all. There are of course times when it feels as if the songs would have benefited from a more professional production but I've heard plenty of releases from more established acts with lower sound quality than this and it is unlikely to spoil your enjoyment of the album.

While there is plenty of cause for optimism, Trollband's biggest task will be finding a way to stand out in an increasingly crowded genre. In the Shadow of a Mountain is a decent album with moments of brilliance, rather than simply an exceptional album. If Trollband are to break out of the underground they will have to harness their considerable potential to sustain those brilliant passages over the length of a whole album.

VERDICT