Artist: Valkyrie
Title: Man Of Two Visions
Type: Album
Label: Meteor City

The obvious selling point for Valkyrie is that they number Pete Adams of Baroness in their ranks. However Valkyrie have little else in common with Pete’s day job other than they fact they are also a pretty awesome band. Valkyrie play music that is rooted in a time when the only definition we needed was ‘heavy metal’. Sub-genres like death, doom, speed, stoner, thrash etc etc, on and on ‘til the end of time, were still unheard of. Simpler times. Happier times...Anyway I’ll snap myself out of that reminiscing about my youth shit. For those of you who are still awake Valkyrie blend the sombre riffing of Ozzy era Black Sabbath with the addictive guitar lines of early Iron Maiden and chuck in a few snippets of Witchcraft and Burning Saviours for good measure. The production is organic and earthy, the songs are sweetly constructed and the whole listening experience is bordering on bliss for an old metal head like me. ‘Running Out’ is steeped in those early Maiden flavours, ‘Dawntide’s Breeze’ has those Sabbath riffs, ‘Green Highlander’ is a peaceful instrumental that leads perfectly into the galloping vintage metal of ‘Apocalypse Unsealed’. It’s magnificent stuff and the quality remains utterly consistent right to the end. ‘False Dreams’, ‘The Gorge’ and lead heavy closer ‘Man Of Two Visions’ with its hints of Thin Lizzy in the extended solos – each and every one is downright brilliant. I’ll be amazed if this album isn’t riding high in my end of year lists; I haven’t enjoyed an album this completely in ages.

http://www.myspace.com/valkyrie