RUNDGARD “Stronghold of Majestic Ruins”
By Octopi Mills
It is said in the promotional texts that this is somewhere between the old black metal of the Norse and Polish variety, and this is a fair assumption by whoever has stated this. The album starts out with a proper intro in the fashion of such said things and goes into a grim, jagged, old school riff that rides to a place quite known yet unknown. Like an old grim blade found and rehammered by latter swordsman, the music conjures old things from the genre; the cold, dark medieval things we are used to in "Descending from the Southern Skies".
The production is good and what should be done and the synth adds a place to the sound. The cover of the album is graced with a classic sort of feel; a lightening bolt in a black and white. The third song sounds like it could have been recorded right behind the second, continuing the album’s tradition. "Spirits from the Medieval Storm" is a classic all in all, and though the album doesn't go anywhere grandeur, it does just that in it's grimness and the spirit of keeping. I am very likely to purchase this album, and find it to be quite good in the great keeping of things before in the style....the atmosphere, the sound.....all great quality. I could imagine this sounding like an older, more atmospheric GRAVELAND or INFERNUM in terms of consanguinity and heraldry. This is perhaps just in time to be mentioned on the end of the year list here for Wormwood, and I recommend the album. MOONCITADEL is another good band though of a different sound.