Review of “Sanctuary of death” by VHÄLDEMAR

Since I have been the first to get bored reading topical and typical reviews for a long time, I prefer to present my current criticisms in another way. We talked about the new VHÄLDEMAR album, which is tremendous, but telling more things and/or in a different way. Let’s see what you think of our opinion on “Sanctuary of death”!

VHÄLDEMAR – “Sanctuary of death” (Demons Records / Izar Producciones)

VHÄLDEMAR is a lot, and it’s getting bigger and bigger, which makes me very happy. It’s funny how we started out hand in hand almost 25 years ago, and well, back then there were more but not really so many “new” bands making the classic and “old” heavy metal that I liked. It’s true that in those early days and especially their first two albums (from the hand of Arise, Hard Vinyl and others, like his colleagues from DARK MOOR for example and some more) had a lot of the Central European power metal of that time, but VHÄLDEMAR had something special.

It is true that those first, already badass and more newbie (logically) Bilbao Heavies had a taste for MANOWAR and GAMMA RAY that came out of them from all sides… but we didn’t even criticize it then (God is worth it to us!) not even now, for that matter, what good references at that time! But even then they had something different, an attitude, a way of approaching heavy metal, a “village” way but absolutely real and stark that their peers did not have. It’s worth it that some of the groups from that group from the late 90s and early 2000s also had that special something that made them stand out to the also young heavy followers at the time: CENTINELA, AZRAEL, LUJURIA, SARATOGA, some very young ANGELUS APATRIDA, ANKHARA, TIERRA SANTA, EASY RIDER, the DARK MOOR themselves as we say… and some WIZARD OF OZ leading that generation in their own way.

Okay, I left out those from the Asturian branch on purpose because, at least to the person signing, they said much less. A matter of taste, nothing more, but that’s how it was and that’s how it still is. In any case, one day the work of all these groups will be recognized in our country, in a few years in which without a doubt things were VERY different for hard rock and especially heavy metal. And Carlos, “Pedrito” and company had a lot to do with us not being defeated by grunge, alternative rock, the successive waves of nu metal and pop/indie disguised as rock “for all audiences” that continue to impress us everywhere as the new quintessence of hard music above the outdated, old, obsolete and totally out of fashion classic heavy metal.

Then it happens that JUDAS PRIEST and SAXON arrive (and VHÄLDEMAR, each at their own level) to dot the i’s and show who is still in charge and how things are still done well… at least in hard rock, wow. Well, without getting involved, and leaving aside the “fight” at that time between Locomotive and Wasp Vs Arise and Hard Vinyl (another day we will do an article about this too hehe), among the heavies with more classic tastes, the ones that really gave us a boost were VHÄLDEMAR and CENTINELA, as well as perhaps SARATOGA, who luxuriously combined “what was before” with what is now but sounding “more or less like what was before.” .

Each one in their own way, and I return to what concerns us, because more than 20 years later it is those from Barakaldo who are still here with a firm step, without having changed their sound one bit (okay, now there is less GAMMA RAY and more MANOWAR… but doing it infinitely better than them and being a thousand times more coherent) and taking steps forward one after another disk by disk. And each album is a new “member addition” to the scene. This is how it is, friends, and it’s done like this… heavy metal, true metal but with class, quality, a lot of strength and every time (when and how you can, humbly but well and without stingy) best media: sound, cover, international editions…

VHÄLDEMAR

And like “Against all kings” or “Straight to hell”, “Sanctuary of death” remains an album of the best that has been made in the style around the world. And the comparison is not only valid and more than correct but totally certified by the fact that they have always sung in English. So it’s easy to put similar albums side by side and compare them… and is what these Swedes, these Finns, these mythical Americans or these new Germans have done better (for not giving specific names that would be ugly) than each new work of VHÄLDEMAR? Well no… And it is a pride to listen to the group’s next album, “Sanctuary of death” in this case, and know that it will not disappoint you. From the cover to seeing them presenting the album live recently (as I told you here not long ago), you can only surrender to the evidence of VHÄLDEMAR’s level today. Same attitude, desire, enthusiasm and passion, and stubbornness, as 20 years ago, but removing the inexperience, the references of others and simply the inexperience or the blessed/damned youth.

And after the tirade, how do I tell what this album is like? Well, it’s curious, because the good thing is that apart from the data itself (that you can compare them without further ado in this previous article), the real criticism I want to make of the album is that “Sanctuary of death” is still the next excellent new work by VHÄLDEMAR: pure and tough heavy metal, powerful, with reed and demonstrating that it can be made to sound authentic and good in 2024. It sounds like them, it has an undoubted instrumental and compositional quality. In fact, Pedro J. Monge has been a total reference of the style for years, and if he does a great job producing for other bands, how is he going to do it for/with his band? Well, just as good but adding that extra care and affection that is undoubtedly put here.

As a detail that caught my attention, he left “again” something more power metal from the early days in some specific song (I guess more casual than sought) as in the initial “Devil’s Child” or the seventh part of “Old King’s Vision” for example, or the different point of a different cut like the heavy but intense ballad “Forevermore”, the epic “Deathwalker” , the end with the instrumental “The last flame” or the surprise of “Brothers”, very RAINBOW / DIO, and sung by Raúl (who has a big voice).

Vhäldemar Tour 2024

But if we look at the 100% VHÄLDEMAR sound, if your hair doesn’t fall to the ground listening to “Dreambreaker”, “Sanctuary of death” itself or that cool anthem directly called “Heavy metal”, you have no idea what this is about or what heavy metal is precisely… and you are doomed to feel the metal jumping with ALESTORM, ELECTRIC CALLBOY or SABATON at festivals surrounded by people dressed as rubber ducks and dinosaurs. Good for those who like it but… heavy metal and “meroool” are not even remotely the same. I’m sorry but nothing to do with it. This is about raising your fist and feeling that lyrics like “The rebel’s law” are about you and talking about us, and about rebelling against injustices and the world around you that you like even less than 20 or so ago. 25 years… not about drinking sarsaparilla in the Yupi worlds of metal.

As always, the choice is free… Either heavy metal to death or other things. Each one to his own and with his own. Of course, don’t give me any shit or try to sell me the quintessence of metal through lesser products or cheap imitations. Give me VHÄLDEMAR and “Sanctuary or death”, please. And thanks.

Text: David Esquitino ([email protected])