Odinfist - We are Gods

Release Date: April 6, 2010
Label: Runic Era Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Skull Collection
2.  Fields of Flesh
3.  More to Lose
4.  Bleed Forever
5.  Brainwork
6.  Stop Dreaming
7.  Alotamore
8.  Dark Eyes
9.  In the Moonlight
10.  We Are Gods

Total playing time: 47:00

June 4, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

The power metal genre has slowly, ever cautiously been creeping into both my psyche and my CD collection of late. Where once I stood firm against the genre, boldly proclaiming its better days were left on Helloween’s Kai Hansen-era cutting room floor, I suppose the proverbial crow-eating must begin. I’m not above self-deprecation where it’s warranted.

So Odinfist from Canada…yes, they’re a power/thrash outfit that doesn’t necessarily fit the Symphony X/Blind Guardian/Hammerfall mold (somewhat thankfully for me). I’m not sure how to pin down the sound, but it’s certainly a slower power crunch with the some light thrashy elements. While a lot of the folk/mythical gods topics today are sad rehashes of early Enslaved or Bathory, it’s refreshing to hear band not take the topic so seriously as to alienate otherwise fine music with bland saturation. In fact, the light touches of said topics are nicely ingrained in some great songs and terrific production. In every way, We Are Gods is a listening experience that can and should be repeated for the full effect.

Vocalist/Guitarist Tyler “Tex” Anderson offers both a high, unobtrusive vocal where necessary and a melodic meandering where called for; “Bleed Forever” is a warm, rich feeling that showcases Anderson’s simple, yet full vocal prowess as well as his sincere attachment to his music. Where clean vocals sometimes murder a track with either lack of talent or ambition, such is not the case here. You don’t find yourself bothered or befuddled by Anderson’s deliveries; the entertainment factor is there throughout without question.

As for the music, the band is talented enough to deserve its studio time. And, glory be, I can hear the bass! As a bass player it saddens me to see such a vital part of the recording process usually horribly stifled beyond reason and logic (Mayhem’s De Mysteriis dom Sathanas comes to mind, though the logic is certainly understandable). Every instrument is represented to a fine point, making the music all the more enjoyable. Crisp and precise, the drums are not overpowering and the mix is seemingly cared for intently, a good sign that pride is taken in a recording.  

In terms of lyrical content, some of the 80’s bands with a penchant for the direct statement can be called upon here. While not exactly Nevermore in a pool of abstract stories, certain bands are more comfortable and viable with such simple, yet fun lyrics and Odinfist is certainly among them.  Where the music can often border 80’s hard rock or AOR-friendly versatility, that shouldn’t be considered a reason for exclusion by any means. By no means do we have a Coverdale/Kittain car video in the making, but tracks like “Stop Dreaming” are “metal-lite” with a twist of power and solid value.

Whereas I usually frown upon power-esque metal simply because I find it drenched in stagnancy and the inability to rise above the criminally mundane with every band sounding like another, I remain open-minded. I can honestly say that We Are Gods doesn’t fit the typically predictable mold as some of the genre’s known contemporaries; the CD seems to have the rare marriage of power-friendly, over-accessibility which, for all intents and purposes, can entertain and engage even the most ardent and snooty metalhead like me.

While I say Odinfist might not be for the most diligent death metal fan, there is many a fan, genre wide, that can find both worth and merit in Odinfist’s heavy, yet friendly brand of heavy metal.   

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