Rating: 7/10 Release: 10 May 2024 Label: Independent Yasru is a three-member Turkish folk/doom-metal band and “Bilinmeze” is their sixth full-length album. The album’s only five tracks, but it’s still 33 minutes of music. Heavy, Turkish guttural vocals are joined by some wailing guitars, some unique folk instruments, thick atmosphere, … Continue reading →
Rating: 8.9/10 Release: 30 August 2024 Label: Inverse Records As advertised, Wolfhorde’s Bloodmoon Symphonies is a melodic and sometimes heavy release that plays with various ambient orchestrations and delivers a competent, rich product sometimes at the expense of aggression. Bloodmoon Symphonies, Wolfhorde’s latest effort, has several compelling songs throughout it, … Continue reading →
Rating: 9.5/10 Release: 29 February 2024 Label: Earth and Sky Production Juha Jyrkäs released his second album “Väinämöinen” in February through Earth and Sky Production. This album, containing 8 tracks is inspired by the demigod Väinämöinen, a central figure in both Finnish and Karelian folklore. The lyrics are also focused … Continue reading →
Rating: 9/10 Release: 6 September 2024 Label: Independent / Bandcamp Drunkelweizen is a five-member (or soon-to-be-five-member at the time of writing) folk metal band from Oregon in the United States, and “Pioneers of Alcohol” is their debut album. These folks sure do love their alcohol which works out well for … Continue reading →
Rating: 7/10 Release: 14 June 2024 Label: Independent Steignyr is a five-member epic Celtic death metal band from Barcelona, Spain, founded in 2011. “Echoes from the Elder Faith” is their sixth full-length album. There are a lot of elements in play with Steignyr: both male guttural vocals and female clean … Continue reading →
Rating: 6/10 Release: 16 August 2024 Label: Reaper Entertainment A Pagan Storm is their second album from 2007 re-recorded. I must admit that I have heard very little about this band until recently when they appeared on my Viking Metal playlist on Spotify. I often let their music play through … Continue reading →
Rating: 9/10 Release: 12 July 2024 Label: Reigning Phoenix Music ‘Tales From The Thousand Lakes’ is the second studio album from Amorphis released in 1994. It is a concept album based on the Finnish epic, Kalevala. The album showcases their signature sound incorporating melodic death metal, with a touch of … Continue reading →
Rating: 8.7/10 Release: 7 June 2024 Label: Better Noise Music The new life album offered up by the Hu combines the best of a studio remix and a live album in one package. On one hand we are presented with sure-fire classics, as is usual for a live recording, but … Continue reading →
Rating: 8/10 Release: 24 May 2024 Label: Independent Valfreya is a four-member Canadian blackened folk metal band with some symphonic elements. There are two amazing guest musicians for the album, which is their fifth, counting acoustic releases. It’s a concept album, and that really shines through in parts, but is … Continue reading →
Rating: 9/10 Release: 26 April 2024 Label: Independent The Jolly Jackers are a five-piece punk folk metal band from Budapest, Hungary, and when I wrote a review for their last album, I was, perhaps, too critical. They’re amazing. Great, punchy vocals are met with a whistle, fiddle, and a great … Continue reading →
