Bannerwar - Anthems of Blood & Soil 7" (2017)

Nestled deep into the Hellenic underground, Bannerwar is a band which must be almost forgotten after a decade plus absence in the wake of its solid if unheralded sophomore Centuries of Heathen Might. And while I can't quite claim that the two tracks present on this Anthems of Blood and Soil 7-inch are going to reverse that fate, it's certainly not because the band is lacking in the hellish energy required to perform the sort of orthodox, traditional and spiteful black metal they employ. But apart from the band's NSBM roots, which may or may not persist in their inspiration, there's just not much of a 'gimmick' to this style, or any single component which can separate them from so many others performing in such a similar, straightforward realm.

If you've never experienced them, it's more or less charging European black metal with a strong 90s feel to it, very basic riffing structures spat out at a faster pace or brought down to a might, barbaric charge. The chord progressions are quite predictable here, but that doesn't really diminish much of their savagery, with the guitars loud and frontal, the vocal rasps doing a good job of providing an evil impetus towards the uptempo blasted sequences. Definitely a classic Swedish or Norse black metal vibe here circa bands like Marduk and Satyricon, but occasionally with "For Blood and Soil" itself they hit a glorious stride reminiscent of vintage Rotting Christ off Thy Mighty Contract or Triarchy. The drums are rather on the tinny side in the mix, but nonetheless efficient, while the bass is good and think, but doesn't otherwise do a lot to carve its own existence from the solidarity of the rhythms.

The two songs are reined in at about 5 minutes each, so thankfully Bannerwar has no interest in beating the listener over the head with ceaseless repetitions of tired riff patterns, and I feel that for the length of the 7" there is enough variation represented, assuming on a hypothetical third full-length they'd have an even broader range (as they did on Centuries). But the question is, at the end of the day, when the onrush of the night is inevitable, do you want another pure atavistic black metal listening session which offers you little to nothing new? If the conventions continue to attract you, then these Greeks are an adequate vehicle for vengeance and ferocity, but although the material here is just as solid as the stuff on their albums, they still just don't stand out against the crowd.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

Bannerwar - Centuries of Heathen Might (2006)

The shift from their memorable, crueler looking logo (To Honour Fatherland) to a mere stock font might have signified some sort of musical evolution in Greeks Bannerwar, but I'm sad to report that neither this new 'look' or the newly written material does anything to heavily further the band's position among a wealth of similar, stalking wolves in the immeasurable woodlands of European black metal. There are a few vicious, appreciable pieces here which are well enough written to enforce the band's trademark competence and execution, but despite its excellent title, Centuries of Heathen Might once again fails to truly distinguish itself beyond that expansive field of peers, even if it proves their most consistent effort to date.

The writing here is perhaps the most aggressive of their career, dropping the incessant melodic fabric of their debut To Honour Fatherland for a more ripping and straightforward sound in the vein of Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse. This is inherent in the band's faster fare like "Pagan Bane", "Warspirit" and "Symbols of Solar Might", which make firm use of various ingredients like timid keyboards, howling wolves and airy vocal reverb to manifest a belligerent grandeur. But there is another side to the band here reminiscent of Bathory's epic/Viking works like Twilight of the Gods, Hammerheart, and so forth, and that culminates in the clean guitar passages like the intro to "White Mountains" or the opening of "The Return of the Twelve Gods", or the deep and accented spoken vocals that are cast into the glorious gloom on several occasions here.

Still, when it comes to the actual riffing, there's naught but the typical driving chords and tremolo picking that had already been beaten to death. I mean, for the love of Odin or Zeus whatever deity these pagan/nationalistic bands pray to, could they not look into their own pasts and determine what precisely it was that spurned their love for metal? Fucking guitar riffs. That is the answer. That's why we all crawled out of our basements and dungeons to explore this genre, whether it was with Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Burzum or Enslaved. Like so many other haunts teeming in the underground, Bannerwar simply does not deliver on this aspect. They have technique. They explore tempos. They dial down and up the distortion where necessary. They are not shy on atmosphere. But they just cannot glue a sequence of notes to the listener's memory, and this continuously condemns them to the middle of the pack.

