Valhalla Bound

***The return of primitive, barbaric paganism, from the depth of the Finnish woods, drenched in beer and sweat, he strikes with his axe held high. The 4th full-length from this horde is finally upon us, three years after Force of Violence, and might just be the best from the project so far. A project whose lineup is yet to be revealed, but all we know is that it, at least, involves the mighty Harald Mentor (Ride for Revenge, FCoA, Uskonrauha, etc.) and his absolute scorching vocals. With better production, and the drum sound more powerful than ever, Spartan Youth is also often more eccentric, incorporating weirder vocal registers, like the almost Ian Curtis-ish register on tracks like "Spartan Youth,” which is both bizarre and intriguing as it is catchy and ominous. Over 30 minutes of unforgiving, unending stomp, with the Punk-ish riffage, certainly influenced by the likes of ildjarn, Ødelegger and Bone Awl carrying the stoic energy and fury of the warrior, while the drums continuously pummel on the enemy with both powerful and captivating manner. Limited pressing of 250 copies.