Sometimes, applying a certain genre tag to a band doesn’t really do its sound any justice. Going by stylistic characteristics and influences alone, Vendel can be placed firmly within epic heavy/doom metal territory. And yet, they sound nothing like the Manilla Road, Manowar and Solitude Aeturnus wannabes that scene is generally associated with. No matter what you choose to call Vendel’s music, however, their first full-length ‘Out in the Fields’ is an excellent collection of epic metal songs recorded by a band that clearly has a strong vision of what they want their music to sound like.

What does Vendel sound like, then? Their fairly heavy riffs largely stay within the slower end of the mid-tempo spectrum, though the overall tempo is a bit higher than what is common for doom metal, and occasional uptempo passages pop up. Candlemass appears to be an influence on the rhythm guitar work, but Vendel’s riffs-per-song count is considerably higher. Sergey Kargalskiy’s solos also have a looser, more bluesy feel than those of most lead guitarists in the genre, though his leads do have that same storytelling character that epic heavy metal is known for. All of this creates a fairly original sound, despite its familiar elements.

Another thing that sets ‘Out in the Fields’ apart is the fact that it has a quite modern, crisp production. Sergey Skorodumov’s drums sound huge and thunderous, and this definitely helps the album sound as impressive as it does. He is also quite creative in his drum parts, but never overplaying, which is a quality very few metal drummers possess. Alexey Goryachev’s voice has quite a unique character as well. His higher register would have fit well with any German power metal band of the late eighties, while his mid-range has a semi-rough snarl that could work with relatively melodic thrash metal just as well.

‘Out in the Fields’ consists of five long songs and an intro, but the songs never feel long. It’s obvious that a song like the fantastic title track takes time to build up its story, but every part has a purpose. Also, songs like the (slightly) shorter ‘Never Surrender’ and the excellent opener ‘Defender’ are compact and accessible enough to mistake them for much shorter heavy metal songs. ‘Dirge’ is more traditionally doomy, though still quite epic in scope and riff count, while the thirteen-minute ‘Vengeance’ evolves from crushing doom to a triplet-heavy part that sounds like a contemporary take on the climaxes of Black Sabbath’s songs.

Ultimately, Vendel appears to be about bringing the old and the new together in a fairly unique way. Their songwriting approach is decidedly old school, but they don’t need their album to sound like it was recorded in a budget studio in 1981. Epic storytelling is an indispensable part of what they do, but their singer doesn’t have to be overly dramatic the whole time. It’s these little different, but not too out of the ordinary touches that make ‘Out of the Fields’ a breath of fresh air in the current epic heavy/doom metal scene. A very worthy debut album.

Recommended tracks: ‘Defender’, ‘Out in the Fields’, ‘Never Surrender’