Raise Your Sword ! is a three track EP by Graveland. In all
likelihood the contents are a trio of leftovers from the Creed of Iron recordings. All the primary elements are the same.
These are big, epic tracks that center on heavy riffs, wild percussion and lush
synths. The lyrical theme is once again the honor and nobility of the Pagan
warrior and the glory of battle.
If Raise Your Sword ! is indeed composed of castoffs, then Rob did a
good job during the final cut for Creed
of Iron. Only “Wobjęcia Śmierci” is of the same caliber as the songs found
on Creed of Iron. The first two
tracks are low on energy and lack memorable riffs. “Till the Final Day” is
especially weak. It is a slow moving piece that fails in its attempt to create
an epic atmosphere. “Temple of My Hatred” is a little stronger; a dark
piece that teases the listener with brief moments of epic melodies only to
shift back into dingy, menacing riffs. It also begins and ends with stellar
stretches of beautiful synth work. Still, it essentially qualifies as a weaker
version of “White Beasts of Wotan”. Finally, “Wobjęcia Śmierci”—a Polish
version of the track “Into Death’s Arms” from the Raiders of Revenge split with Honor— provides some real quality. The
main riff packs some serious force and the male choir samples create an intense
atmosphere. The song steadily builds toward an excellent chorus full of
swirling string samples and pounding bass drums. The production is sharper here than it is on the Raiders of Revenge split, making this the superior revision of the song.
Raise Your Sword ! is a decent listen, but only “Wobjęcia Śmierci”
qualifies as essential listening. The other two tracks don’t offer anything new
and fail to excel with what they do offer. This is worth tracking down if
you really love Graveland's symphonic works, but this is far from Rob's best moment.
Overall: 7/10
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