Review Summary: If there are any Vikings left out there, then raise your horns and hail Mithotyn so they will always be remembered!
My interest in folk metal was pretty weak until I started to listen to bands like Vintersorg and Falconer. Falconer was created by a guitarist from a band called Mithotyn, which was a folk metal band. I wondered if Mithotyn had the same type of melodies as Falconer has so I decided to look into Mithotyn’s music. And yes, both bands had very similar melodies but Mithotyn had the best ones. And after I had listened to Mithotyn for a while my interest in folk metal really took off. Mithotyn was formed in 1993 and they released three full-length albums before the band broke up. Few people have heard this band so I have taken the initiative to introduce you to this forgotten band. Mithotyn wasn’t a unique band but they were not a generic band either, and I’m about to explain to you why.
In 1999 Mithotyn released their last album Gathered Around The Oaken Table, an album filled with soothing and intriguing melodies, black metal ferocity, and your standard metal heaviness. The vocal work consists most of the time of strained black metal rasps, dark growls, some clean ‘’chanting’’ vocals in the epic track The Old Rover and some backup choirs. The guitars deliver both melodic and aggressive riffs and tremolo picking patterns. A thick bass and a varied drum performance create a solid rhythm section that makes the songs catchy, driving and flowing. Mithotyn’s choice of lyrics is focused around Norse mythology and Vikings, old gods like Thor and Himmdahl are mentioned in a couple of songs.
The thing that I love about this album is the almost perfect use of folk influences that are heard throughout the album. I don’t want to say that the folk melodies are pure Swedish (since the band came from Sweden) but I dare to say that these types of melodies are definitely connected to Scandinavia. People will immediately think of the medieval times, vast landscapes, nature, and of course Vikings. As I mentioned before, the melodies are captivating, relaxing, sometimes adrenaline-releasing and catchy. The use of different types of vocals makes this album interesting; first there are these raspy vocals and later some growls kicks in. Chanting choirs are also used from time to time, this creates a pretty cool vocal texture to the songs. Blast-beats and rattling double bass kicking are used quite often and these patterns really fuels up the songs so they get extra aggressive. I have to mention the guitar work as well, outstanding guitar performance! Technical, melodic and fast riffing guitars, the level of technicality is unusually high. Perhaps not the jaw-dropping type of technique but the guitars are really good at times.
The only thing that really lowers the quality of this album would be the lack of intensiveness and energy. Everything is played with great enthusiasm but some songs could’ve been better if there was a bit more sting in them. Another small problem about the album is that some of the songs start with an uninteresting intro. You really need to listen through the songs carefully and not just skim through the songs; you have to listen through this album a couple of times or even many times to enjoy it. The last thing that may bother the listener would be the lyrics. Few songs have good lyrics, the whole album lacks of lyric creativity. Most lyrics are pretty bland and boring; honestly, there is nothing mysterious or intriguing about the lyrics. The Old Rover is probably the only song that has very good lyrics.
People who like folk metal, Viking metal and black metal will probably enjoy Mithotyn’s music. The folk elements, the Viking lyrics and the musical influences from black metal are greatly mixed in this album. The album is very melodic and soothing but also heavy, catchy and aggressive, and intense at times. But the album is not as heavy as other Viking bands, like Amon Amarth. Mithotyn is slightly above medium heavy. Thanks to a great song variety makes this album to a long-lasting album, if you like it you will definitely want to listen it over and over again. If there are any Vikings left out there, then raise your horns and hail Mithotyn so they will always be remembered!
Recommended Tracks
-- The Old Rover (
Epic and strong, without a doubt the best track. It’s a heavy yet calm song about a rover who looks back on his life before he passes on his knowledge to younger generations. The vocals are clean all the way.)
-- In The Clash Of Arms (
Best track in terms of song variety. Interesting melodies are mixed with heavy chugging riffs. The pace is high thanks to intense drum work, vocals are great and a background sword battle makes this song worth its name.)
-- Hearts Of Stone (
Best track in terms of folk melodies, heavy riffs and vocal versatility. The song starts in a slow pace (and with a brilliant guitar intro) but it increases in speed and it gets both catchy and aggressive.)
This album will be given a solid 3.5/5.
