I'm not really sure what to make of this CD, which comes from a band not too far from my own stomping grounds. Odin's Fierce Divine, by Norsewind, is another older CD I've dug out from the post-move backlog and I gave it a listen out of curiosity.

The band, from Berks County, Pennsylvania, describes its music alternatively as "guerrilla folk," "Norse folk" and "Irish folk." Members are listed only as Daniel Norse (guitar, voice, bass, mandolin), Dirly Dan (fiddle, backing vocals), Anna (cymbals, troll drum, didge, voice) and Kevin Blacksmith (main hammer drum).

The music is ... well, it's fine, I guess. They're not terrible musicians, but the performance does nothing to draw me in. Vocals -- with a lot of growling and shouting mixed in -- seem more gimmick than craft, a notion solidified by the use of wolf, horse, storm and bird sound effects.

They're striving for something here, but I'm not sure the band even knows what it is. They definitely want to be seen as hardcore Nordic pagans, but I'm not feeling it.

Casting about online to see if Norsewind still exists (it looks like they went on hiatus in 2017) I found a bio in which they wrote, "Please, do not compare us, it is not sensible. We are different, we are hooligans, we are tame, we are our ancestors, we will make you clap, dance, sing, raise your hammers high and SHOUT!!!!.........the burning desire that we all seek!!!" Um, OK. I really didn't enjoy this one, and for the record, I didn't shout.

NOTE: After completing this review, I did a cursory search on the Google and learned that members of Norsewind may have ties to some unsavory organizations. I don't know enough facts to go into details here, and that association doesn't appear to be reflected on this album in any way. Still, it's worth mentioning for anyone who is considering looking them up.