Valhalore
Voyage Into Eternity

October 2017
Released: 2017, Indie
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: JP

Epic, Symphonic, Viking/Folk Metal from Australia! Count me in! I don’t know if real vikings ever made it to Australia but their influence certainly did! Valhalore is a relatively new act who have released their debut album VOYAGE INTO ETERNITY. Not the most original title but it matches the very cool album cover art of a Viking ship crossing what appears to be the rainbow bridge…into eternity.



This sextet put this out in March and it is still in rotation on my playlist so I thought it was high time for a review. The album starts well an extended instrumental introduction with folk elements and some cool narration. I was expecting some cleaner vocals but actually the voice and delivery of Lachlan Neat are quite gruff. There are also some great clean vocals as well to counterpoint everything. Then add you choirs and female voices and you have a singers dream. There is a lot going on here vocally and it matches the tempo and intensity especially demonstrated on the ambitious ‘proper’ opening cut a seven-minute opus called ‘Malice Of illusion’. It is an overview what we get to enjoy for the rest of the album.



The band makes very good use of tempo changes and juxtaposition of sound keeping my interest. The writing is more adventurous than your conventional verse-chorus-verse structures. The orchestral instruments that add sonic flavour are courtesy of the mandolin and cello and Sophie is credited with tin whistles and more adding that celtic lilt that is so appealing in this kind of Metal.



If you like Ensiferum, Tyr and any number of those types of bands, Valhalore will be right up your alley. I’m pretty impressed with this independent full-length debut. It’s atmospheric, heavy, skilled and sounds great as well. For fans of this sub-genre this is one of the more pleasant discoveries of 2017.