Garde is an interesting ‘new’ band, even though they formed 25 years ago, and Harbinger of Revenge and War is their only release. So you know they took a really, really long time to get this sucker out to us. Vocals are done by Dan Capp, the newest Solstice (UK) singer. He’s been with them since 2022, yet no release with him, just yet. Arjan Peeks, from the Netherlands, does all the instruments.

Just like Dan, both are in a ton of bands. Unsure if the band is going to be a touring act, but if you have been itching for some viking metal, Garde will wet your whistle. Viking metal has never been my go-to to and I am certainly not well-versed in this sub-genre of metal. The gods, Bathory, started to develop the Viking metal sound on their scorching 1988 album, Blood Fire Death. They realized this sound on their 1990 Hammerheart album. Both of their Nordland albums were not only phenomenal but truly captured the spirit of Viking metal. One could say Bathory were not only the originators, alongside Venom, of developing the black metal sound, but Bathory were also the purveyors of viking metal. Once Hammerheart hit, the genre started to open up.

If you are unsure of what Viking metal sounds like, here are some descriptions. It can be grandiose with chorus moments, there will be epic build-ups with sometimes the layering of vocals for the oooooohhhhh, aaaaaaahhhhhh chorus parts, the music is going to be mid-paced and thumping heaviness with how the drums/drum machines are played/programmed, and most of all, you need memorable riffs and the speed is repetitive. At times, Viking metal will be part of the black metal genre as well. That’s pretty much it…ohhh, and songs will be fairly long. This debut album is 5 songs in 37 minutes, so that will clue you into what you’re about to embark on.

 

“A Gathering of Blood” opens things up with acoustic guitars, atmosphere with synths. After a minute of this opening instrumentation piece, the guitars come in, with the drums then get right into the mid-paced, Bathory-inspired viking metal speed. Dan’s vocals are pure Quorthon worship during the Bathory Viking metal releases. There is a scream, early on, that Dan cracks all over the place. I am unsure if this was deliberate to mimic some of Quorthon’s screams, where he cracked, or if Dan is really cracking. Regardless, this moment, rather than capturing Quorthon’s uniqueness, sounds pretty cringy to these ears. The music stays in this neutral pace with all the Viking metal bombastic moments, one would come to expect, as I stated above. Decent opener, but with some shoddy sub-par Quorthon-styled vocals.

“The Cross of Donar” jumps right out of the starting gates with the smashing drums and really good guitar riffing. The vocal oohhhs and ahhhs are present where Dan takes on a more somber vocal tone, which is what I imagine his regular vocals for Solstice (UK) will be. Very European doom metal oriented, and these are when his vocals shine. Hearing these vocals makes me chomp at the bit even more for the upcoming Solstice (UK) release. Doomy, depressive, and memorable. Yes, this song is repetitive, but it works and showcases Dan’s vocal talents, and he can hit those doomy highs excellently when using his natural vocal tone.

“Fallen Heroes” is over 9 minutes and closes the album out, being the longest song. Acoustic elements with Dan’s vocals. Somber, depressive, yet still grandiose, with this style of music. The metal hits about 2 minutes in, and you’re transported to this album cover. The Viking ships, ready to land and pillage, some faraway area, while swilling pints of Mead. The song has a little bit more of an upbeat tempo element, with some cool piped-in vocals, and you feel a battle about to take place. Not as speedy as the previous song, “Berserkgangr”, which incorporates some swifter galloping moments. This ending song is a lot of fun, but still fairly repetitive, as much as it is chest-thumping and anthemic.

Harbinger of Revenge and War is a decent and fun debut album from Garde. Viking metal fans, in search of more tempo changes, may be a tad disappointed. These songs are all mid-paced with some slower moments. The splashes of galloping moments are there, but not enough for me. I think the band has the foundation on this debut album, but some improvements in the tempos and having the songs a bit more individualized would help in the memorable factor.

 

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