Grimlord
Dolce Vita Sath-anas

September 2010
Released: 2009, Self Released
Rating: 2.0/5
Reviewer: Aaron Yurkiewicz

From my own ancestral Poland comes Grimlord and their latest full length DOLCE VITA SATH-ANAS. While the band delivers their own unique brand of traditional metal, the execution in the final product is a bit…weird? Cards on the table - DOLCE VITA SATH-ANAS is a strange album.



The first three tracks are interesting enough – typical fist in the air, bang your head type fodder, but not without its charm. Vocalist Bartosz Zrebiec has a funny (but not “ha, ha” funny) delivery, over enunciating the English language almost to a fault. “Oh! My King” sounds more like “Oh! My Geek” in its delivery, and “When the Heads Are Going Down” probably sounds a lot more brutal pre-translation. Vocals aside, the music itself is actually pretty sharp, with some driving rhythms and clean guitar licks.



And then things get bizarre. None of the remaining songs on the album feature any vocals – which was fine by me given the impression they made, but it seems like a odd decision. “Shade of Wrath Angels” is actually an impressive tune with some great harmony guitar work, but just as you’re getting into it, it stops. Again, I don’t know if that was a conscious decision on behalf of the band, or if someone in the recording booth just accidentally hit “stop.” Same thing with “Dissolution of Eternity,” the tune builds up to a promising conclusion and then stops dead. The last three tracks are thankfully pretty solid atmospheric tunes, but nothing you haven’t heard before.



DOLCE VITA SATH-ANAS comes across like the band had more studio time booked than ideas and slapped on a bunch of “extra” stuff after the first 3 tracks. I’ve given Grimlord a few listens, and after each spin I find myself saying “that was interesting.” Beyond the new album, the band’s got a bunch of merchandise available for purchase on their website, so somebody’s gotta be into it somewhere. Check out their site for more info, but you’d be wiser spending your cash elsewhere.