Valhalla Awaits—Perdition EP (2024)

Details

Recorded and mixed by Sam Kilby at Unit 13 Studio in Tredegar, South Wales. Mastered by Abraham Fihema at Luna Crown Audio. Self-released on Friday 8 March 2024.

For fans of Alter Bridge, Alice In Chains, Stone Sour, hard melodic rock.

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Band

Andrew Hunt—Lead vocals
Chris Green—Guitar and vocals
Rhys Carter—Guitar
Sam Kilby—Bass
Gareth “Snoz” Lawrence—Drums and vocals

Additional musicians

Emma Bryden’s—Cello on “Is there anybody out there?”

Tracks

Door of no return
Staring at the gun
Is there anybody out there?
We remain
All hope Is lost

Review

After a four-month hiatus while I sorted out some pretty heavy $#¡t backstage, 195 metal CDs is back with a bang in 2024… kicking off with this banging EP, Perdition (2024), from south Wales rock powerhouse Valhalla Awaits which releases in March 2024.

Valhalla Awaits features members from bands The Blackout, Buffalo Summer, Revoker, and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. As seen live at Planet Rock’s Winter’s End Festival, Steelhouse Festival, and various support slots including Florence Black, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Those Damn Crows and more, this band has quite a pedigree.

This evocative five-track EP is a potent blend of soaring melodies and poignant lyricism, where the band’s musical prowess lays bare the raw beauty and vulnerability of the human condition. A must-listen for anyone seeking a soundtrack to their deepest emotions.

The EP opens at pace with the rumbling, rolling “Door of no return” (track 1). It’s a kick the doors off their hinges, in-your-face rocking number with a catchy melody and a no nonsense attitude. Lyrically, the song is a haunting reminder of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade—it describes a visceral exploration of Bunce Island, Sierra Leone from where tens of thousands of Africans were to the North American colonies of South Carolina and Georgia.

“Staring at the gun” (track 2) follows as an anthem of resilience echoing the struggles and triumphs faced by individuals in the face of adversity. The track opens with a muffled melody that brights before slowing to a dirty, chugging riff to which your head can’t but nod to.

The EP’s lead single “Is there anybody out there?” (track 3) is an emotive cry to the universe and a reminder to one of the band members’ family members that even in suffering you are not alone—something that I’ve been acutely aware of over the last quarter.

“We remain” (track 4) has a rather Stone Sour vibe to it. The song serves as a rhythmic call to endure and succeed within a system designed to break us down.

“All hope Is lost” (track 5), says vocalist Andrew Hunt, “was written at the standing stones in Tredegar, where Aneurin Bevan, the great Welsh socialist and founder of the NHS preached to the masses. We long for the time where people are put first before profits and our islands aren’t run into the ground by power and greed.”

Conclusion

Valhalla Awaits isn’t just about cranking the volume to eleven. Their music is a nuanced tapestry, where soaring melodies pirouette atop a foundation of rock-solid riffs. It’s like watching a ballerina perform on a granite pedestal – graceful, powerful, and breathtakingly balanced.

With their latest EP, Perdition (2024), Valhalla Awaits has reached a new peak. This five-track offering is their most cohesive and potent work yet, a testament to their ever-evolving sound. This is music that grabs you by the gut and lifts you up all at once, a perfect soundtrack for a world navigating challenges with a glimmer of hope.

Review score: 85%

Video

Disclosure

Rob Town at Stampede Press contacted me inviting me to preview Valhala Awaits’ forthcoming album, thank you. I have no connections to either Rob Town at Stampede Press or Valhala Awaits. I’m not being paid to review this, but I did get a free digital copy of the album to review which is pretty cool. Many thanks to Rob Town at Stampede Press, and to Valhala Awaits for continuing to create fresh, exciting new music.