Folk Metal

Drudkh — Eternal Turn of the Wheel

Posted on Thursday, April 12th, 2012 at 2:18 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim.

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Eternal Turn of the Wheel is the ninth studio album from black-and-folk, Ukrainian metal band Drudkh. The band have always been deeply inspired by Ukrainian poetry, both in their lyrics and music, defined by a deep appreciation of the natural landscape and a tendency towards solemn introspection. Over the years, Drudkh have softened considerably from their rawer, more aggressive black metal roots, leaving some fans disappointed. 2010′s Handful of Stars received a particularly lukewarm response, and the band announced they would …

Protokult — Marzena

Posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 5:49 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim.

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Protokult are a pagan metal act based in Toronto, ON, and five-song EP Marzena is their latest offering. They combine guttural black metal vocals with clean singing, both from vocalist/guitarist Martin D. and Ekaterina, whose soaring soprano often sails above the instrumentation, lending the album an unearthly quality. She also contributes the majority of the traditional folk instrumentation. The members of Protokult come from Polish, Czech, Russian and Irish backgrounds, and so combine their backgrounds to create a cultural mosaic of sonic …

Eluvetie — Helvetios

Posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 5:35 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim!

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Eluveitie are a folk metal act based in Winterthur, Switzerland, with strong Celtic influences. Helvetios is their fifth full-length studio album and first concept release. Most of their lyrics are in Gaulish, officially an extinct language. Eluveitie maintain a revolving line-up of anywhere between eight and ten musicians, performing live with a variety of folk instruments, including tin whistles, bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies. Violin is also featured prominently in their sound. The narrative of Helvetios chronicles the history of the Helvetians …

Syven — Aikaintaite

Posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 5:29 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim.

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Finnish band Syven are an ambient metal collaboration between Aslak Tolonen (Nest), providing all of the instrumentation, and Andy Koski-Semmens (Ereipia), whose deep, shaman-like baritone makes the entire album play out like a druidic ritual. Aikaintaite is their debut effort, and was composed, recorded and mixed by the artists. The album is being released on the seventh of February to coincide with Finland’s Independence Day celebration. Aikaintaite draws heavily upon Finnish mythology and folk music, with Syven‘s compositions prominently featuring Finnish string …

Akphaezya — Anthology IV (The Tragedy of Nerak)

Posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 4:52 pm.

Originally written for Alternative Matter.

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Akphaezya have been making music since 2002, but Anthology IV (The Tragedy of Nerak) is their first release with Code666. Founded and conceptualized by Stephan H. Zag-Zero, who brought on the other musicians on to realize his vision, Akphaezya is a band whose albums are all connected via a larger narrative. This particular record, as the title Anthology IV (The Tragedy of Nerak) might indicate, is rooted in Greek tragedy. The tale seems to centre on …

Svartby — Elemental Tales

Posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 4:48 pm.

Originally written for Alternative Matter.

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Svartby are a folk metal band from St. Petersburg, Russia. Elemental Tales is their third full-length album. Svartby have occasionally been referred to as “folk death” after the way they balance light and dark elements.

The album opens with “Impby,” played on whatounds like toy instruments and punctuated by the inane giggles of some weird little gremlin creatures. “Scum From Underwater” arrives and bring the heaviness, but loses none of the absurdity. Their sound is all hills …

Tenhi — Saivo

Posted on Friday, March 9th, 2012 at 4:27 pm.

Originally written for About Heavy Metal.

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Tenhi are a Finnish band that have been around since 1996. the band’s name means wise man or seer, someone akin to a shaman. They play minimal, dark, pagan-influenced neofolk with a distinctly depressive, almost doomy melancholia about it. Their last two releases have been compilations and retrospectives; Saivo is their first all-new material since 2006. This new effort characterized by plaintive compositions and simple, minimalist melody lines executed by a …

Eclipse Eternal — The Essence of Hopelessness

Posted on Friday, March 9th, 2012 at 3:42 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim!

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Eclipse Eternal play straightforward black metal with some very light folk influences, the way that the iciness of classic BM can often take delight in black branches against stark white snow. Based in Toronto, ON and recently signed to Sudbury’s Archaic North Entertainment, their third record, The Essence of Hopelessness, displays a raw, organic sound and is quite under-produced, placing itself firmly within DIY black metal recording principles that integrate sound degradation and impurity into the music. This recording style …

Arkona / Talamyus / Bolero @ The Wreckroom, Toronto ON, November 12th 2011

Posted on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 6:50 pm.

Originally written for Exclaim!

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As this was an early show at the Annex Wreckroom, Bolero began their set shortly after 6 p.m., with the room still nearly empty when they started to play. Happily, though, the venue began to fill up by just a few songs in, and the band had a good and enthusiastic crowd in front of the stage.

Bolero have grown considerably as a local group in recent months, and have gained more confidence as performers after opening several high-profile shows. …