My Reviews of Rebellion's Discography from 2002 until 2023: Part One

Shakespeare's Macbeth - A Tragedy in Steel (2002)

A Straight and Fresh Conceptual Masterpiece

This conceptual album about Shakespeare's Macbeth is an output that asks you to activate not only your ears but also your mind and fantasy. This is a true metal opera without annoying guest singers and orchestras. The extremely diversified voice of Michael Seifert who is able to sing the lowest as well as the highest notes with his emotional and rough voice, a few narrative parts with small sound effects and the traditional melodic guitars, pumping basses and tight drums are enough to carry this album that focuses on the essential heavy metal trademarks. The record is thus an interesting alternative to somewhat overloaded conceptual albums from Avantasia or Ayreon. Rebellion simply plays traditional and heavy power metal with guts and doesn't try to impress with high speed or exotic instruments like Blind Guardian. I really think that this album is underrated and should be more popular as it could please to people who are looking for a straight but somewhat interesting and not stereotypical power metal output. 

While the band delivers some really epic and elaborate but still straight and heavy songs with narrative bridges and atmospheric overtures and codas like on the outstanding "Husbandry in Heaven", the band doesn't forget to play some shorter rockers like the well-sought opener "Disdaining Fortune" or the somewhat catchy "Evil Speaks". The memorable "The Dead Arise" unites epic emotions and catchy melodies and is probably amongst the best songs on this record.

The only negative point is that it is almost impossible to listen to a song on its own because the narrative parts and epic structures include every single song in the whole conceptual context. There is nothing like a possible single or little break and it is very difficult to pick out single tracks. This album works as a whole in its concept and one should listen to it from the beginning to the end as it is somewhat a theatre play for your ears and you can't just go to the theatre and watch the second act and ignore the first and third ones. Imagine it like a movie with a length of about almost eighty minutes where you get into the cinema to watch the part from the fiftieth to the sixtieth minute without without having a look at the rest. You may be able to say that the single part seems to be interesting and entertaining but you can't truly appreciate it without its context. This album demands multiple listenings and a lot of time and that can be frustrating and long sometimes. On a perfect conceptual album like maybe Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime (or also on the loosely bound Rebellion trilogy about the history of the Vikings) the songs also work on their own and not only as a whole structure. That is the only downside of this stunning album and a reason why I rather rarely listen to it. Even if you dislike the album because of its long parts, you simply can't deny that the musicians put a lot of time, talent and passion into this output and you can feel this all the time.

When I listen to the album, I take my time to explore and appreciate it in its full range and I would suggest anyone to do so as this output is nothing for the fast-food metal heads. 

Final Rating: 85%

Born a Rebel (2003)

Drink and Bang Your Heads with Your Brothers of Metal

This album is until now the only Rebellion output that isn't based on any main topic and has no conceptual boundaries. That's why one should think that this might be their most diversified album where the band could have tried out everything it wanted to.

But instead of fulfilling such expectations, Born a Rebel is the band's weakest output by far. Let me explain why.

First of all, the stereotypical cover artwork already offers a little glimpse at what kind of lyrics you will have to expect. This album regrettably fulfills all the stereotypes and offers songs that talk about being a rebel and being metal ("Born a Rebel"), about being brothers and stand together ("One for All") or about metal music and its attitude or perception ("Devil's Child"). The lyrics are not much more original than those of Manowar. And that's a really sad and ridiculous thing if I think about what great songwriters Tomi Göttlich and Uwe Lulis are.

The second negative point is the music itself. After only three songs, the band begins to repeat the same patterns and sounds like a stereotypical Teutonian metal band in the key of Grave Digger and company. Hard rocking riffs, epic and harsh choruses and a very charismatic and unusual voice lead through the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus patterns and miss out to surprise us. "Born a Rebel" or "Adrenaline" are quite decent heavy metal or even hard rock songs without the glimpse of a doubt but most of the songs head in the same direction and the normally decent music gets quite quickly boring and predictable.

The best and most outstanding song is the ballad "Iron Flames" where Michael Seifert delivers an incredibly emotional job and shows us his true talent that is only briefly shown in the other repeating patterns. He shows that he is one of the best of his kind and his high screams remind me of a Tim "Ripper" Owens. He is surely better than Chris Boltendahl from Grave Digger.

All in all, this was surely intended to be a party metal album that should rock and invite you and your brothers of metal to bang your heads and drink some beers. From this point of view, the album achieves its goals and is easy to listen to. From an intellectual or more open-minded point of view the album is quite traditional, repeating and filled with the worst kind of stereotypes and not at all comparable to the usual material of the band.

Final Rating: 62%

Sagas of Iceland - The History of the Vikings - Volume I (2005)

 The True Masterpiece of Viking Metal

So many so-called Viking Metal bands such as the old legends of Bathory, the very popular Amon Amarth or rather recent bands like Tyr have all sung about the history of the Vikings, some of them have done very innovating and progressive jobs as others have created silly clichés and failed their approaches. But the ultimate album about Vikings is this one by the rather unknown German power metal band Rebellion. This first part of the trilogy has got everything I would expect from such an album.

