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Her Den

    
       
       
       
     
             
Bifrost are a heavy metal band from Spain formed in 2000, to date releasing two E.P.'s - 'Seeking Evolution' (2003), and 'Moving On' (2007) - and two full length albums - 'Freedom' (2011), and 'Her Den' released in 2022...    
             
...featuring eight songs of traditional flavoured power come thrash metal - think a mix of legendary bands Vicious Rumors, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden. Beginning with the sounds of pouring rain, the albums opening song 'When It Rains' is a thunderous furore of blazing heavy metal, full of pace, purpose and intent - seamlessly switching to a melodic march of traditional metal without losing any of its appeal. A catchy and highly infectious opener, the band roar on with the heavier and more aggressive 'So Close To Chaos' - a beefier up front attitude hitting you firmly between the eyes! Bifrost delivering two very different styles of metal across the albums first two songs.    
             
Slow burning into life, 'Corruption We Pay' turns in a performance fit for the progressive style of metal, swinging this way and that but remaining firmly in the heavy metal genre, visiting every corner, nook and cranny! The band continuing their diverse approach to the new album - veering off toward ballad country with 'The Bridge', a mellow and serene atmosphere descending upon the album! But before you can raise your lighters high, Bifrost change gear and 'The Bridge' becomes a barnstorming barrage of mid tempo melodic metal. Agreed it changes pace and tempo a few more times before the end, but a ballad it most definitely isn't! The band return to the barnstorming tour de force of traditional heavy metal with 'Strength To Go On' portraying the famous gallop of "foot on the monitor" metal ala legends Iron Maiden. And a chorus break that has a striking resemblance to American thrashers Megadeth - not just in sound, but the vocal delivery too!    
             
And err, the blues! Or is it Southern rock! Or a combination of both - either way, 'A River Between Us' sounds a little bit like Aerosmith - and their bold swagger of hard rock blues. Except that in the case of Bifrost, it's a swagger of heavy metal blues! Totally different from everything heard so far, the band push their musical horizons to a whole new level. The title song 'Her Den' has a crescendo building intro with anticipation fuelled written all over it - actually failing to deliver the anticipation level I was expecting! Instead, 'Her Den' (the song) is a mid tempo thunder stomp of melodic metal to please the hard rockers as opposed to the heavy metallers. To be honest though, everything heard so far has slotted nicely into place - the album following a path and very much sticking to it. And at over seven minutes in length, 'The End Of The World' is the longest song on offer, and ends the album in a very heavy mood. The heaviest offering on the album, 'The End Of The World' is mid tempo mid paced fare with an incredibly melodious intent sewn into its framework.    
             
Overall, a hard rocking metal album full of changing tempo's and pace, 'Her Den' is attractive and catchy.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Vlad Promotion    
             
             
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