Njord is easily a release that will have you cursing up a storm, but not because it's an awful CD. It seriously has the potential to be a masterpiece, but unfortunately it just doesn't quite make it there. Put simply, the band is really at their best on this release only most of the time. Liv's vocals are perhaps the strongest they have ever been, which is spectacular because the music on this release reaches moments where you'll think you are listening to some sort of metal infused opera. While the album doesn't quite hit the ground running with the opening track "Njord," it starts to pick up around "Emerald Island," which is just a powerhouse of a song that destroys anything that this band has done in the past with its beautiful operatic sounds.

Now this is where the album starts to make you want to pull your hair out, and you'll notice it earlier on. Njord seems to really be missing some of the Nordic sound and appeal that the previous album had, with the exception of "The Holy Bond," and also is missing some of the nice, powerful guitar riffs that come in during the chorus to really tug at your emotions. That's not to say the music is bad, it just comes across as a slightly different route the band is taking, while trying to keep the same lyrical content as Vinland Saga. While this isn't enough to make you wanna pull the hair from your skull, the male vocals through the album definitely will. Instead of doing some decent guttural in random spots, Alexander tries to vary his voice a bit, even does a failed gutteral shout during "My Destiny" and "Ragnarok," which winds up ruining them. Unfortunately this really does make and break some of the songs on the release, especially since they are absolutely pointless for this release in the first place.

The band's cover of the Simon And Garfunkel track "Scarborough Fair" is pretty nice, but it just doesn't quite seem to fit in with the rest of the album. "Through Our Veins" is a great song, but about the time you hit "Irish Rain," pretty much the rest of the album sounds like your typical Leaves' Eyes, which is good considering some of the more epic-sounding tracks include some random guttural vocals in the background that don't really do much to aid the songs. If the band had made more epic operatic opuses like "Emerald Island," or focused on slower paced ballad-esque tracks like "Morgenland," or even tracks like "Scarborough Fair" for that matter, this release would definitely be one of 2009's most noted releases. Given how the band keeps growing with every release, perhaps we'll see more powerhouse material such as those tracks, but for now, Njord may have some flaws here and there, some tracks having more an impact then others, but either way it is a release you can take comfort in knowing that you are going to enjoy.

written by Jason Thomas Weiss

Playing time: 63:13