"When I found all the promo stuff of Bloodaxe in my mail, I was at first surprised and then delighted.  First, you must know that Bloodaxe is a two men project and it's just about impossible to believe that they succeeded to create such a deal of violence and aggressiveness.  In Battle has been composed by the Norwegian-Canadian guitarist, vocalist and bassist, Nordavinden Lien in three weeks and recorded in the - lets say - underground fashion.  The recording isn't so bad for a first demo Mcd.  What stunned me the most about Bloodaxe is that the band has their own personality, their own universe.  They aren't just another "cut and paste" version of a big viking band like Enslaved or any other.  Bloodaxe is Bloodaxe.  The sound is personalized and hasn't been heard before.  It may sound like a chaotic cacophony to a weak ear but a listener who appeals to his intelligence can easily discern all the complexity and talent of Bloodaxe's musical skills.  They really deserve their title of Extreme Viking Black Metal.

7.5/10

GRIMNESS' LAIR  (Canada)

Bloodaxe is strong music for strong people.  True Northern Metal that pays respect to the True Northern experience and its history.  War, violence and battle are all aspects of this culture, but the Vikings and their kind also saw these terrible things as the path to the ultimate peace.  True valour and beauty can indeed be found amid harshness.  Similarly, often what appears to be a cacophony is truly a symphony - the listener must simply listen for the sounds between the notes, and perceive the emotion amid the chaos.  The music of Bloodaxe is complex - an experience not to be taken lightly - it is not for the weak, and the best way to reach Valhalla is to be strong in battle.

Eric Weller
President
Meathead Records 2000

This is a demo recording that preceded the band's first full-length album (Bloodthrone). Unsurpringly, since this is a demo the production is quite minimal even for the genre, but it's still good enough to be listenable. The vocals are mixed a little bit too low - lower than on the full-length where they were giving the desired effect. It's practically impossible to decipher any word and the lyrics are not included. Oh well, I've seen worse in that department so I'll live. ;) The songs are pretty short, and there are a couple of instrumentals (4th and 6th tracks). The 4th one is very short at 40 seconds and sounds a bit folkish. The 6th one closes the album on a bit of a "sorrow" note. Not bad, but they definitely sound like demo material (well duh!) The other songs are more in line with what you can expect from very raw and fast Black Metal, and a good idea of what was to come on "Bloodthrone". It's well executed, although not as effective as the "Bloodthrone" material. Still quite a good listen that shows the band's early work, so this will be mostly of interest to fans.

Overall not a bad demo, of course not as mature as the full-length that followed the next year but the basic elements are all there. Some may find it a bit unpolished and prefer to stick to the full-length album. This demo is sold out anyway, so if you want it you'll have to find someone willing to part with their copy. Hey, it worked for me. ;)

Michel Renaud

Metal Crypt (Canada)

Bloodaxe - In Battle (EP)
Rokkonesløkk Records, 2000
7/10

This is the demo recording by Thunder Bay's Bloodaxe, the old school Black Metal duo who gave us 2001's "Bloodthrone".  The production is, expectedly, a little poorer than the full - length, with the vocals coming out fairly low in the mix.  The guitar tone is very thick, in a black metal sort of way, and boosts the power of the cool riffing on tracks like "Hall of Bilskirnir".  I didn't care too much for the loose snare sound, but Rati's drumming was as solid then as it is now.  Maybe I'm just catching on to the whole "feel" of black metal, but there is something hypnotic about the way the songs move from riff to riff.  It's as if I was trying to find my way out of a very dark room with no door after dropping 3 or 4 hits of acid.  Unsettling and entrancing. " Svartalfaheim" is an acoustic piece powered by the Norse culture of which Bloodaxe is based upon, and "Freya's Caress" seems like the black metal version of Cliff Burton's classic bass solo "Anesthesia".  Moments like this will do away with the critics who occasionally blast the black metal scene for it's frequently  repetitive nature.  The layout and art on this demo rivals most full - length albums, with some nice glossy art and runic lettering.  "In Battle", while not as impressive as the full - length, is still a great CD worth checking out.

Tartarean Desire (Sweden)

Bloodaxe - In Battle

This is one of those records where after just a few minutes of spinning it, I wonder if I should just take it off, throw it on my CD shelf and just forget about it.  I got this feeling right away with Blood Axe.  I didn't know what to do.  The sound quality of this supposed "Viking Metal" from Canada was just abominable.  The voices were so low in the mix (almost in audible at times) that I had to turn it up just to hear snippets of gargling metal groans.  And the music?  There is nothing at all creative about what Battle Axe do.  Their music is just mediocre at best, no doubt its effect deflated by the miserable production and horrendous  vocals.  Only good point: the artwork.  I think Battle Axe better brush up on their production skills before they try to forge forward new ground with their Viking Metal.  I'd rather jump into a fjord then spin this disc again - serious.

2/10

Adriana Bromely /Chronicles of Chaos (Canada)