Everyone’s favorite dragon porn series has succeeded where so many others before it have failed. Against all odds, "Game of Thrones" has managed to make fantasy novels sexy: burly, hirsute tribesmen and corset-busting maidens populate an intrigue-infested feudal world, slicing and dicing their way towards Valhalla beneath a hypothetical soundtrack comprised of Motörhead standbys and Amon Amarth deep cuts. It sounds like The Silmarillion Mach 7, and has proven to be popular with everyone from the bumbling professor next door to your grandma’s hairdresser, but what about the old school fantasy fans? What about the nerds?
Fear not, fellow geeks. Summoning’s got your back. It’s undeniable that these Austrian keyboard enthusiasts are dyed-in-the-wool Tolkien obsessives, swiveling the epic scope of "Lord of the Rings" square onto the soaring highs and rumbling lows of Bathory’s Viking odes. There’s a lot more to them than that, of course, even in simply musical terms. Their latest album, Old Mornings Dawn, marks their seventh foray into Middle Earth (not counting a handful of demos and EPs) and will feel like a homecoming to longtime fans. Its lineage can be traced straight back to their 1995 classic Minas Morgul, but these old dogs have picked up a trick or two along the way as their stellar recent output will attest. Their last full-length, Oath Bound, came out back in 2006, and showed a marked progression from its predecessor; Old Mornings Dawn follows the same path especially when the guitar lines are concerned, but spends plenty of time looking backwards towards past triumphs, as well.
The core Summoning sound has barely changed since before the original Nordic black metal’s Second Wave entered its death throes, and Burzum and Emperor’s obvious impact on their sound is proof enough that its roots within that circle are still firm. Protector and Silenius adhere to a strict formula of hypnotic black metal riffs, grandiose keyboard melodies, and vocals that range from harsh, throaty croaks to rumbling spoken word, topped off with a heady swig of pagan folk metal’s chants and choruses. The title track features a rousing choir of Vikings in full voice, and more traditional male/female choirs add color to the majority of the album as well. There’s a sweeping cinematic feel to the proceedings; if any of you guys know Peter Jackson’s sound guy, now might be the time to give him a call. The keyboards often take center stage, piling on the cheese and, at times, stifling the guitar work. Summoning’s approach is an acquired taste, to be sure, but sports acres more heft than is offered by similarly key-heavy “epic” metal bands like Rhapsody of Fire or Blind Guardian. There’s a darkness to it.
That’s nothing compared to the rhythm section, though. Long a thorn in purists’ sides, Summoning’s now legendary programmed drums are unapologetically inorganic, an essential afterthought that come across as almost militaristic in their simplicity. They even skitter into bongo-driven territory on tracks like “Flammifer”, “Earthshine,” and “Of Pale White Morn”, the latter of which sounds like an outtake from Disney’s Tarzan soundtrack until the guitars... and Orc sounds kick in.
Yep. Summoning is so slavishly devoted to their cause that they’ll toss in Orc samples when the moment feels right. You’d almost wonder if these guys are serious, but the diverse and beautifully orchestrated songwriting on this album speaks for itself. Old Mornings Dawn is a more than worthy addition to their canon, and a wholly satisfying treat for fans who’ve been waiting nearly a decade for the next adventure.
