What I was listening to in October instead of updating this blog...

I have many excuses for why I didn't update this blog through most of October. For one thing, the Half-Life 2 Orange Box was released, so I spent some time trying to play through Half-Life 2 again so that I could start episodes 1 and 2. Team Fortress 2 took some time, as did my attempt to finish Bioshock (which I'm not done with yet). I also re-joined my old black metal band at the end of October, though that doesn't excuse the rest of the month.

However, the biggest reason why I didn't update the blog was that I was too busy listening to a lot of new CD purchases from October. I will list a few of those CD's here.





Alkonost (Russia) - Alkonost (2002 Ketzer Records [Germany] / Beverina Productions [Latvia])

Before the very talented Alena decided to lend her operatic voice to Alkonost, the folk metal band featured the harsh vocals of Alex "Nightbird" almost exclusively. You can still hear him on newer Alkonost releases, but not nearly as much (except for Песни Вечного Древа, which I'll address in a bit). This self-titled 2002 release also featured lyrics in English instead of their native Russian, as well as more raw production and a somewhat harsher sound altogether.

Alkonost actually consists of the mini-album Songs of the Eternal Oak and the demo "Spirit Tending To Revolt." Much of this was re-recorded for the 2007 release Песни Вечного Древа (romanized as Pesni Vechnogo Dreva), which consists of mostly superior versions of these songs. Therefore, it's difficult to recommend this release over that one. However, it's an interesting look at a young band that showed great promise.




Alkonost (Russia) - Песни Вечного Древа (2007 Metalism Records [Russia])

Keeping track of Alkonost releases has proven to be difficult for me. Not knowing Russian is one part of the problem, and the fact that they have been going back and re-recording their older songs with new Russian lyrics is a bigger part. Песни Вечного Древа is basically a partial re-recording of their 2002 self-titled album. I enjoy the newer Alkonost albums I have, but this one is probably my favorite, as it is dominated by the vocals of Alex "Nightbird." New lead vocalist Alena shows up once in a while, and there are some nice guest vocals on track 5 by Ilya from Svarga and Alexandr from Rarog (the Russian bands, not be confused with the Ukrainian NS pagan metal band Svarga or the Polish folk metal project Rarog).

I enjoy Alena's vocals, but Alex has a great harsh voice. If you like Alkonost but lean towards the harsh male vocals as opposed to the soprano operatic vocals of Alena, this is definitely an album you need to check out. This album features a re-recording of "My Last Day" and is my favorite version of my favorite Alkonost song. The argument can be (and has been) made that Alkonost songs mostly sound the same, with similar keyboard sounds and musical style. That's somewhat true, and it's also true that they would benefit from some traditional instruments, but they're a solid and very accessible band in the realm of folk metal, and I like them a great deal.




Carved In Stone (Germany) - Tales of Glory & Tragedy (2007 Schwarzdorn [Germany])

Okay, I actually ended up getting this CD at the very end of October, as it was not released until the 26th of the month (thank you to Dark Symphonies for getting a few copies in immediately; you guys continue to rock!). But I listened to this quite a bit in the last few days of October, as this was an album that I was anticipating with great interest.

Carved In Stone is a solo pagan folk project of Swawa (Ilona Jeschke), who is connected to the metal scene due to her involvement in the Viking metal band Taunusheim. Her 2004 album Hear the Voice is one that I've spun countless times in the past year or year-and-a-half since I bought it. It's a difficult album to follow up, in my opinion. I love its mystical melodies, the fuzzy recording quality of the guitar, the proud lyrics, and, most of all, Swawa's enchanting vocals.

Fortunately, those things are all present on this album, and there also some nice choir-style vocals. Once again, her songs are in German, English, and what I think is Norwegian. She managed to deliver a fine follow-up to Hear the Voice, though so far I do not feel that Tales of Glory & Tragedy is quite as good as its predecessor. Still, if you like pagan neo-folk music, either of Carved in Stone's albums are great choices. I'm certain that her debut MCD is great as well, but unfortunately I have yet to find or hear it.




Drudkh (Ukraine) - Estrangement (2007 Supernal Music [England])

Estrangement is certain to be another controversial Drudkh album. With every release, there is an inevitable backlash from metal fans who feel that Drudkh is terribly overrated, or from Drudkh fans who wish that they had gone in a different direction. I've already seen many comments and reviews from people in both those categories. Personally, I love Estrangement. It's not a continuation of Blood In Our Wells (perhaps the most acclaimed of Drudkh's albums), nor is it a return to any of their older styles. It's not as epic as Blood In Our Wells, which initially disappointed me a bit, and it doesn't have as "thick" a sound in the guitars as their previous albums. To me, it sounds closest to their 2005 album The Swan Road, which to me is not at all a bad thing, though thankfully they don't sound as if they are simply recycling old material (many will disagree).

An element of the album that will likely annoy many listeners is the drums. The snare has a sound that kind of irritated me until I got used to it, and I'm not sure I like the blastbeats very much. However, I like the fact that they sound more "live" than on previous albums. Also, the guitars seem to have more texture to them; they're not simply a wall of sound. I can occasionally hear acoustic strumming behind them, which is something you'd hear a lot on early Drudkh albums. I can also hear the bass. What has thankfully not changed are the proud but melancholy melodies. They aren't quite as "epic" on this album, but they're every bit as good as on previous albums. The guitar solos make a return, and sound great, especially on the instrumental track that closes the album.

A fine album from one of the best bands in the genre.


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Rarog (Russia) - I Know the God (2006 SvaSound Records [Russia])

Okay, the actual title is in Russian, with Cyrillic letters, but it's difficult to find any information about this album, so this will have to do for now. Even rateyourmusic.com doesn't have an entry for them. Rarog plays pagan folk metal with a mix of clean vocals (male and female) and harsh male vocals. The clean vocals are often nicely harmonized, which adds a nice flavor to the album. There are also some occasional acoustic passages. Overall their sound reminds me of early Odroerir. They recording is kind of raw, but the beauty is able to come through anyway. There are no traditional instruments, however; the folkish melodies are done on guitar and on keyboard.

This album was a pleasant surprise for me. I bought it because the listing mentioned that they would appeal to fans of Pagan Reign and Arkona. There was probably only a few seconds between when I read that and when I clicked "Buy." I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was a refreshing and unique folk metal album. They're not the best band out there, but if you like bands like Odroerir and don't mind some black metal mixed in (yes, I know that Odroerir had a bit of black metal on their first album...), Rarog is a band worth checking out. Hopefully we will hear more from them in the years to come.




Svarrogh (Bulgaria) - Kukeri (2006 Heavy Horses Records [Germany])

Dimo Dimov is a Bulgarian who now resides in Germany, but pays tribute to his native land through the folk/black metal project Svarrogh. Actually, the latest releases from this band seem to be completely folk/ambient, without any traces of metal, but I'm not absolutely sure as I have not been able to track down very much from this band. I almost avoided this album because I figured it was typical black metal, but fortunately I listened to some samples and realized that it was something much more than that.

Svarrogh's sound (on this album, at least) is very difficult to describe while doing any justice to the music. There are some electronic, somewhat industrial moments. And there are many raw black metal moments. However, the dominant style on this album is folk, and, refreshingly, rather than being played entirely on synth, there are actual traditional instruments used, like mandolin, bagpipes, and kaval-pipe. The vocals are often delivered in a black metal rasp, sometimes distorted, but there are also a lot of clean, often folkish, vocals.

Because he mixes raw black metal with a strong folk presence, I'm tempted to compare Svarrogh to one of my favorite bands in the genre, Slavland, but Svarrogh has an entirely unique sound. Kukeri is a fascinating listen, and I'm discovering more about it every time I listen to it. Recommended if you have an open mind and are looking for something unique within the genre of pagan folk metal.



I had some other albums I was thinking about adding, but I'm not sure I've listened to them enough yet. Albums from Marblebog, Primordial, North, Perunica, Elffor, and others have been on my playlist this month. Maybe I'll talk about them another time.

Album Review: Elffor - "From the Throne of Hate"

Band: Elffor (Spain)
Album Title: From the Throne of Hate
Label: self-released
Released: 2004

From the Basque Country comes Elffor, the side project of Eöl, keyboardist of Suffering Down. From the Throne of Hate is the third Elffor album, and the first that I heard. Elffor began as a medieval ambient project, but over the course of its history has added more and more elements of black metal into the mix. From the Throne of Hate can properly be considered black metal, as it includes guitar and a greater amount of vocals than the first two albums. Still, considering that Eöl is a keyboardist, it should come as no surprise that synths dominate this album. That's just fine with me, as this is one of my favorite synth-driven metal albums.

I cannot properly describe the atmosphere this album gives off. Whenever I listen to it, I can vividly picture medieval forests and villages. I have no idea if Elffor's lyrics are about these things (all I can ever hear are short phrases like "mystic darkness" and lines about ravens). I think what gives me these mental pictures are the beautiful synths, which almost always consists of a choir sound and some strings. There are also frequent folkish passages, which gives From the Throne of Hate its unique sound. You can draw comparisons to bands like Graveland and Summoning, but Elffor maintains its own identity on this release. Sometimes the music reminds me of something familiar, like the music in medieval fantasy role-playing games on the computer. That may also explain why I picture forests and villages when I listen to Elffor.

The song titles are generic and sound more like something a Darkthrone rip-off band might come up with; however, don't let that fool you. Elffor is an ambient/black metal project of the highest quality, and deserves a wider audience than it is currently getting. I wouldn't necessarily describe it as "pagan metal," despite the fact that the t-shirt that was put out for this album definitely looks like one you'd see for a pagan band, with its runic letters, Celtic knotwork, and what appears to be a triskelion made of wolves on the back. All I can think of to call it is "medieval, symphonic ambient black metal." Judging from the few interviews I've read with Eöl, I don't feel that there's any strong pagan ideology in Elffor, anyway.

Essentially what you get with From the Throne of Hate is mostly mid-paced, synth-driven black metal, with vocals that sound like Graveland's Rob Darken. But that doesn't adequately describe the music, as the reason this album has enchanted me so much are the melodies. Whether done through the synth-choir that is used in most of the metal passages, or the synthesized flutes, woodwinds, and other instruments in the softer, folkish passages, there are many memorable and addicting melodies on this album. I even love the two instrumental tracks. There's a certain melody that is brought up frequently on the album, which binds the album together into a cohesive whole.

The fact that From the Throne of Hate is self-released and limited to 500 copies (though it looks like a re-release is in the future) is something that makes me kind of sad, as this is one of my favorite albums, and one that I have played probably more than any metal album in my collection. It may be very difficult to track down as a result (I had to buy mine off of Ebay, and that was two years ago), but it's well worth buying if you enjoy this style of music.

Vo Skorbyah Lives!

I'm very late with this news here, but, according to their official website, Vo Skorbyah is no longer just a studio project. They began recording a new album this past summer and are playing at the "Wings of Doom 4" festival in Moscow on December 1st.

This is very, very good news for the many fans who adore the self-titled album they released earlier this year. Originally, they were set to be a one-off project (read my review from September), but I suppose they realized how awesome they are and decided to continue as a band.

Awesome, I feel giddy...

(The post stating that they are working on a new album is from July, so yes, I am very late with this news. I didn't even know they had a website until tonight.)

Album Review: Krynitza - "Hail to the Sun"

Band: Krynitza (Russia)
Album Title: Hail to the Sun
Label: Sonnenvolk / Stellar Winter (Russia)
Released: 2007

Krynitza's debut album, Angel, was well-received among metal fans, despite not resembling metal in the slightest. Nothing terribly surprising there, considering the critical success of folkish bands like Tenhi and latter-day Empyrium in the metal realm. Krynitza, faced with this success, could have just pushed out another album similar to Angel, but instead has greatly evolved their sound with the follow-up album, Hail to the Sun.

Rodoslav (who now plays the zhaleyka and balalaika in addition to vocals, flute, and guitar) has fleshed out Krynitza's line-up into a full folk band, at least in the studio (I don't know if they ever play live). The female vocalist from the previous album has been replaced by the very capable Maria, and the violinist has been replaced as well. Also in the band are an additional guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a mouth harp player (the same mouth harp player from Angel). The final track also features a bayan (Russian accordion). What results is a very rich and full sound, aided by much-improved production.

Hail to the Sun is a great step forward for the band, and one of the most beautiful pieces of pagan art you are likely to hear this year. There is a greater variety among the songs on this album than there was on Angel. The sound is more aggressive, overall, due to the percussion and bass. Also, the female vocals are better-utilized, as Maria is not relegated to singing "Ooh" and "Aah" as Tatyana was on the debut.

The most experimental song on the album is the traditional Russian song "Raven Dark." On this track, the traditional instruments are done away with entirely (except for the mouth harp), replaced by electronics and sound effects. Some may not like the inclusion of this track, but I thought it provided a bit of variety and a nice break in the middle of the album.

Unfortunately, Hail to the Sun is almost as short as its predecessor, clocking in at just under a half hour. With music this good, naturally you want it to last longer, though I suppose shorter run times are typical for folk albums. But, like their debut, Krynitza's second album is a great journey while it lasts. This time around, they were kind enough to include English translations of the lyrics and recording information, courtesy of a separate insert, though I'm not sure if all copies of the CD have this. It's nice to see that they are keeping their non-Russian-speaking fans, like myself, in mind.

Hail to the Sun managed to exceed my already-high expectations for a follow-up to Angel. I would imagine that few if any Krynitza fans could possibly be disappointed with this release. As an aside, Krynitza's nationalist politics are made known on the closing song, "Motherland," but if you're already familiar with the Stellar Winter stable of bands, then there is nothing here that will offend you.

Album Review: Krynitza - "Angel"

Band: Krynitza (Russia)
Album Title: Angel
Label: Sonnenvolk / Stellar Winter (Russia)
Released: 2005

I don't listen to a lot of traditional folk music, and most of it I do listen to has some sort of connection to the metal scene. From the great pagan metal label Stellar Winter comes Krynitza, which is connected to the metal bands Oprich and Bog Morok (and, more recently, the awesome Vo Skorbyah). Rodoslav, the leader of this project, is (allegedly) a session member of Oprich, and violinist Vasilisa played on that band's split with Kroda. Rodoslav also contributed much to the Vo Skorbyah CD, which is one of my favorite CD's of 2007.

You won't find any metal on Angel. The music is entirely acoustic (except for a bit of keyboard on one track), consisting of guitar, violin, flute, mouth harp, and male and female vocals. Rodoslav supplies the male vocals, his voice sounding proud yet melancholic. Tatyana Vyugina is the primary female vocalist on Angel, yet her voice is mostly used as an ethereal-sounding backdrop to Rodoslav's vocals, as she sings very few actual words on the album. All lyrics are in Russian, and there is no translation provided in the insert, so I can only guess as to the nature of the lyrics. Song title translations include, "Song of the Wind," "As Upon the Wild Wasteland...," and "The Leaves of Life," which are pretty ambiguous.

The album begins with "Requiem," which is mostly instrumental, except for the wordless female vocals. For some reason it sounds to me as if it would fit very well in an Italian western film. This song also features some nature sound effects, which is something that is also used in the next few songs. The other instrumental on Angel is the very pleasant "Rusalia," which features two flutes, a simple keyboard backdrop, and nothing else.

There's no single exceptional element to this album. The guitar is little more than strummed chords, and the violin, though well-played, loses a bit of its character due to the somewhat rough recording. However, it's how it all fits together that gives Angel its unique and charming sound. The album gives me a nostalgic feeling, despite my not being able to understand the words. It's a short album (only 28 and a half minutes, which includes the live recording of "As Upon the Wild Wasteland...," a song which appears earlier on the CD in a studio version), but it's very enjoyable, from beginning to end, and it's one that I play quite often.

Though Krynitza improved in many ways with their second album, Hail to the Sun, their first little gem should not be overlooked.

Turisas goes disco

Well, not exactly, but the band managed to not only record their cover of Boney M's "Rasputin," which they had been playing live for a few years, but film a music video for the single as well.

Video is here

It's very tongue-in-cheek, as you would expect.

And this is not exactly news, as the video and single have been out for a little while now, but I felt it was worth posting as I find it amusing... and catchy.

For those interested in the more serious side of Turisas, I whole-heartedly recommend their new album, "The Varangian Way." I wasn't a big fan of their previous album, but this one is awesome.

Interesting

The Woodtemple CD I ordered came in today. When I opened the package I was amused to find that, by coincidence, the place I ordered the CD from had used, in order to cushion the CD during shipping, the very same issue of Terrorizer magazine (UK) in which my former band's debut CD was reviewed.

I already had a copy of the magazine, but it gave me a good laugh nonetheless. Terrorizer gave us one of our strongest reviews, and now I have a second copy in case anything happens to the original.