First of all, the lyrics are authentic and there is a very good research behind them as some of the band members are history teachers and know what they are talking about. Instead of dealing with clichés and creating epic fantasy stories, the lyrics and personalities shown and presented throughout the songs are authentic and seem to become real. Although there is this very intellectual approach, the album is pure heavy metal and deals with the typical trademarks.

Second, the band doesn't need folk instruments or majestic choirs to underline their epic conceptual album as they simply decided to write some straight and yet very diversified songs that fit to the portraits of the different stories. They don't need to write songs with a length of ten minutes or above, they simply develop an amazing and intense atmosphere in only four or five minutes with only two songs with a length above six minutes. I have rarely seen or heard such a consistent, diversified and entertaining album. This album is grounded and easy to approach but you still discover well-hidden details after several tries in some of the more complex songs.

The third point is that this album has a truly majestic atmosphere and is epic in every sense of the word. It's a milestone of a conceptual album.

Now, let's talk about some of the best songs in here to show the diversity, talent, passion, professionalism and intelligence of this band. After a short and sweet instrumental introduction comes the first heathen hammer of the north. "Ynglinga Saga" is the longest track on this output. It has atmospheric parts with some acoustic guitars, a very heroic anthem as a chorus, and some amazing solos without any lengths and has not a single second of useless boredom. The vocals are great, diversified, powerful, epic and heavy. I know that the categorization of power metal may frighten some people but this band has nothing to do with other European kitsch bands and sounds rather like a heavy Teutonic metal brigade that reunites the trademarks of the traditional metal scene with the intellectual approach and courage of the modern times to write and sing about a historic topic. It’s probably my favourite track on this brilliant album. This first full length song takes no prisoners and should already convince any critical voices.

If this is not the case yet, the next song called "The Sons of the Dragon Slayer (Blood Eagle)" will do the rest. This song goes straight in the face and has a wild, pitiless and Barbarian touch with some sharp riffs, a very powerful voice and an amazing solo. Heaviness, melody and originality are mixed together in this masterpiece for the ages.

The other songs aren't weaker and one highlight is followed by the next. From the heroic anthem "Eric the Red" and the quite original half ballad "Treason" to the silent, melodic and haunting experiment "Canute the Great (The King of Danish Pride)", this album delivers a potpourri of great entertainment by mixing interesting topics, sharp riffs, powerful choruses and emotional solos to an atmospheric killer album without any filler material.

Forget about Amon Amarth, Tyr, Turisas and so on. Head for this album if you want to discover the ultimate masterpiece of the true Viking Metal.

Final Rating: 97%

Miklagard (2006)

A Nice Little Gem

After the straight Teutonic approach of the epic first part of the trilogy, Rebellion might have realized that they had already created their personal opus magnum and wanted to try out something different and new without denying their traditional trademarks. What came out of this is a very well done single with a truly beautiful video clip.

The song of this limited gem starts with a dreamy and very impressive main riff before an epic chant comes in as well as a solid bass line and heavy drums. The chorus is written for the ages and will stay forever on your mind once you have listened to it. In comparison to other works of the band, this song is quite calm and doesn't need a guitar solo. The singer is varying more than ever with soft but strong whisperings, rough roaring and epic melodic approaches. He shows that he is one of the most talented singers of his kind and he is the most important factor alongside the very hypnotic riff and catchy chorus to create a truly epic atmosphere. In the beginning, the song may sound unusual and even repetitive but after a while I realized that this is probably the strongest track of the upcoming record and something fresh and new after all the things the band had already created.

If you have the occasion to purchase this limited gem, you should do it, even if the song is included on the next album. The video clip is brilliant, the cover truly beautiful and the song is worth buying it alone to support the band. The only negative point which rates my voting down is that there is only one song on this gem and that the band could have made something greater out of this occasion as they have later done with an amazing EP.

Final Grade: 88%

Miklagard - The History of the Vikings - Volume II (2007)

 Too Straight and Traditional

Two years after the brilliant first part of the trilogy, I was really looking forward and expecting very much from this second part. My question was if the band would be able to keep up the high level and recreate the epic atmosphere of their last opus magnum.

Finally, this album wasn't able to keep up with the previous one and I was quite disappointed at the time it came out. But it isn't a bad album after all and has some killer tracks on it like the atmospheric and surprising opener "Vi seglar mot Miklagard", the very slow and melodic title track "Miklagard" which has become my favourite song on the record or the closing epic "The Uprising" that grows more and more every time I listen to it.

The main problem of the album is that most of the songs sound quite alike. A short introduction, a few fast riffs, a powerful chorus and a couple of solos during the bridge and once again a powerful chorus in the end are the base of most of the songs. While many songs are fast, heavy and straight in your face, the epic factor and the diversity of the last album has gone away and there are some fillers on the record.

