REBELLION - Miklagard - The History of the Vikings - Volume II

After dealing with the history of Norwegian and Danish Vikings in Sagas of Iceland , Swedish Vikings are the next focus of Rebellion, who based their power-epic fiction on historical realities, describing the commercial road that the Swedes used to take to the “stone city” Constantinople (Miklagard), crossing the Baltic Sea, Neva, Kiev, and then down the Dnepr to the Black Sea. The odyssey they describe is superb, and this is an album I listened to over and over again, without ever getting bored or feeling the need to renew my playlist. It is neither fast nor symphonic (fortunately!) but it is an album for headbanging, and very, very catchy (choruses, riffs). It also manages to recreate the atmosphere of the voyage, of the battles and meetings with other civilizations (Urgo-Finns and Russians ) in tracks like: Sweden (I can almost see the Viking leaving the shore, praying to see it again), On the Edge of Life (the image of strange glaciers), The Rus (story of the ancestors of today’s Russians), Kiew (in my opinion, the most accomplished, catchy and visual song of the album), Taste of Steel (war-minded), Miklagard (brilliant city) and The Uprising (which is very close to an anthem). A nicely done saga, in music, lyrics and artwork. I am now waiting for the third part of the trilogy, which will be about the Viking gods, with the hope that they avoid the commonplace of other approaches to this subject.
(+) the story is well told, the intro song is extremely suitable, the execution, almost everything
(-)  a few parts that are too slow, breaking the flow

Mad Nota: 9