Just before writing this down, I had a little work in Mangalore, which is about a half hour's drive from Surathkal, where I stay. So I hopped on one of those bustling express buses which are usually jam packed and tilt dangerously to one side while doing battle with the dreaded NH 17  – yes, it can get quite distressing at times. Usually, my aversion to travel to Mangalore (be it for any reason) can be attributed to the very same bus ride. This time however, I made sure that I had the new Valkyrie CD on me and I think I can safely say that I’ve had my best ride to the city yet. The route isn't particularly scenic or anything, but I think it would surely count as a drive by ‘the country' except that you have these huge, ancient factories whipping out smoke of every shade of grey amidst large patches of dry, shrubby vegetation. This and being lucky enough to obtain a window seat, coupled with Valkyrie’s soaring epicness, quite simply put, made my day. Everything just seemed to fit.

Stylistically speaking, Man Of Two Visions is not too different from their self-titled debut actually. Both of ‘em close in at around 40 minutes. Both give off that classic doomy vibe. Both play host to a chockfull of memorable tunes and blistering rock-with-your-cock-out solos. Both maintain a riveting bass-drum combo. Both are rife with NWOBHM stylings (with the gallops and harmonies and whatnot). Both have the odd, folksy, surreal instrumental (two in case of this record). And most importantly both kick some righteous ass. But don’t you folks go thinking that Valkyrie has put out the same album twice. Oh no. Man Of Two Visions definitely has a lot on offer.

The album opens with a drum intro on Running Out. A little less than 40 seconds into the song, you’re met with a chunky riff that instantly summons that part of the brain that makes you flail about like RockOut Boy . Throughout the album, the bass and drums complement the galloping guitars really well and this song is no exception. The songs carry an almost nostalgically positive attitude (think of the early Maiden records to catch wind of what I’m saying) conveyed through the melodic sensibilities of the Adams brothers’ harmonized riffs and the lyrics. For example, from Dawntide’s Breeze:

“Destroy the hatred in your heart,
And fill it up with thoughts of love.
You must believe in your own destiny,
And let dayspring set you free”

I can imagine, it must be great fun for the duo to come up with those bent note harmonized twin leads and riffs which take streams of thought from diverse influences ranging from Jethro Tull to Uriah Heep to Wishbone Ash to Thin Lizzy to Lynyrd Skynyrd and guide them through the doomy waters where bands like The Obsessed and Pentagram like to bask. Next up, Green Highlander (one of the instrumental tracks I was talking about), with its arpeggiated clean guitars and mellow leads, sets you up nicely for the epic Apocalypse Unsealed. The Gorge is the other acoustic instrumental and for some reason, it conjures up images of older, simpler times when all a kid needed to do to have fun was to chase ducks by the lake. The last song on the album, the title track, is the longest song on the album standing a lofty 7 minutes. Beginning with a definitive Sabbath stomp and thundering on for a while, true to its name, the schizophrenic Man Of Two Visions, transforms from its slow paced doom trudge to a mid paced lead section, more than worthy enough of closing the album.

I don’t think I should say that this is better than its predecessor (probably because I liked the first one so much) but Valkyrie have truly progressed and all I can do is wait eagerly for their next one. Also remember that repetition brings good things, so don’t throw this one away outright only after a few spins. Wait for the melodies to stick on and you’ll be a fan for sure. Man Of Two Visions is a fantastic album in its own right and I have no doubt that my ‘traditional’ doom needs will be satiated by this for a long time to come (I'll be carrying this sucker on all my Mangalore trips). Now, where’s that new Witchcraft?



Label - Noble Origin
Year of Release - 2008