Listeners explore this haunting, lyrical feast from the heart of nature and the soul that is Yggdrasil. ERDLING produce the music suited for the pagan rock genre. Yggdrasil is inspired by Nordic mythology, it was part of the band emblem from the very first day. Now ERDLING dedicated their fourth album to this symbol.
To bring this listening experience we will first encounter the intro Hel. This is a beautifully short-spoken piece in which power radiates from this track. The violin accompanies the beautiful haunting voice in the background.
Next is a track called Blizzard. It’s a well-orchestrated piece with catchy rhythms and riffs by guitarist Neno Knuckle and bassist Pierre Anders. Thisis paired with gruff passionate vocals by Neill Freiwald. The track is finalized with a powerful drum solo by Christian Eichlinger.
The intro in We Are Midguard contains electro beats, which then accumulates in the finest drum solos. This trackis full of energy and compelling rhythms. Here we get a taste of Neill’s vocal range. A passionate guitar solo ends the piece brilliantly.
Hundert Welten is very powerful and full of enthusiasm on the drum orchestration. In the chorus the lyrics, “And we ride with the Valkyries” stood out as this brings the whole song to focus. This track has the occasional synth beats accentuates the song, which helps give the song a little softer approach for the listeners.
Am heiligen Hain has a driving rhythm which Somehow transforms the melody into a gentler piece. the vocals present power in this track cementing together the Rich riffs and vigorous drum solos. overall this track has all the qualities of a fine orchestrated piece.
Im Namen der Krähe (feat. Robse EQUILIBRIUM) is rich with synth beats reminds me off RAMMSTEIN. In this piece, there is plenty of melodic and haunting instrumental art created. Neill alternates between melodic and harsher vocals meanwhile Robse (EQUILLIBRIUM) strikes with gruff growls.
Sturmfänger is particularly calm with gentler sounds. Neill’s vocals come across very heart felt and full of emotion. The instruments accentuate this finely orchestrated piece. During the chorus, the track gets a little heavier but still maintains its ballad like feel.
Blut und Erde produces stunning drum solos that are mixed with heavy guitar riffs and compelling vocals. The light medieval sounds give the track a light euphoria feel.
Grendal introduces the listener to a harsh gruff growling to the song. Passionate and fast paced drums and fierce powerful guitar solos. Vocally, Neill moves from melodic to hard vocals then finalises the song with gruff energetic vocals.
Wölfe der Nacht (feat. Chris Pohl) contains instrumental arrangements. This is a duet between Chris Pohl and Neill. Chris’s vocals are weak against Neill’s vocals in this piece. This track maybe one of the weakest ones but still demonstrates the bands fantastic talent.
The band promised us a tune fit for the dedication to their well-loved Yggdrasil emblem in their art work. They deliver this with well-orchestrated, bewitching melodic intros fused together with the heaviness and passion of the bass guitar. This piece has slightly medieval sound to it with the elegant vocals of the choir drawing this album to a close.
This album is a beautifully orchestrated piece with lots of passion and dedication that has been displayed during the listening experience.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Becky Weale
Yggrdrasil is out now.
Find ERDLING on Facebook and their official website.
