Lutharö – Hiraeth Review

Speed Metal hell is back with all the power and the glory. While listening to opening track “To Kill Or to Crave” two bands popped up in my mind: Acid with Kate on vocals and the formidable Queen of Metal Doro. In fact, to be real truthful, after listening to second track “What Sleeps in Your Mind” another band comes to mind and that is Arch Enemy with the great Angela Glossow and now Alissa Gluz-White. A handful of great influences if I may. I just love when a band makes me change my opinion from one track to the other.

All those comparisons are in order to make a stand that Lutharö with “Hiraeth” got to give a modern wrapping to the good old Speed Metal from the early 1980s. The album with ten striking tracks sounds very fresh. Krista Shipperbottom’s dinamic and versatile voice gives the album the golden touch as she does all the voices from clean singing to gutural in the same song. She goes from Acid’s Kate to Arch Enemy’s Angela in a heartbeat. That’s fantastic. I had lots of great albums this year, but I’ve gotta say this is one of the best. Let’s say that Lutharö may be explained where Acid meet Arch Enemy. That’s it.

Some may say Lutharö are a Melodic Death Metal, however my point is that “Hiraeth” is too melodic and it lacks more gutural vocals. That’s why I posited it as Speed Metal. A modern version of it. Of course, there are moments as in “Valley of the Cursed” and “Lost in a Soul” that the bands gets very near to Melodeth, but that’s it. Near, very near. Lutharö‘s soul is with Speed Metal. If may, my dear fan, listen carefully to the vocals and you’ll agree with me about Speed Metal. I’d rather go on supporting my idea of a modern Speed Metal act. I guess “In Silence We Reign” is the song that supports my claim. Feel the mood of Iron Angel and Savage Grace of it. The melodic, and impressive, guitars phrases won the day along with Krista’s voice. Talking about vocals take a look at last, but no least, track “Lost in a Soul” and check the superb vocals. Just amazing.

The magnificent guitars and the esplendid vocals are the best thing in “Hiraeth” if I were to pick only a couple of features that amazed me. A sure nomination to the best albums of this year.

Lutharö “Hiraeth” will be self-released on October 15th.

Track Listing:

  1. Introspection 1
  2. To Kill Or to Crave
  3. What Sleeps in Your Mind
  4. Phantom
  5. Worship Your Path
  6. Hopeless Abandonment
  7. Valley of the Cursed
  8. In Silence We Reign
  9. Eclipse
  10. Lost in a Soul

Watch “Lost in a Soul” official video here: