Reviewed by David Cranson

Drottnar (they used to be ca Vitality) are similar to Groms, Extol, Antestor, among others (Steve Rowe et al); nice and (noisy with a point to it all. Their name is Norse for Master/Ruler/King, and although the lyrics aren't classic poetry, they hit the mark, letting you know who their King is (Anyway, Karl Frederik's English is better than my Norwegian!): "Failures, blasphemers of Christ/Surrender to him" - 'Doom Of Antichrist'. Or "Proudly I raise my voice to praise/The Almighty who won the fight" - 'A White Realm'. The Lind brothers formed the band in 1996; this is their first album. Others have called it Viking or death/doom metal, and it fits nicely under those banners, with a touch of melody. The tracks were demos, but have been remastered for this release, although a couple of tracks have Sven-Erik's vocals too far down in the mix, but overall it's very acceptable. Mostly in English, the vocals veer from growling to high pitched, lending variance to the proceedings. Two songs are in Norwegian. Don't go by the track timings on the sleeve, it's way out. It's a full 40 mins for the seven tracks (plus one hidden). They seem to have upset a few reviewers with their forthright message - good on 'em I say! As their press release states, "it was Jesus himself who told us to go out and make disciples of everyone!"

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