Nemoreus – ‘Orcunadoras – Chapter one: Warrior’ (EP 2023)
Rating: 8/10
Release: 5 May 2023
Label: Independent
Nemoreus is a six-member Austrian folk-metal band who probably don’t even need this amount of introduction. “Eluna” and “Mountain High” are deservingly famous in their own right. Their new EP is lavishly titled “Orcunadoras, Chapter 1: Warrior”. It’s only three tracks, or about ten minutes of music, but if you can’t listen now, this is my take.
Nemoreus has always had a raw, rough sound lending earthiness and closeness to nature to their recordings. Thankfully, it’s also present here. The first of the tracks, “Das Rote Tuch”, is a bit of a rarity, being in German. It’s also a banger: guitars give way to folk instruments and vocals in a really satisfying way. It embodies the true spirit of folk metal.
The middle track (“Horns of War”) is, strangely enough, slower and more soulful than the rest. It’s a sturdy bridge to the last track, “Give us Rain”, which is hands-down my favorite. It has all of the energy of the EP, some showy guitar, flute, and fiddle riffs, and growly vocals to contrast with the clean ones.
All of the tracks are up to Nemoreus’ previous standards and would feel right at home on their previous album, Arnea. The EP’s title has me curious since the tracks don’t seem to tell any sort of narrative. This form factor delivers content faster, but I’m still disappointed how quickly it passes. I want more, so I can compare and contrast Chapter 2!
Tracklist
- Das rote Tuch 03:30
- Give Us Rain 03:12
- Horns of War 03:35