Rating: 8.5/10
Release: 15 November 2024
Label: Independent

Trollwar is a seven-member Canadian folk-death metal group and “Tales from the Frozen Wastes” is their third EP. This slams hard. Growly vocals, amazing drums, an occasional power metal riff, it’s great death metal with some folky moments.

Like so many albums these days, it sounds neatly polished and well-produced. The mixing is impeccable. There’s a great chorus effect on some of the vocals that makes it stick, and the vocalist carries a lot of weight in keeping the songs moving forward. I was pleasantly surprised the production, bassist, and overall sound.Typically editorial touches simply exist in first track and then disappear. Here, they’re all over.

The prologue is well done, but something you’ll likely skip. It’s well-produced and nice to listen to, but not particularly memorable.The following tracks are what we’re here for. “Unseen One” hits the ground running. Champion guitar riffs smash into the vocals that carry the rest of the album. “Bane of the Underworld” is the real gem of the album. It’s only a half hour of music, but each song carries its own sound.

This is one of the many acts I’d love to see live, and there are a few short albums like this that you can listen to on repeat to get through hard times. Excellent work.

Tracklist

1. Prologue 2:00
2. The Unseen One 7:05
3. Bane of the Underworld 5:26
4. In The Fields of Frost 4:05
5. The Offering 5:46