Pandrador - Seiðr

Angry Metal Guy

I’d hazard a guess that few cultures are represented so completely across metal’s myriad sub-genres as Norse mythology. Even bands flung far from Scandinavia write on the subject, including in this instance the less distant Poland. While Midgards and world serpents more typically feature in black metal and its derivatives, Pandrador have returned in 2023 with a release steeped in Norse mythology but channeled through death metal. Seiðr (Norse magic) represents their second full-length album and first on the highly-appropriate Pagan Records. Pandrador describe it as a “contemporary heroic poem,” but sadly I was not left feeling especially inspired.

Seiðr is described as “post-death” metal. If you’re imagining something progressive and emotive like Kardashev, adjust your expectations. This post-death tag is only somewhat appropriate. It certainly centers around death metal, and I suppose there’s a chunkiness and depth of tone that one might hear in post-metal stalwarts too. But a “death metal” tag is more accurate, with streaks of black metal shot throughout. The core music fluctuates between the rhythmic riffs and battering drums of the former, and the blast beats and tremolo-picked guitars learned from blacker muses. The vocals also have a particularly super-charged approach which channels the rage of hardcore. Rounding out Pandrador’s sound is the production that reliably pulls these strings together. It has a robust bottom-end, and confidently and audibly balances differing instruments and tones, including background synths. The instrumental tones aren’t too raw, but nor are they too modern, instead being compacted into a hefty crunch.

The best example of what Pandrador are trying to be is heard on “Nithstang of Sleipnir,” which opens with a wide and deep sound stage incorporating bludgeoning drums and powerful roars into a climactic wall of noise. Things take an apocalyptic turn with tolling bells and layers of guitar distortion. It’s heavy, textured, atmospheric and does this with some of the record’s best leads. Unfortunately, this track is as good as things get on Seiðr and highlights a remainder that fails to leave any impact. The first main track called “Towards the Black Einherjar” was an early indicator that my overwhelming emotional response would be indifference. I can hear the influences that went into the Pandrador pot but can’t hear a clear Pandrador identity. Aside from the punchy vocals and a few guitar leads, no instrumental element or melody stands out. Seiðr is ultimately a flat, homogeneous listening experience, declining as the record reaches its back half. If the front half is largely unable to energize me, then the back half is particularly forgettable and discouraging.

There are also instances where the songwriting feels overly simplistic, or at least half-baked, compared with the few moments of successful density. The opener called “Asgardsreien Leaving Valhalla” blends moody synths and distant instruments into a short introduction that’s as predictable as it is pointless. Meanwhile, several tracks fail to incorporate adequate conclusions, simply stopping without any indicator that things are about to end. This can be heard on “Midgard’s Bane” and “Valediction of Exalted One,” but is especially egregious on “Frelsari” and the title track. The former loops 2 main riffs for 3 minutes into what feels like an extended introduction, before inexplicably finishing mid-riff and curtailing any sense of natural progression. The latter is the record’s grand finale, constructing the record’s most effective atmospheric passage across its opening minutes. But when it reaches what should be Seiðr’s climax at the end of the song, the music just stops. After an album that can be a slog, the listener is robbed of any reward for their efforts.

I am distinctly unenthused by Seiðr. While the pleasingly-crunchy production creates an enjoyable sound on first listen, I’m not ultimately left with a distinct sense of Pandrador’s identity or particular song-writing style – beyond choppiness. Unremarkable riffs and underdeveloped song structures result in an experience that only the most diligent death metal and Norse culture fans would enjoy more. I envisage something intended to be “heroic” as inspiring; Seiðr is the opposite.



Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Pagan Records
Websites: pandrador.com | facebook.com/pandrador
Releases worldwide: May 12th, 2023

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