An endless feast served for ravens and wolves, the early Middle Ages-set clashes over turf, serf and settlement depicted within the themes of Moscow, Russia-based heavy metal quintet VENDEL are heroic both in terms of the scale of dark age carnage alluded to and in their treatment of dramatic and extended heavy metal pieces. Though they’re not yet full-on bardic storytellers just yet this still relatively new band present a wizened debut full-length album in ‘Out in the Fields‘, a high standard achieved in study of the canon and the timbre of epic heavy/doom metal where they fit in rather than stand starkly out within the limited stage for this niche tradition. While amped up production values and tightened performances go a long way to make a brilliant first impression here it is the notable bravado and still-emerging personae of the band which helps this work stick in mind as a tuneful and well characterized command of the old ways.

Vendel formed circa 2015 between various folks who’d either started with this group or were looking to branch out beyond the black or death metal they’d been creating otherwise. The intent of the band is epic heavy metal inspired by the Dark Ages (500-1000 CE) beyond the collapse of the Roman empire, a time of suggested “cultural decay” beyond classical antiquity. While the themes speak for themselves through finely curated art and a traditional aesthetic the music itself recognizes the most important voices in the ‘old school’ epic heavy metal tradition be it Candlemass and Solstice on the doomed spectrum or bands like Manilla Road and Bathory who’d found more elaborate and idiosyncratic vision over time. We could split the difference between those headspaces and point to Scald for precedence but I would say a fan of DoomSword or Argus would likewise enjoy their tradition-leaning range of vocalist Alexey Goryachev; Their first release would test those interests per a two song EP (‘Vendel‘, 2017). The song “Defender”, which is a major highlight on ‘Out in the Fields‘, could be considered a single in preamble at this point as that whole release was already indicative of what Vendel would ultimately sound like, of course with somewhat more raw treatment of the rhythm section and the rattle of the bass guitar has been sorted out since.

The release that’d gotten Vendel noticed by a much larger crowd would arrive in 2019, another short EP/single (‘Dirge‘, 2019) to further set precedence for the eventual realization of ‘Out in the Fields‘, serving as a key piece of its full listen. When I’d written about that EP I’d suggested it had a bit of Scald in its intent but also a Dawn of Winter-esque dramatism to its delivery, something a bit extra power metal adjacent from my point of view, and the addition of two classic cover songs helped seal my interest going forward. That song (“Dirge”) was the main reason I approached this debut LP with great enthusiasm and despite the familiar melody of the song it was something big and bold from a space that hasn’t been much sword-swinging fun for a couple of years now, at least not as often. Needless to say at this point all that Vendel really needed to do to impress me was deliver upon the promise, or even simply reach the same standard, of their EPs with this first full-length and yes, they’ve done a fine job of doing just that.

Having some great familiarity with at least two of these songs and getting two more substantial pieces in preview means most could confidently walk into ‘Out in the Fields‘ knowing what to expect as the only song unheard of yet is “Vengeance” and it bears some strong parity of experience with closer/title track “Out in the Fields” in terms of the full adventure served in its ~13.5 minute ride. This’d meant my observations begin with the production values, a present yet spacious render which is clean and crisply set with a brilliant rhythm guitar tone that has its own fiery crackle to its sustain and plenty of layers to ensure it is the biggest presence felt as “Defender” kicks off, cutting a ravine before the vocals soar into harmonized chorus. For me this’d been the most Atlantean Kodex feelin’ moment on the album to start and, again, that song hasn’t been modified drastically beyond far more expressive vocals from Goryachev and somewhat more buried bass guitar tone.

While I’d expected a Maiden-esque jog and some jabs of speed along the way I’d generally considered Vendel‘s style indicative of an epic heavy/doom metal band ’til I’d hit the swaggering jog of “Never Surrender” and there the full listen begins to speak to a broader spectrum of pace which is mostly patient but not limited to just one mode. The back half of the full listen is probably the strongest material for my own taste, though “Dirge” still has the biggest hook and the loudest wail, as I prefer when this type of band digs in for an epic rather than a contained heavy metal soldier piece. “Vengeance” basically combines everything that’d been inspired about the first two songs on ‘Out in the Fields‘ and make a mountain of it, this is where I’d say the vocalist creates the most tension and the guitarists really get to show off their thus far somewhat traditional arrangements with a bit of flair on both sides, breaking into several leads and more fleshed out doom metallic riffcraft; The title track appropriately serves as the peak, the finale, the charge-out, and probably the most mid-80’s era Manilla Road-esque piece on the album while ties everything achieved up to this point together. This song was the clincher for me to start and the one to hook me back into repeated listens as I’d found it to be the best thing Vendel‘ve written to date, with some special praise for how the first five or so minutes develop and how they keep that momentum swimming in skull for the full ~12 minutes or so.

The level of care taken in developing each of these longer-form pieces bears the mark of a well-studied epic heavy metal band, folks who’ve used their keen fandom to develop exacting authenticity as major goal in crafting this record, they’re clearly fans of this type of music and not just giving it the ole college try. As a result not a second of ‘Out in the Fields‘ feels half-baked, rushed out or lackadaisical and to the point that it should broadly impress existing fandom for its above-average presentation and over the top vocal personae. Fans of the early 2000’s epic heavy revival, the Greek and Italian epic heavy/doom of that era especially, will likely be the first in line for this one and count me in, I found this to be a wholly enjoyable heavy metal record which does well to produce five distinct and memorable songs one after another. Vendel have the right stuff here on this impressive debut LP, enough that it bodes especially well for what’s to come beyond this notable point of introduction. A high recommendation.

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