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In the review of Freya’s debut full-length As the Last Light Drains, Punknews editor Aubin commented that the record was "truly and completely confused. The band doesn't seem to know if wants to go for a post-hardcore sound like its contemporaries, or revert to a purely brutal hardcore act [...] Trapped within the record is a strong hardcore EP, and it seems to be struggling with a mediocre post-hardcore band that's just trying to whine its way to the surface." With their sophomore effort Lift the Curse, the band abandons the trendy post-hardcore attempts of their debut for their real strength in brutal metallic hardcore.

Made up of 3/5ths of vegan straight-edge pioneers Earth Crisis, Freya provides an updated metallic sound to fit in with the likes of Cancer Bats or Most Precious Blood that still keeps its roots in traditional hardcore. Breakneck rhythms stop only for ornamented double-bass breakdowns and the ultra-heavy guitars pummel for song after song not letting up until the conclusion of the record, a slightly shortened, but still played-out cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” “Down to the Last” is the most impressive track on the album, with a lightspeed verse that ducks into a chorus composed of slicing guitars and rhythmic hills and valleys.

The music all flows very well, though partly due to the repeating sounds and musical themes from track to track (the pre-verse and verse of “Alleviate” and “Through the Eyes of the Angel of Death” are almost identical!). Unlike the straightforward social messages of Earth Crisis, Freya is drenched in imagery of Norse myths (after all, Freya is the Norse goddess of fertility, who according to myth, urged a man to kidnap and commit murder in order to start a war).

Freya is proof that Victory Records is not purely devoted to selling watered down substance-less music like Hawthorne Heights or Four Letter Lie to the radio-happy masses. Lift the Curse, imperfect as it is, is a huge step up from As the Light Drains, and a step back in the right direction from a band whose members helped forge a hardcore revolution (love it or hate it) in Earth Crisis.



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    Posted by moneenerd on 2007-03-19 06:30:55

    I downloaded this hoping itd be way better than SUNLIGHT but it was actually worse. 3 stars is a lot, IMO.

    Posted by T-tron on 2007-03-18 16:10:08

    screw earth crisis and this band, i'm sure no one but earth crisis face dude listens to this crap

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2007-03-17 00:48:02

    They are still around, and this is only their second album? Damn.

    Two full lengths and a split with Hoods.

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2007-03-17 00:47:10

    Frayja sucked ass in Shining Force II.

    Dude, Frayja is a beast. He's so easy to level, he was as strong as anyone on my force and dude knew Aura 4.

    'Nuff said.

    As for the album, this is boring hardcore. Not bad, but not good, and not worth the time.

    Posted by Greenvandal on 2007-03-16 23:26:53
    My Score:

    Good thing these guys abandoned that trendy post-hardcore sound and jumped on the much less derivative metalcore train.

    Also, coverart is retarded. If the coverart ain't good then the band ain't good.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 16, 2007 at 11:20 PM (EDT)

    "Through the eyes of the angel of death". Cross between a Slayer song and a shitty deathcore band.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 16, 2007 at 11:17 PM (EDT)

    I can't decide what's shittier. Christian hardcore, or straight edge hardcore.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 16, 2007 at 7:28 PM (EDT)

    the review on there previous album is completely correct.
    this album is mediocre to say the most.

    but ill give it a couple listens

    Posted by lol_omg_wtf_nambla on 2007-03-16 19:07:29

    If you're gonna name your band after a Norse god, why drop a Bible reference on your album? That's just confusing.

    Posted by feeeding5000 on 2007-03-16 15:16:32

    I thought for sure that CrazyToledo would have reviewed this, but I guessed wrong. Oh, well, I never really liked "classic" Victory HC anyway - Earth Crisis pretty much tossed hardcore to the Headbanger's Ball crowd, and riuned SXE's moderately good name. Blecch.

    Posted by tenwestchaser on 2007-03-16 13:36:12

    They are still around, and this is only their second album? Damn.

    Posted by JKyle on 2007-03-16 12:27:04

    Oh, these aren't the guys who had a song on GH2? My bad.

    Fact-checking is for winners.

    Posted by Ianw on 2007-03-16 09:27:19

    Freya by The Sword > Freya the band

    Posted by JKyle on 2007-03-16 04:56:19

    I hate these guys, and it's all because of Guitar Hero II.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 16, 2007 at 1:50 AM (EDT)

    Frayja sucked ass in Shining Force II.

    -Ken

    Posted by ashtraymonument on 2007-03-16 00:52:51

    i thought this band died. i used to like the title track from as the light drains in 2003. but now its more or less meh

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