That aside, Centuries of Heathen Might is not really a 'weak' album, merely a solid experience for those seeking out the familiar eaves of the medium. The songs never extend too far beyond their welcome, even those that pass the 7 minute mark, and the lyrics continue to venerate the sacrifices and mysticism of their (now-pagan) forefathers, and the later corrupted symbol of the sunwheel. I certainly enjoyed this album a fraction more than the debut, if only because there is a more predatory strength to the proceedings here than that album's overly mechanical drums and over-saturated melodic sensibility. The cover of Graveland's "Ancient Blood" (off Creed of Iron) is a nice tribute, but tinnier sounding enough that it feels somewhat misplaced among the new originals.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (his chariot rides the winds)

Bannerwar - Chronicles of Pagan Steel EP (2005)

Bannerwar's follow-up to the Honour the Fatherland debut takes a decided turn for the raw aesthetics so inherent to the generations of European underground blackhearts. Whereas the full-length was a thing of streaming, glorious intentions, the Chronicles of Pagan Steel EP sounds like an almost altogether different band. Fuzzy, hissing rhythms supplant the once soaring superstructure, while the drums lie repressed beneath, alternating between double bass foot work and the same admittedly stock blasts. The vocals are the only element that really ties this material back to what had come before, but in a way, the two tracks written for this do emanate a more sinister impression of the Greeks.

Problem is, almost all the riffing patterns here are wholly predictable and feel redundant to so much that was already inhabiting the black metal spectrum. The opening guitar of "Spartan Virtue" has a nice little, grimy melodic tail to it, but the synths do little more than follow the central chords, and when it accelerates, it feels incredibly samey and goes nowhere surprising. At seven minutes, you really need to stock up a song with something interesting, and this one does not. Alas, it's ultimately superior to its neighbor "Polemos", which opens with a fibrous, dissonant sequence of heavily distorted guitar and lightly, playful bass that reminds one of the filthier Norse element of the 90s. Once the brief pagan chants subsides, it crashes along with a riff even more boring than that of the first song, and while the vocal rasp throughout is appreciable, the vapid thrust of the old school black speed rhythm at its core does not seem inspired.

This is a limited release, of course, with about 500 copies pressed to 7" vinyl, so it's not as if the band were looking to create a stroke of genius here, merely to manifest a nice, brief release between full-length efforts. I do like the simplicity and message of the logo and cover art, and I think they match the sound of the EP aesthetically. But why not go the extra mile and draft up a pair of unforgettable songs to go with it? Bannerwar's patriotic devotion to Hellenic history and paganism is not unattractive, but I wish they could reach a little further into their imaginations and pen the guitars to match the visions. Chronicles of Pagan Steel is not bad, but neither is it impressive in the least.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

Bannerwar - To Honour Fatherland (2004)

Similar to Wolfnacht, Bannerwar is another Greek outfit which employs the imagery and ideology of WWII Germany into their lyrics and music. They're also another of these bands to lay waste to the cliche that NSBM must be horribly produced. To Honour Fatherland has a bright tone to it, elevated by the constant sheen of the guitar melodies, the symphonic regalia of the pianos and keyboards, and the bloodied rasp of its front man. The programming of the drums does seem rather obvious at first, but Bannerwar has so much going on that it quickly settles into the background of the imagination. Most of the tracks here are loaded, energetic anthems bearing a semblance to Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse or Dimmu Borgir's Enthroned Darkness Triumphant, though not strikingly so.

The writing skills are undoubtedly solid, with well placed, storming melodies that certainly feel as if a war were being joined. There are a few here that run on the bloated side, namely the title track and "Aryan Skies", 9 and 7:30 minutes respectively with little memorable, sticking content outside of the obvious speed and competence. However, most of them hover around the 4-6 minute safe zone and are more easily digested. The bass tone is appropriately thick to offset the streaming clamor of classically-inspired chord patterns, and while the vocals are average for the genre, and delivered with predictable venom, they at least sound lethal when the band hits their full stride. Aside from the arguable inclusion of the drum machine, Bannerwar does a hell of a lot right, and had this album originated a decade prior, it might have taken on a cult status, but by the 21st century, we've already been inundated with uncounted scores of records which use this same style to greater compositional effect.

Still, the band balances their music and philosophy rather well, not nearly so overtly offensive as others in their field; yet sincere about which side of the fence they stand on. I actually quite like the cover emblem and logo with its blue woodland backdrop, and it's evident that the Greeks were interested in assembling the total package. Unlike some other NSBM acts, they identify themselves almost wholly within the black metal style, rather than the hybrid of RAC and metal that you'd expect. Even their cover of Blue Eyed Devil's "Eternal Fight" is given a pretty grim spin. Ultimately, Bannerwar is not something to scoff at, though the processions of notes do not warrant much replay. To Honour Fatherland knows and fills its role, but doesn't really strive for anything beyond that, and as such, it's far from a mandatory listen. That said, if you're into the band's Aryan inclinations then you might rate this a few points higher due to its competence, which was not exactly commonplace.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]