Review by Saxy S for Atavistia - Old Gods Awaken (2026)
You know, I'm not one to speak ill of this kind of over-the-top, epic fantasy music, especially when it comes to metal. I enjoy listening to Ensiferum, Amon Amarth and the like more than most, but sometimes you have to put your foot down. Symphonic strings can add a sweet new texture to an album, especially when the primary genre of that album is extreme metal (death and black metal), but they do have to be mixed well to work.
Old Gods Awaken by the B.C. based Atavistia is one such example of this. Fundamentally, the album is adequate, but the orchestral arrangements are painfully forced. The strings are so close to the front of the mix that they start to take attention away from the primary metal base. Of course, a change in instrumental texture doesn't make an album good or bad,, but what else does Atavistia do to stand out from their symphonic/folk metal contemporaries?
Well...not much. If you've listened to Wintersun before, then you pretty much know what else you're getting out of this record. Like with Wintersun, Old Gods Awaken is quite bloated with its extended runtimes on individual songs. Songs like "Mystic Tavern" and "Ride the White Storm" have strong grooves with the occasional tight chorus, but they get overshadowed by an extended bridge or instrumental solo. The middle of the record shares some more concise runtime, but with some less than stellar choruses. While the album closer, "Old Gods Awaken" runs on for about six minutes too long.
And that's about it. Atavistia, for all of their good intentions, are unable to develop a sound for themselves. Or, at the very least, produce an album that doesn't sound bloated. This is the bands fourth full length and it sounds like they haven't changed their sound at all. The mix is too overbearing and many of Old Gods Awaken's best moments are hidden behind a wall-of-sound that should never have been there.
Best Songs: To a New World, Goddess of My Dreams, Seeker of Time
For Fans Of: Ensiferum, Wintersun