| Mithotyn “In The Sign Of The Ravens” Death , 1997 Lord Pale : Mithotyn could be described as “Hammerheart” era Bathory meets Rotting Christ , with a sprinkle of Bal Sagoth . Mithotyn play blackened mid tempo viking metal with majestic ( if not slightly cheesy ) riffs and keyboard passages . The vocals are mainly your typical blackmetal snat , but some choruses are sung in a deep viking style choir ( similar to Bathory ) , and a passage in “Stories Carved In Stone” is sung in a deeper death metal voice . Throughout the album appearances by a flute , a harpsichord , and even a mouth harp surface . This disc contains 11 tracks 2 of which are musicals and 1 which is a traditional Viking song . The last track on the album “Let Thy Ale Swing” is a sure fire hit at parties to amuse . Overall a good album let down a little by poor production . Favourite Tracks – Lost In The Mist ; In The Sign Of The Ravens ; Where My Spirit Forever Shall Be Mark – 7.5/10 |
| Mithotyn “King Of The Distant Forest” Death , 1997 Lord Pale : An excellent progression from their last album . Mithotyn now have their own unique sound . Imagine In Flames playing Viking metal !!! The riffs are so melodic and catchy and bombastic , with an underlying rumble . The song tempos vary enough to keep it interesting , and there are some synths and acoustic guitars thrown in as breaks and melodies as well . There are still the familiar Viking style chants on some tracks , but this time it sounds a lot more professional . The production is also a lot better and more suiting to the direction the band is now following . The title track has the shortest acoustic guitar intro I have ever heard followed by a ferocious break in that speeds along with more speed than anything heard “In The Sign Of The Ravens” . This album is a bit more up tempo overall then its predecessor , as well as being more brutal and more melodic . A must buy album for anyone into Viking blackened metal . Favourite Tracks – Hail Me ; King Of The Distant Forest ; Under The Banner Mark – 8/10 |
| Mithotyn “Gathered Around The Oaken Table” Invasion , 1999 Lord Pale : More melodic Viking metal in the same vein as “King Of The Distant Forest” but with more variation . Mithotyn still sound like a Viking version of In Flames with influences from Bal Sagoth and Storm . The tempo shifts on this album are excellent as is the song writing in general . The album contains a lot more Viking chanting vocals than either of the previous albums did and a lot more vocal variation on a whole with Rikard switching in deeper growls with his usual snat . All the usual majestically uplifting riffs and keyboards are here in abundance , and the whole album works well as a whole . Some tracks are slower than usual on this album but that adds to variation and doesn’t detract any from the songs as they are well suited to be played in that style . The change of record company has finally allowed Mithotyn to have a decent booklet with the lyrics printed in it ( unlike previous releases which had a two page insert with no lyrics ) . The closing track “The Old Rover” is sung entirely in Karl’s deep clear voice that builds up through the verses to an epic finish . Favourite Tracks – In The Clash Of Arms ; The Old Rover ; Guided By History Mark – 8/10 |
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| MITHOTYN |