If it comes to Pagan Metal it’s still more than astonishing that a ‘small’ German band called FALKENBACH had been such a source of inspiration for a whole new generation of bands. After the OAKENSHIELD debut midth of this year the Greek band HILDR VALKYRIE is presenting their powerful FALKENBACH inspired debut via the Russian label Stygian Crypt. The only member Hildr Valkyrie who was also a member of the first only female Black Metal band LLOTH later renamed into ASTARTE nearly a decade ago invested a lot of time and passion to release “Shield Brothers Of Valhalla” and even if it has taken over three years it was worth all efforts. If we are talking about a FALKENBACH inspired band it’s quite clear that no real “Frost” wind is blowing over the misty Fjord so nobody should expect a modern version of ENSLAVED or HELHEIM. The band is concentrating on the term Hymn, so passion is much more important than pure aggression and the 8 mid-tempo songs are a lasting trip to our Nordic ancestors. The title track is without doubt the real highlight of this 60 minutes journey because all major trademarks (female vocals, great keys and a lot of pathos) had been summarized into one fantastic song. Think that the two bonus tracks from FALKENBACH and BATHORY (‘Ring Of Gold’) are a real tribute to HILDR VALKYRIE’s own musical gods and I hope that the release will reach all Pagan fans which are looking for a more challenging release than the 25th Humpa Metal clown / clone. www.hildrvalkyrie.com, www.stygiancrypt.com