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Byfrost - Of Death review



Reviewer:
8.4

38 users:
7.61
Band: Byfrost
Album: Of Death
Release date: June 2011


01. May The Dead Rise
02. Eye For An Eye
03. Buried Alive
04. Of Death
05. Full Force Rage
06. Shadow Of Fear
07. Sorgh
08. All Gods Are Gone

Damn it. Seriously, god dammit. Where in the name of all norse whores is my groove? It crossed the Byfrost and is now resting in Asgard? Or maybe Loki took it? After all he is the most mischievous deity in the lands where even boobs are cold and frostbitten. I loved Black Earth so much because, apart from being a great album through and through, it had shitloads of infectious, rocking groove. It was impossible to sit straight and listen to Byfrost's debut. Your head just had to bang. And now, on their sophomore effort, the groove is mostly gone. Of Death contains more black and less thrash. Slow tempos have been mostly replaced by fast tempos. So fast that the groove couldn't keep up and was left behind.

Fortunately, it's not bad. Byfrost is still Byfrost, with the same three people responsible for the music. So, if the debut rocked so hard, the follow-up can't be totally shoddy. Let me hasten to assure you - it's more than good. And since apparently Freyr and Gefjun blessed the band, we get Of Death only a year after the stellar Black Earth.

The two songs that definitely stand out, "Eye for an Eye" and "Buried Alive" happen to be the most reminiscent of the first album. Kvasir must have had a hand in their creation, no doubt. Glorious, catchy riffage, memorable choruses, these two songs have everything that a Byfrost fan needs. There's one more, and that one is actually the best here, "All Gods Are Gone", with fantastic riffs and varied tempos fueled by incessant double bass drumming, and an epic, grandiose ending. The remaining songs are slightly, but only slightly, worse. Minus the missing groove, there's nothing wrong with them - frantic fury, flaming frenzy, fuming flurry. And friggin' fun, to finish the "f" festival.

With Odin on their side, Byfrost have set sail for metal Valhalla. A few more albums of such quality, and their immortality in the halls of the gods will be assured.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 04.10.2011 by Writes overly honest and totally subjective reviews when fancy strikes him. Which is not often. Which is probably good, all things considered.


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 272 users
04.10.2011 - 09:45
Rating: 9
Aetherius

Of Death =
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04.10.2011 - 17:59
Rating: 9
Susan
Smeghead
I found this album very stunning. Daniell, at first I thought you didn't like it but then I understood what you meant. There is less groove than before but DAMN that doesn't diminish the work Perhaps MY tastes have changed a bit since last year but I'm tempted to say I enjoy Of Death even better??

(And lol at the "f" festival Awesome. )
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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04.10.2011 - 22:12
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
There is less groove that's true but I wouldn't say that there's no groove left. The music being faster doesn't mean that it can't be groovy
But yeah, that's the only part where I disagree with the review, this album is a fine piece of aggressive metal. Everyone should give them a chance! I really don't understand why they aren't more well known.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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05.10.2011 - 14:37
Rating: 8
BloodTears
ANA-thema
This album is really good.

I had never listened to anything from these guys before, so this is my first contact with the band, but it was a pleasant surprise indeed when I gave it a spin.

It's so catchy, I wasn't expecting that somehow.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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05.10.2011 - 14:41
Rating: 8
Daniell
_爱情_
Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.10.2011 at 22:12

There is less groove that's true but I wouldn't say that there's no groove left. The music being faster doesn't mean that it can't be groovy


But there's less groove for sure
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05.10.2011 - 16:41
Koen Smits

Nice album, nice review.
Maybe the next album will be ultra grrrrroovy
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RIP: Frank Vandenbroucke (6 nov 1974 - 12 oct 2009)

Written by Bad English on 05.04.2014 at 15:05

but spoil thius film is like spoil porn and say porn ends whit cum shot ...
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05.10.2011 - 21:19
Rating: 8
Daniell
_爱情_
Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.10.2011 at 22:12

Everyone should give them a chance! I really don't understand why they aren't more well known.


Exactly my thoughts. A fantastic, criminally underrated band that beats lots of famous acts easily.
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05.10.2011 - 22:03
JÄY
Metal slave
Weird review.....ill check it out though
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06.10.2011 - 04:09
Edmund Fogg

Written by Daniell on 05.10.2011 at 21:19

Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.10.2011 at 22:12

Everyone should give them a chance! I really don't understand why they aren't more well known.


Exactly my thoughts. A fantastic, criminally underrated band that beats lots of famous acts easily.


Well You can count one more guy that likes them. Your review intrigued me and I discovered a freaking good band. It's boiling with energy and potential. I don't know what's going on, but it seems like MS is turning into a gold mine recently. Or it might be because I've been absent for a while.
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You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM
The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom
God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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14.10.2011 - 09:53
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Finally got around to hearing this...and I've gotta say this album is pretty stale. But not completely, which is why I'm having a hard time with it. There's really good elements, and at times it reminds me of Cruxifiction's (however you spell it) album I reviewed earlier this year...but I just feel like there could be something more.

I only say more because "better" is an odd thing to request of a band. Different tastes and all.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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15.10.2011 - 16:12
Rating: 8
Daniell
_爱情_
No one posting here noticed norse mythology references that I put in this review. Bastards!
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15.10.2011 - 20:50
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Daniell on 15.10.2011 at 16:12
No one posting here noticed norse mythology references that I put in this review. Bastards!

I think everyone noticed...aside from the snoogs that is.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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14.11.2011 - 17:10
Rating: 9
Fat & Sassy!

By far, my favorite thrash album of the year. BUT... I found the highlights to be in the middle of the album. Still, this album makes me road rage like a beast when I'm driving. D:<
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