Album Review: Walpyrgus - Walpyrgus Nights

While Walpyrgus of Raleigh, North Carolina is instantly identifiable as a heavy/power metal band, their sound is a lot more polished compared to most of their peers. The production has a bright sheen that threatens to take the edge off the guitars and diminish any signs of darkness, the song hooks and tempos are almost too upbeat, and vocalist Jonny Aune has a nasally tenor that could almost fit in with a pop punk group. That description may have been an instant turn off for some but Walpyrgus Nights does prove to be a pretty solid album.

Much of that likeability can be traced to that upbeat songwriting. The bouncy hooks in combination with the bright tone is rather jarring at first, especially since the music is still heavy enough to qualify as metal, but it does prove to be pretty accessible once you get settled in. It also helps that the musicianship is tight and the vocal delivery on songs like “Dead Girls” has a certain cheekiness that brings to mind Volbeat or Michale Graves-era Misfits.

Fortunately there are a couple songs where the listener can get a breather without worrying about the band going too soft. “She Lives” in particular is a pretty enjoyable tune as its energy is made less abrasive by the prominent keyboard work. The cover of the underrated Witch Cross’s “Light of a Torch” also stands out as the album’s most “typical” metal song though it ironically isn’t quite as strong as the other tracks on here. Fortunately, the title track ends the album on its slowest and most menacing note.

I may still be a little weirded out by Walpyrgus’s ultra-clean way of playing traditional metal, but I really have to give the band props for executing their unorthodox approach in such a steady fashion. Their energy is surprisingly infectious and the songwriting is accessible without feeling too disposable. Classic metal fans should be able to get a feel for it but I’d be curious to see how someone of a more alternative/punk phase would take to this album. I suppose it’s one excuse to get in touch with that cute emo girl you dated back in high school, eh?

Highlights:
“Dead Girls”
“She Lives”
“Walpyrgus Nights”

Final Grade: B-