Some better examples of this kind of approach are the fast Viking hymn "Ulfberth" or the rather epic "Kiew" but songs like the opener "Sweden" or the stereotypical failure "Taste of Steel" are rather boring. The album has not the intellectual approach I was expecting, the intense atmosphere I was longing for and the diversity I have admired on the last album. This record is mostly fast and rhythm-orientated and sounds like typical Teutonic metal in the key of Grave Digger. I must attest a surprising lack of identity for this record.

This album is still solid overall but far away from the excellence of the first part of trilogy and also of the diversity of the strong third part of the trilogy. The traditional metal fans will surely like it for its straightness but I was expecting more.

Final Rating: 72%

The Clans Are Marching (2009)

A Convincing Return to Force

After the rather weak second part of the trilogy, I was still hoping for a great comeback and authentic and atmospheric third part of Rebellion's trilogy about the history of the Vikings, but the last album was delayed many times and this EP was finally released shortly before the final part was published.

I just can say that this brilliant little gem was worth waiting for. "The Clans Are Marching" is a cover of the legendary song by Grave Digger and this new version has a more epic introduction and some faster and sharper riff attacks. The singer of Rebellion does a more emotional and diversified job than Grave Digger's Chris Boltendahl did more than a decade earlier and though I like both versions a lot, I must admit that the new one is better from a technical point of view. This song is way more than just a cover song and has its own approach and flair as it fits the style of the band.

"Arise" is taken from the upcoming album and a melodic and epic track with a catchy chorus and mystical atmosphere that reminds of the brilliant first part of the trilogy.

"Ragnarök" has also a mystical atmosphere and is a little bit more complex than the previous song and less easy to approach but surely a great little epic track that creates high hopes and expectations for the next release.

"My Blood in the Snow" is an exclusive track that didn't make it onto the next album and I ask myself why because this song is atmospheric, diversified and powerful and especially brilliantly sung. This track reminds me positively of the style of the first part of the trilogy and is maybe even the best part of this great EP.

Finally, there is also a video clip for a live performance of the first track that is of a weak quality as it has been shot by a little hand camera. But the song shows that the band has a great stage presence and is able to animate a big crowd.

All in all, this EP is a great gimmick for any fan of the band and for me the rebirth of the style that I admired so much on the first part of the trilogy. I would say that this is easily the best single or EP of the year 2009 and I quite often listen to it as it is short, diversified and yet pure heavy metal. By the way, it is better than the band's last little gem, the Miklagard single output.

Final Rating: 96% 

Arise: From Ginnungagap to Ragnarök - The History of the Vikings - Volume III (2009)

 Almost as Strong as the First Part

After a great little EP, the band finally released the third and last part of their Viking trilogy one month later. This album is a rebirth of the style of the band's first opus magnum and is by far better than the previous second part but not as good as the first one.

The album is quite diversified and offers anything from straight and pitiless killers to rather calm and experimental songs. "War" is for example a straight and yet diversified opener with acoustic parts, drum breaks and a dark chorus that will easily stay on your mind. I think that this is a quite creative and heavy way to open an album.

On the other hand, there is the rather calm "Thor" that is consistently building up a gloomy atmosphere with many small changes in style that are difficult to approach but very interesting to discover.

The very epic and atmospheric album closer "Einherjar" is rather calm and atmospheric but a very intense experience and would even have been a masterpiece on the first part of the trilogy and I think that the song fulfills its expectations as very last part of a finally stunning and interesting trilogy.

Some songs are able to unite the epic diversity and heavy patterns as the melodic, epic and worthy title track "Arise" which is one of my favourite songs of the record.

Another outstanding tune is "Runes" which has the typical heavy metal trademarks combined with an epic atmosphere that suits the fascinating storytelling. This song has the most potential to grow on listeners as time goes by. I would qualify this song as my hidden gem on this output. 

The only thing that rates this album a little bit down is the fact that some rather repetitive and faceless heavy songs have made it onto the album that remind of the ordinary riff attacks of some parts of the last record. "Asgard" for instance is fast and heavy but also forgettable and predictable.

Similar things could be said about ''Bolverk''. The song might be short and sweet but has no outstanding or redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's a filler that rushes by without leaving any impression whatsoever.

Such songs are overall exceptional cases on the album and don't disturb the pleasure of listening to this record. What I am however also a little bit missing on this record is a truly catchy chorus but as the songs are mostly quite diversified, it is acceptable that the sing-along factor has heavily gone down in comparison to the two previous albums.

To sum it up, this album is a great rebirth for the band and apart of two or three mediocre exceptions, this release turns out to be as strong as the first part of the trilogy and easily better than many outputs by uncountable self-proclaimed Viking Metal bands that should listen to this album, be inspired and take notes. This album is surely one of the absolute highlights of the year 2009.

Final Rating: 89%