Bornholm – Primaeval Pantheons

[schema type=”review” name=”Bornholm – Primaeval Pantheons” description=”Label: Massacre Records ” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2016-12-02″ ]

Bornholm is a Hungarian pagan/black metal band. Founded in 2000, the band has been active in the scene for quite a while and shared the stage with some big names in festivals/gigs across Europe. After being signed to Massacre Records on August 2016, they have released their 4th full-length record  “Primaeval Pantheons”.

As a passionate pagan/black metal fan, I have heard this band’s name many times before but somehow never got around to truly listen to them. So I was curious about how this new record under a new label would sound like.

If you are a pagan metal listener who likes some atmosphere, powerful & catchy riffs and aggressive vocals, then you will like “Primaeval Pantheons” from the first spin. The riffs in particular are definitely earcandy and will stay in your head for a while. On the other hand, I got the feeling that the riffs sounded too familiar and similar to each other sometimes so I am sure the experts in this genre will identify this band with some classic and big names. Nevertheless, the band has potential for sure and the sound contains the melodies, aggression and even the BM atmosphere that everyone can enjoy.

Sound-wise, apart from those riffs and the harsh vocals,the background synths/melodies add a nice vibe to the songs; a great example of this is my favorite “Seventh Reign” which is quite atmospheric but also pagan metal to the bone! Additionally, the clean vocals in songs like “Old”, “Atavism” and “Runes of Power” bring a nice touch to the sound.

Apart from the nice highlights about this record, there are some aspects that need to be improved in the band’s character as well as sound. Firstly, I got the feeling that the band is still searching for a musical direction so maybe they need to set a certain musical direction and form their character and sound according to that. Surely, composition of an album is never concrete and the band never says “let’s make a pagan metal record this time” but a solid character which defines the band or which makes a band what it is quite important. One thing I know is if a band lacks this character or original sound which distinguishes them from the others, then they are at the risk of being easily forgotten and this is one aspect that Bornholm needs to work on and be careful about.

Another aspect that I found was the lack of spark in the songs in general; mainly because most of the songs are similar to each other. This might make the listener lose interest in the record after 4 songs or so. Surely, everyone is different but I personally search for that spark (one riff, one melody, the magic in the vocals or even the atmosphere of the record) and if that is lacking, then the album loses its magic for me as well.. So Bornholm definitely needs some diversity in the sound and also for the upcoming albums. Pagan metal itself is a strict and ‘closed’ genre so a band definitely needs something which makes them more unique and more memorable. As I mentioned before, the band definitely has potential so I hope that we get to hear something more unique from them in the future.

“Primaeval Pantheons” is a nice but quite average album in its genre. Although some aspects need to be improved in the band’s sound and character, they hold potential… So let’s see what they have for us in the future.

Album Line-up:
Sahsnot – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Hjules – bass
D – drums

Current Line-up:
Sahsnot – vocals, guitar, keyboards
D – Drums
Attila – guitar
Carrion – bass

Tracklist: 01. Eye Of Knowledge 02. Atavism 03. Runes Of Power 04. Old 05. March Of Saturn 06. Iron Crown 07. Seventh Reign 08. Bloodstorm 09. Imperium (Divus Rex)

Links:
Bornholm Facebook
Bornholm Official