#mightymusic — Public Fediverse posts

Holy shit, I thought these dudes were gone forever! A guilty pleasure, Raunchy hasn’t released an album since I last reviewed them in my first year as an idiotic dumbass Angry Metal writer. But no one has heard from them in a long fucking time. When I first discovered their impressive 2008 release, Wasteland Discotheque, I was on a kick to explore the underground who’s who of Danish metal. During that time, I not only came across Raunchy but also Mercenary, Panzerchrist, and Dominus.1 Spread across so many varying musical styles, each band’s discog at the time was on regular rotation in the Grier household. While all but Dominus remain, only Raunchy continues to prove they can make their tried-and-true sound remain relevant.

With this year’s Prisoner, Raunchy remains the best of the bunch—the rest of these Danes reached their peak in the early aughts. But that depends on the ears of the beholder. Raunchy are the masters of one of the strangest combinations of genres, unapologetically mixing groove, melodic death, metalcore, and industrial rock/metal. They are also a rare breed for a band that’s been in existence for over thirty years: they have refused to surrender their core lineup (having replaced two members in their thirty-four years of existence), nor have they ever swayed from their style. Love it or hate it, Raunchy is one of the best of the style, and they are back to take you Prisoner.

Right away, you know Raunchy hasn’t lost a step since 2014’s Vices.Virtues.Visions.. “Frostbite” kicks off with an industrial introduction before the guitars take over the rhythm and punch it forward in a Mercenary way. It’s a safe song to begin the album because it has all of the band’s classic elements: ooo’s and awww’s, cleans and harshies, ferocity and melody, and some of the best choruses out there. The follow-up track, “Stranded,” follows in its predecessor’s shoes, delivering an Evergrey-esque mid-paced groove before alternating between calm verses and harsh pre-choruses. With each iteration, the chorus’s emotion and power grow stronger until the tension finally erupts at the end.

One of my favorite parts about the album is the flow. You might get a half-second after one song before the next begins, making it as fluid as possible. While Vices.Virtues.Visions. was emotionally heavy, some Prisoner’s tracks pack a hefty punch. “Revealing I” is a Fear Factory-infused blast attack that somehow balances each heavy riff with the absolute beauty of the chorus. While not as continuously ferocious, the back half of “Vanishing Act” fuses badassery with tripletty. Its chorus is probably the least memorable on the album, but it’s still very strong. It’s also impressive that this chorus is the “worst,” because each one is worth the time.

For example, the only good quality of the cringey, pop-synth, bitchy-emo “Darkest Self” is the chorus. And, goddamn, it’s a good one. But each time it restarts with its verse and pre-chorus pattern, I’m not sure I can make it through. “Masquerade” doesn’t have the same flaws, but it’s unique to the band, requiring a few listens to appreciate nuances. To conclude this journey of societal growth, missteps, and seclusion, the title track’s breathtaking beauty and hopefulness cap Prisoner perfectly. This new record is at the same level as Vices.Virtues.Visions. in quality and memorability. But what makes them equals is their perfect pairing: one to tear at your heartstrings and the other to empower you to get through it.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Mighty Music
Websites: raunchydk.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ronniband
Releases Worldwide: August 14th, 2026

If these Danes had their way, the entrance to Valhalla would greet the deceased with the sounds of bagpipes, tin whistles, violins, and, of course, your standard heavy metal instruments. Vansind has been marrying Viking metal with folk instruments since 2019. While it took them four years to release their debut, Mørket, they released singles and an EP in trickles while showing off their stuff live. Now, 2026 sees them return with a vengeance on Hævnen. I mean that semantically rather than literally—hævnen is the Danish word for revenge, and Vansind seeks to explore “themes of revenge, betrayal, freedom, and sacrifice.”1 So put on your best Viking garb and pour yourself a heaping cup of mead as we check out what these Danes have to offer.

Take the melodic death metal of Amon Amarth and mix it with the energetic folk of Finntroll, and you’ve got a good base for Vansind. Despite the darker subject matter at hand, Hævnen is a much more upbeat sort of Viking metal than the likes of Bathory or Thyrfing—in fact, it’s much closer in style to symphonic power metal. Songs follow formulaic structures with catchy choruses and tons of hooks. Vansind has a little Coronatus in them, and their blend of beauty and beast style vocalists bears comparisons to Epica. J. Asgaard takes on the role of the beast, with death growls reminiscent of Amon Amarth’s Johann Hegg, and he allows enough melody to permeate his performance to create a compelling presence. Line Burglin, as Asgaard’s foil, has an uplifting, folky lilt and practically steals the show. Just listening to her part on the showstopping opener “Det Største Offer,” as she accompanies an inspired tin whistle, is pure bliss. Then on “Alvild,” while Asgaard’s growls portend darkness, Burglin’s catchy chorus transports you to a happier place. When Hævnen ends on the lower energy “Skæbnens Tunge Vej,” it’s thanks to her that the track doesn’t feel out of place.

Due to their adherence to unique folk instruments, Vansind has a distinct sound. And boy do they have hooks: guitar hooks, bagpipe hooks, tin whistle hooks, vocal hooks, right hooks, left—whoops! Wrong sport. The promo credits Rikke Klint Johansen with the bulk of the folk stuff, namely bagpipes, tin whistles, and keyboards. She does a commendable job of making those instruments some of the most memorable parts on Hævnen. The whistle in particular, plays a surprisingly prominent role. Along with the opening song, Johansen performs some catchy whistle parts on “Blodhævn” and “Det Sidste Nådeskys.” She’s also excellent on the bagpipes, with some great moments on “Alvild,” “I Yggdrasils Skygge,” and the finale.2 And, of course, the heavy metal parts are no slouch either. Danni Jelsgaard’s work on the kit provides a huge boost of energy that never wavers until the final tune. Kirk Backarach and Nikolaj Madsen both play some enjoyable melodic leads (“Det Største Offer,” “Blodhævn,” “Truslen Fra Dybet”) and a nice solo on “Alvild.” Instrumentally, there’s no weak link.

Though tons of fun, Hævnen lacks the edge and daring to really push it into great territory. One issue is Asgaard’s vocals. While overall an enjoyable performance, they feel too polished, monotonous, and lacking in power. Some extra volume and depth from his growls would have helped the tracks carry more weight, but either Asgaard or the mixing falls short. While the formulaic nature of the music serves to highlight the hooks, it also means Vansind plays things a little too safe. Some might also take issue with the song lengths, which mostly run at 5+ minutes. “Det Største Offer,” for example, is the longest at nine minutes, but I personally never felt bothered by this. When the hooks are as great as they are here, it’s tough to complain about repetitive formulas or songs running a little longer than usual.

Vansind have put out an incredibly fun piece of folk metal. “Det Største Offer” currently sits atop my song o’ the year list, and it’s going to be a tough one to top. While the rest of Hævnen doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights of that opener, there are plenty of other bangers throughout. This fun sophomore outing instills lots of hope for what Vansind can offer in the future. While the halls of Valhalla promise plenty of ecstasies for warriors slain in battle, Hævnen serves as an adequate substitute for the rest of us, especially alongside a generous helping of mead.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Mighty Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 1st, 2026