Swedish Viking metal veterans Thyrfing have undergone some lineup changes (most notably vocally) since their last offering in 2005, yet this quintet seems to have gained strength from the shakeup and have decisively become darker in the process. HELS VITE is the troupe’s icy seven-track statement, a releases which comes complete with a proper balance of menacing guitars, gargantuan drums, tortured growls, and keyboard flourishes driving cuts like “Griftefrid” straight down into the depths of Hell, while “Isolation” works under a deliberate pace while emitting dramatic blackened vibes accentuated with acoustic guitar interludes and battleground horns that you’d expect from any corpsepainted crew a cut above the median. If you’re a fan of bombastic black metal with an evil streak a mile wide, HELS VITE provides all the nuances necessary to get your demonic kicks. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS