I would hardly call this a coincidence, however, I’m not slamming Blackguard for choosing to emulate a beer label. Probably a beer they really enjoy.

On that note, I think you should all check out Blackguard‘s Profugus Mortis and some Unibrue beer.  Do both at the same time. And drive.

Not really.

-Steve

I have known about Blackguard’s music by the way of Profugus Mortis for a number of years. Out of all of the Canadian Folk Metal bands, I always thought they were the tightest and most unique sounding. So when I heard they were signing to Nuclear Blast, I was almost ecstatic. Seemed as though Canadian metal was finally making more of a buzz with Folk Metal music, after Melodic Death with Kataklysm, Deathcore from Despised Icon, and Brutal Death from old men, Cryptopsy. Though disappointed with the name change, their “first” record (they released one record previously as Profugus Mortis) bearing their old name more than delivers the Epic Folk Metal I had spent years enjoying, and hearing before some of my favorite bands.

The entire album, from first track to finale, truly accentuate the self coined term “Epic Metal” extremely well. The addition of Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc on keyboards shortly before signing with Nuclear Blast, has done wonders for the overall melody of all of Blackguards work to date. Though heavily reliant on these keyboard tracks, they quite simply, add the folk to Blackguard’s metal. Opening track Scarlet to Snow, and soon-to-be-a-music-video This Round’s on Me have a very classical and catchy melody, while complemented by similar guitar wankery by Terry Deschenes, and Kim Gosselin on guitar. One is almost expecting free beer vouchers to rain from the sky when hearing the second track, due to the straight up party nature of the song.

The following tracks Allegiance and I Demon have a more riff based structure, yet retain the epic feel, while still being an intermediate song, less focused on a party or poor Russian dancing feel. Again, solos are abound, without being too overbearing, with I Demon being appropriately more evil sounding, comparable to a Dimmu Borgir sound, almost.  The Sword, contender for soon-to-be-a-music-video, is quite possibly one of the best tracks on the album, with catchy synthesized sections, complex riffs, with out being overly overbearing to the point of Power Metal wankery and foolishness.

Instrumental track, The Journey offers up the almost cliche Folk Metal sound of a lonely forest walk with an acoustic guitar,  almost indistinguishable from a similar Ensiferum track, but a catchy little tune that doesn’t over stay its welcome.  In Time, Cinder, and Vain all follow patterns and trends akin to Scarlet to Snow or This Round is On Me, but still very catchy, particularly the chorus type riff in Cinder, which has been in this reviewers head for weeks.

The Final and epitomizing track, The Last We Wage, turns up the epic and poor Russian dancing to ten, with faux accordion ditties and folk bass beats, enticing many a drunk metalhead to do a jig. However, the folk isn’t too over bearing and as with all the other tracks on the album, a distinct Death Metal Influence is apparent throughout in the riffs and drumming.

My Birthday is in October, and I will finally be turning 19 this year, and fortunately, a local festival his happening that day(Toronto’s NightmareFest), and there is nothing more I could want, then Montreal’s Blackguard AKA Profugus Mortis, playing their distinct form of Folk Metal, with its keyboard heavy, solo and riff rich music to get drunk to and exhibit my VERY poor Russian dancing to.

-SH

Almost exactly one year after Faroese Folk Metal-ers Týr released their fourth studio album Land, they come out again with By the Light of the North Star, yet another take on Týr’s own brand of traditional Faroese Island folk – metal fusion. While 2008′s Land continued the trend of Ragnarok with slow, melodic songs focused on song structure and incorporating traditional melodies in a more progressive metal format, this recent effort points toward a more show based approach of faster songs and song progressions. This, after a few years of touring with the likes of Ensiferum, Turisas, and Alestorm, seems as a push more into those bands’ type of sound.

The first track is an apparent step into less progressive territory. Hold the Heathen Hammer High simply in the title, is oddly reminiscent to Týr’s most popular song, Hail to the Hammer.  However once the opening riff tears in, there is an obvious difference. The traditional sound remains, but on steroids in comparison to their previous work. Heri Joensen’s soft vocals remain, but has hooks which are far faster (and harder to sing along to). The following song Tróndur í Gøtu, follows suit in feeling as the opener, but is more of a call back to their older work, not to mention being in Faroese, one of only two on the record.

After the relatively explosive opening, things seem to move into a more classic Týr sound, with a slower progressive feel with a very Nordic atmosphere surrounding the music, particularly on the albums only other non english track, Turið Torkilsdóttir. However, even these tracks seem to have more of a upbeat feel with faster drum hooks, which doesn’t seem to fit the melody as well, which seriously impedes the overall feel of the tracks.

