An American Melodic Black Metal duo act. On May 7th, 2023, the band released their second EP album Níðhöggr, which would gratify fans of Falkenbach, Blaze of Sorrow, Windir, Mithotyn, Vreid, Myrkgrav, Immortal, Summoning, Bathory. The album was promoted through HardLife Promotion PR.
Introduction:
Thousand Year War, Níðhöggr: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins of Níðhöggr
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Thousand Year War and their Níðhöggr album.
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: Features blackened riffs with raw power and intense melody/rhythmic chords, haunting keyboard melodies. The Second Sin, The Vocals: Involves powerful raw, screeching vocals. The Third Sin—The Percussions: This delves into the vast world of thunderous drum strikes, fills, and beats.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion: Plunge into the visceral Viking abyss, and unleash your inner dragon
Immediately, as the listener taps the play button, the listener is welcomed by the enthralling opening piece titled Nídhöggr. The piece commences with gentle, soul-stirring instrumentation that gradually builds up, creating a sense of anticipation. The listener is then enraptured by a sudden surge of aggression that takes over the melody, leaving them spellbound.
As the listener continues their epic journey through the second piece, Kingdom Of Nastrond, and the remaining three songs. One will fully immerse in a raw, powerful, and intense experience of chronicling the myths and legends of the Norse pantheon and culture with vibrant melodies and unapologetic force. With its central theme cantered around the ferocious Nídhöggr, this album is a bold and unapologetic challenge to the tenets of Christian philosophy—simultaneously inviting the listener to explore the Viking underworld and dive headfirst into the world of Norse mythology with its dark and powerful soundscapes that will transport your ears and soul to a distant time and place, where tales of battle, history, myths, and conquest reign supreme.
Nídhöggr is a testament to the band’s exceptional production skills, devilmanship and remarkable ability to craft a commanding and refined sound. Featuring an exquisite composition of well-planned arrangements that showcase the band’s creative fruit of art, with each track delivering a unique listening experience with its instrumental composition.
Furthermore, the album’s production and sound quality are remarkable, with each instrument being perfectly balanced and audible, creating an immersive, enchanting, intense, and captivating sonic experience.
At the same time, Nídhöggr is a forbidden fruit of art that seamlessly blends the ferocity of black metal with the elegance of melodic music that evokes the feeling of medieval paganism and folklore. This transports the listener to a world of Viking epic battles, myth, and history. The album’s lyrical content is equally impressive, with each song narrating a captivating and thought-provoking story—thus creating an unparalleled and awe-inspiring listening experience that will leave you mesmerized and craving more.
So, if you’re ready to unleash your inner dragon, the band’s Thousand Year War’s latest EP is the perfect soundtrack. The heavy, melodic, and mystique sound of the music will awaken your primal instincts and make you feel like you’re ready to conquer the world.
The album comes to an end with the last song, Hammer to the Heart of Christ We want to give a shoutout to HardLife Promotions for letting us review the band Thousand Year War and their Níðhöggr album. Now, we’re going to wrap it up by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
You’re Listening to “Nídhöggr”
PlayThe last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins, our thoughts on Thousand Year War and their Níðhöggr album
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia: Is that for us, A “must-have.” We thoroughly enjoyed the variation, power, and melody in each song. The five tracks on this EP have left us wanting more. Two of the standout tracks on the EP are their thunderous cover of Bathory’s Destroyer Of Worlds, which perfectly captures the essence of their sound and style, and the last track, Hammer To The Heart Of Christ.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
Is epic and just as crucial as the music itself. It can shape the listeners’ perception of the album and represent the concept of the music/narratives within the music (Niðhöggr is a perfect example of this). The album cover is deeply rooted in Viking mythology and represents the album’s overarching theme. It depicts the dragon Níðhöggr gnawing upon the world tree Yggdrassil (or Yggdrassill an enormous ash tree that connects the nine worlds, including the underworld (Niflheim), the earth (Midgard), and the realm of the gods (Asgard)).
At the same time, the soft colours and direct reference to Viking underworld mythology also boast an autumn, paganism, folk, and medieval aesthetic vibe.
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
Nothing to disrelish within the musical spectrum of Thousand Year War, and their album Níðhöggr.
This concludes the Thousand Year War, Níðhöggr review.
Track-Listing:
- Nídhöggr
- Kingdom of Nastrond
- Where Baldur Died
- Destroyer of Worlds (Bathory Cover)
- Hammer to the Heart of Christ
Thousand Year War is:
- Hiram Lohr – guitars, bass, Keys, vocals
- Bryan Arant – drums
