HANS & VALTER – The Legend Of The Oakensource (Album Review)

Two heroes brave a new symphonic quest.

If a subgenre is to be judged by the viability of its underground newcomers, the European power metal scene is still doing quite well in spite of more than 20 years of naysayers and shifts in musical trends. Case in point, the recently unleashed quarter of Swedish symphonic extravagance that bills itself as a duo in Hans & Valter, who have made some waves on the internet over the past year and a half.

Built primarily off of 3/5^th of the lineup of the similarly obscure female-fronted symphonic metal outfit Emetropia, they have opted for a stylistic niche that aligns with the campier side of the coin, with the likes of the ultra-melodic and over-the-top Gloryhammer, Fellowship, and Twilight Force among the most obvious points of comparison. Yet this fold’s debut studio LP from earlier in the year, The Legend Of The Oakensource, comes with a few distinctive quirks that make for a slightly less comedic and more gallant brand of high fantasy storytelling set to music.

Playing off the obvious tropes of a peace-loving country being threatened by external evils and the corresponding magical quest of a group, in this case a pair of compatriots sporting the band’s namesakes, these Swedes weave an engaging tale with all the usual bells and whistles. High octane, speed-driven anthems with earworm chorus fodder straight out of the Rhapsody Of Fire playbook, communicated through a less overtly dramatic lens comparable to the likes of Dragony and Serenity are the order of the day, and are presented in a surprisingly concise fashion that makes for a studio album that is almost succinct enough to be mistaken for an EP.

For his part, lead vocalist and keyboardist Liam “Hans III” Strand utilizes a clean cut and often deep baritone that might otherwise be compared to Siegfried Samer were he to utilize his upper range more often, and also build a truly impressive symphonic arrangement around the steady and occasionally flashy guitar work of Olle Renius and the almost digitally precise and mighty drumming of Oscar “Valter The Beast” Heikkinen.

The presentation of this roughly 34-minute-long book on tape is a highly methodical one, with each part of the story being elaborately fleshed out. Liam’s keyboard handiwork provides the background for a series of narrated interludes that add a strong cinematic touch, the spoken words of Alexandra Pettersson playing perfectly to the archaic character of the mood.

Explosive power anthems like the opening foray “Land Of The Free” and the similarly molded yet more folk-like cooker “The Stranger” take heavy cues from the Gloryhammer playbook, though with a more reserved usage of each member’s respective technical chops. For a fair amount of time, things are content to rest in a more mid-paced groove, hence the steady march of “Warriors Without A Quest”, the tavern-oriented romp “Hefleth The Pirate”, and the dancing shuffle of “In The Name Of The Oak”, both of which are straightforward enough to orbit Sabaton.

The only outlier that really goes hard into epic territory and throws caution to the wind is the towering 10-minute anthem “The Endless Night,” which also features an oddly placed yet utterly charming saxophone solo in the midst of all the metallic drama. A few token comedic moments and the band’s rather goofy video bits on Spotify aside, Hans & Valter is a collective with the songs and the musical prowess to be serious players in the Euro power metal world in the coming years.

It’s unclear whether The Legend Of The Oakensource is a standalone story or the beginning of a grand saga that will span several successive LPs or even the band’s entire career, but come what may, this is the sort of album that is extremely accessible and has the quality of melodic hooks that don’t soon escape one’s memory.

Those whom has continued to support the steady symphonic capers of Dragony and also enjoy the more cartoonish high-jinks of Gloryhammer, Twilight Force and even Victorius are clearly the target audience, though it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for older and more serious-minded 2^nd wave power metal fans whom went for the more chivalrous flavor of Human Fortress and even the woodland folksy ponderings of Elvenking to enjoy this. Onward for the deliverance of the Flower King and his domain!

Release Date: April 23rd, 2025
Record Label: Independent
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal

Musicians:

• Oscar “Valter The Beast” Heikkinen / Drums
• Olle “Dark Lord” Renius /Guitars
• Siegfried Samer / Vocals (backing)
• Liam “Hans III” Strand / Vocals, Keyboards

The Legend Of The Oakensource Track-list:

1. The Legend of the Oakensource
2. Land of the Free
3. The King’s Call
4. Warriors Without a Quest
5. A Dark Road
6. In the Name of the Oak
7. The Scene of Life
8. The Stranger
9. The Endless Night
10. Hefleth the Pirate

Order the album here.