The next notable track on the record is Ride, which seems to hit the target as far as what the objective of this record seems to be; quicker more catchy songs and riffs while retaining the tried and true Týr sound. The main riff seems almost reminiscent of Finntroll in quirky folk sound, but retains the “lets go sail far away” jive. However, the following Hear the Heathen Call and title track, bring the same formula to bear, but as with the earlier tracks, fails to catch any attention by picking the middle ground.

Týr appear to have been taken back by the years of tours where opening (or even headlining) for more upbeat folk metal bands, has left them with half full venues and seemingly bored audiences, and  have taken a step towards appealing to this demographic. Unfortunately, in an attempt to retain more of their classic feel, both the upbeat folk feel and the slow atmospheric folk have been blurred into a band trying to be quick, quirky, and fun to mosh to, when it doesn’t need to.  Though there it is no misstep to experiment, they just have failed to pull off what they have been attempting to accomplish overall on the record. By the Light of the North Star is not completely bad, in fact, its not bad at all, the opening three tracks and Ride are all perfect examples of how Týr has mixed their Faroese sound perfectly with faster, more Thrash or Death metal influenced metal. I look forward to the next record, where I hope all of those grey areas throughout this record are turned into cold and catchy folk metal steel.

- SH

Let’s face it, anything Jari Mäenpää gets his hands on turns into gold…or maybe some sort of wintery, Finnish super metal.  Either way, Ensiferum are amazing, and yes, it’s as simple as that.  When I first heard Ensiferum I was blown away.  I had no previous exposure to metal with any folk influences at all and was shocked at how much more “Viking” this band was compared to Amon Amarth.  I acted immediately grabbing both their self-titled and their second full length Iron.  As time went on I learned every note to every song on both albums, but there was, and still is, something extraordinary about Iron.

This album is amazing start to finish.  Even the interludes don’t give your mind time to wander.  This is the kind of release that I like to strap myself into and go for a ride.  Jari is incredible on this album.  His guitar is literally perfect, as usual, and his vocals, be it screaming, growling, or letting out some power-metal yells, are stellar.  But with Ensiferum it isn’t just how the words are being sung.  It’s more about what he’s singing.  The lyrics are phenomenal and Jari shows he is a true poet.  Everyone else in the band is amazing, especially Marcus Toivonen who also plays a huge part in song writing.  The songs are all so fantastic that it would be impossible to name a favorite; although “Lai Lai Hei” is one of the few songs I’ve heard that compelled me to learn lyrics in a different language.

 Ensiferum are on the rise as far as popularity goes, but in case you are still blind to this band’s mastery GO LISTEN NOW.

The Swashbuckle game, sorta simple.

Iron Maiden allows for some video unlocks.

Fuck who ever doesn’t think this is awsome, I love this shit. Pictures have links to the games for whoever is interested. And yes, I do have the highest score on the Swashbuckle game.

No one brings back that old school death metal feeling quite like Bloodbath.  Sweden’s “super-group” has been making killer death metal since 1999 and with their most recent release, The Fathomless Mastery, they continue what they started with earlier releases like Resurrection Through Carnage and the classic from 2004, Nightmares Made Flesh.  NMF is a classic in my opinion.  For such a recent release I feel it is timeless and I’m sure ill be spinning it for many more years.  This is also the only Bloodbath album to feature Swedish metal god Peter Tagtren on voKILLS.

There are few albums on this list that I can’t pick out just 2 or 3 songs to rave about.  Every song on this album is amazing and they all deserve their own essay but I don’t have the time or the patience for that.  So I guess I’ll just talk about the one song on this album that will probably make the “top 100 greatest death metal songs ever” list for the next 100 years.  I am, of course talking about “Eaten”.  When that bass drops I instantly want to start hitting things and this thing starts happening with my neck where I can’t control it.  It is a true head bangers song and holds some of the most vile lyrics I’ve ever heard.  Keep in mind when I say vile I don’t mean like Torso Fuck’s legendary “Raped by Elephants”.  When I say vile I mean deeply disturbing and truly fucked up.  Allow me to give an example from the song “Eaten”, which is about someone who fantasizes about being eaten by a cannibal:

Carve me up, slice me apart
Suck my guts and lick my heart
Chop me up, I like to be hurt
Drink my marrow and blood for dessert…

I finally found you, my personal slaughter
As an appetizer,I let you taste my daughter

Aside from the brutal lyrics there are two big standouts on Nightmares and those are the riffs and the vocals.  I’ve always been a huge fan of Tagtren’s vocals and he doesn’t disappoint on this album.  And the riffs…oh my, the riffs.  Bloodbath possess what I would call an evil groove, which is something that is hard to find and these guys have perfected it.  

 Bloodbath are easily the forerunners of death metal revival and that’s no nightmare.

Here’s a link to the original version.

