Nomansland is a band I had the chance to work on most, if not all, of their releases. I found their music good, some of their earlier albums quite good actually, like Hammerfrost and saw the band's maturity with Raven Flight.
I was a bit disappointed with Farnord at first, feeling the Russian horde was able to make better music than that. Maybe this is some sort of a grower, since I heard something more interesting with this last, more attentive, listen. I believe Nomansland went through some personnel changes that caused an overall different sound. Farnord still present those Viking and folksy elements, although their sound is heavier and rougher, the "in your face" style. I don't recall their rhythm guitar being so juicy and those double basses really kick. The melodic lead guitar work keeps reminding you that folksy and epic flavors are the basis of this great metal genre. Then the unforgettable clean vocals are playing a major role in carrying that Viking flame as well. Nomansland counted on the discrete participation of keyboards to increase the melodiousness factor and atmosphere. I would have appreciated hearing a couple of instrumentals with more organic sounds and traditional instruments, but they were left out. Nonetheless, many great Viking hymns await the fans, such as "Shield of Northern Fjords", "Valhalla Calls", "Prophecy of Runes", "Ulvsjar" and "Storm of Steel".
