After spending the whole day listening to albums on my waiting list, I suddenly felt like listening to something black and pagan, so I decided to give Heathen Path by Nordblut another listen. It’s an album that’s been waiting to be reviewed for a while now. Released in 2025, it is the second album by the Austrian blackened pagan metal band, following their debut release Av liv og kamp in 2022.
Heathen Path is a blackened pagan metal album with a varied structure, featuring several distinct sections. It strikes a balance between intensity, with fairly fast tempos, and more measured passages. Throughout the album, Nordblut crafts an atmosphere of legendary and heroic battles. This atmosphere is most pronounced on the tracks Blutadler and Heathen Rebellion. In the mix, the vocals and drums are brought to the fore creating a brutal soundscape. The production allows the listener to appreciate every moment and every instrument.
The sharp, raw guitars set a violent pace, but that’s not all, the musicians balance their compositions with melodic sections, such as those found on the track In die neue Welt. The drumming is dynamic and organic, pounding with ferocity and resonance. At times, it takes on a martial feel. I find that it reaches its peak on tracks such as Abglanz der Schlacht and Skogamor.
The vocals are screaming and harsh, and make an immediate impact right from the first track. they continue to dominate throughout the album. But it is on tracks like In die neue Welt that they reach their full intensity, proving to be relentless. I believe the vocals are the key element that makes this album so intense, and I applaud vocalist Hagazussa for this incredible performance.
Among the tracks I enjoyed was Sword of Asgard, with its structure that shifts between calm and intense moments, and the way it’s built using a more progressive approach. I also enjoyed the rhythm sections in the track Abglanz der Schlacht. I also liked the section in In die neue Welt from 3:31 onwards (which is actually my favourite track). On Blutadler, I liked the screams from 2:57 onwards.
Heathen Path is the album that introduced me to the band Nordblut and, subsequently, to their other album. It’s an album that captivated me in from the very first listen, and its musical intensity is remarkable, a well-nuanced and well-structured brand of blackened pagan metal. I highly recommend this album to my readers if they haven’t listened to it yet, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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