The Second video has nothing to do with Pagan Metal, but is an excellent animation about vikings and giants and all that good stuff. Check it out after the jump.

Kodos to Maria for finding this.

What would Swedish metal be without Gothenburg’s own In Flames?  Most likely a sadder more mundane version of what it is today.  If we disregard the band’s recent creative decisions I think it is easy to label In Flames as one of the best metal bands to come out of Sweden, if not Europe.  2000’s Clayman is evidence of this and is also what I would consider In Flames’ last great album.

This is one of the most consistently good albums I’ve ever heard.  From start to finish it is stellar.  The opener “Bullet Ride” sets the pace of the album, and with the exception of a few slower more atmospheric moments the pace is kept all the way to “Another Day in Quicksand”.  It is, however, the third track of this album that really stands out.  “Only for the Weak” is, in my humble opinion, one of the best metal songs ever.  It holds an energy that is very hard to describe and even harder to replicate.  Anders’ vocals have certainly gone downhill since The Jester Race but he still has chops and performs quite well.  The solos from Jesper and Bjorn are not quite as elaborate as they were on Colony but the guitar on this album is still unbelievable.  

 This is one of those albums that can’t be given praise for each individual member, rather it is the song writing that is truly incredible and an amalgamation of each member’s ideas. Brilliant.

Starchild

[Part I (Wanderer of Time)]

So mysterious is your world,
concealed beyond the stars
Far away from the earth,
it flows one with time and dark as the night
Million shapes and colours
are storming inside your mind
Creating endless dimensions
Forming universes without walls

Let go! of the stars, the stars that fell into the sea
Let go! of your thoughts and dreams,
what can you see now

You cannot save them anymore
- Wanderer of time -
It’s too late now
- Creator of Dimensions -
Destroy the walls of time
Hands of the blind are holding your fate
Tides of life will take you away, will take you away

Starchild!
Visions are born from the unknown force
It dominates the way of time
The dream only ends, when the worlds come to an end
Starchild!
You cannot escape to the dark streams of the sea,
to suppress your dreams
Nothing can keep you away from the need to create
’cause your path is free…

[Part II (Buring Star)]

I’ve hold the fire within myself
Years I’ve walked in the coldest winds
Through the deserts of sand and snow
The time is passing and I kno;
that I’m wasting my life, destroying my dreams
I’m diving into the bottomless sea
From sorrow and pain I find my strenght
the more pain I feel, the more I see
Now I’m watching my life flowing in the dark
like streams of fear running through my heart
And it’s wearing me down until I’m gone
Soon I’ll join the endless whirls of stars
And I fall deeper into the unknown voids
Something is dying, yet something is born
And I fall into infinity like a burning star
When will I find my silent dawn
I fall like a burning star!

[Part III (The Creation)]

The curtains of mist are fading
and the veils of star clouds are revealed
Storms of new energy
flows in the depths of my mind
New constellations are born
in total harmony of perfection
And the dissonant unbalance was broken
as the colours fell straight from the light

[Part IV (The Sea of Stars)]

I’m floating in the sea of stars,
I’m drifting away from the shore
I will be lost in the dream when the dark days come
But I will make the time run backwards and
I’ll make the stars shine again
I will light up the sky to a bright crimson nights
… And they’ll shine together forever
With brilliant silver colours they’ll shine forever

[Part V (Finale)]

The whirls of stars takes you now far away
away from the cold nightmare
Let go of you thoughts and dreams
and you will feel the warmth once again
Starchild! in the Sea of Stars you fall
You fall like a burning star!
Starchild! in the Sea of Stars you fall
… But there is no end to creation

2008 brought from the underground a band that would change the way many people look at metal.  The Swiss band Eluveitie attacked listeners in 2008 with Slania and their mixture of traditional Celtic folk music mixed with some of the most furious Gothenberg-esque melodic death metal to date.  At first it’s understandable that a listener could be confused or taken back by the mixture of the two genres but the listener will also be taken back by how good it starts to sound.

The true master mind behind the band is Chrigel Glanzmann.  He is the front man and plays an endless number of traditional Celtic instruments.  Anna Murphy is another star on this album providing her beautiful clean vocals and a constantly amazing performance on the hurdy gurdy.  The band has many members, 8 to be exact, but all of them play their instruments beautifully.  I have never heard a band utilize such unorthodox instruments in such an amazing way.  Some of these instruments include tin and low whistles, Uilleann pipes, Bodhràn, Hurdy Gurdy, violin, Irish flute, and bag pipes.  Even with these folk instruments this is Eluveitie’s heaviest album to date.  There are some truly vicous riffs and fast pace metal sections sure to make any metal fan happy.

 This is a revolutionary album and by far one of the freshest albums I’ve ever heard.  If this is any indication of where metal is going then I am one happy guy.