Album Review: Fearlight - "Наш Завет"

Artist: Fearlight (Russia)
Album Title: Наш Завет (Our Legacy)
Label: Gardarika Musikk (Russia)
Released: 2007

Although I enjoy folk metal bands from all over Europe (and elsewhere), there's something about Russian bands that tends to resonate with me especially deeply. Over the past few years, I have found many great bands from there, beginning with my discovery of Pagan Reign and Arkona. I make it a point to seek out Russian folk metal bands, so I am always pleased to discover a new one. Fearlight came to my attention through a music video on Youtube, and I was immediately taken with their sound and image. I immediately ordered their debut CD, Our Legacy, and, for a few days, I couldn't listen to anything else.

Like many folk metal bands from Russia, Fearlight is a bit of a mystery to me. Their website doesn't seem to be up anymore, and there is very little information about them online. According to their label, they began in 2005 as a doom metal band, but not much else in the way of band information is given, except that they took their time completing Our Legacy due to their wanting the production and arrangements to be perfect. I was able to listen to their 2005 demo and was surprised at how their style changed between the demo and their debut album. Their early sound is very much rooted in gothic metal, and though a few elements of their sound have survived (the use of both female and male vocals), it might as well be an entirely different band.

Fearlight is a five-piece band from Saint Petersburg, Russia. There are two vocalists in the band, "Elf" (a male, and also the band's guitarist) and "Albinoni" (a female, and the band's keyboardist). Neither of them have particularly strong voices, but they sound fine on this album, especially when singing together. I wouldn't say that they harmonize (this isn't Odroerir); rather they seem to mostly sing in unison. They both have soft voices, which gives the music a bit more of a gentle, folky sound than most bands that call themselves folk metal. Elf also utilizes a harsh vocal style, but very rarely. The band also includes a bassist ("Sin K River") and a drummer ("Makmillan Arfist"), as well as a tin whistle- and bagpipe-player ("Scald").

Our Legacy somewhat alternates between slower, ballad-like songs, and faster ones. Many of the songs (like track 8, "Три девы" or "Three Wise Maids") sound very much like folk songs at their base, rather than metal songs with folk instruments added to the mix. The bagpipes and tin whistles are beautifully intertwined with the traditional metal instruments, and folk melodies (as well as elements of classical music) are all over this album. Those who accuse folk metal of being inauthentic in its relation to folk music should give this CD a listen.

Another feature of Our Legacy is the sheer addictiveness of this album. When I received it, I listened to it for a few hours in the evening, and then throughout the entire next day at work. This is one of those albums that, once I reach the end, I want to go back and listen to the beginning again. It doesn't hurt that the first actual song on the album (after the Intro), "Лес" or "The Wood," features a beautiful chorus that I love to hear again and again. And the fourth song, the title track, is one of those songs I could listen to on repeat all day. Fortunately, the rest of the album maintains a high level of quality, with nothing I would consider "filler." At 36 minutes, it's a brisk listen, but an immensely enjoyable and satisfying one. The one minor criticism I could make is that two of the songs use English lyrics, and they don't make any sense to me. What exactly does the line "Vanishing is me, like a mad in fears" mean? Fortunately, the broken English was not noticeable to me when listening to the album, but I hope that in the future they stick to the Russian lyrics.

The album finishes with an outro that features music by the great composer Modest Moussorgsky and some folk poetry. When it's all done, inevitably I begin at track 1 again and am never tempted to skip any of the tracks on my next listen. I've had the CD for a few weeks now and it continues to delight me, though I have listened to it dozens of times. Therefore, it is very easy for me to recommend it to fans of true folk metal. Fearlight may not be a well-known name in Russian folk metal yet (in comparison to Alkonost, Butterfly Temple, or Arkona), but after an album like this, they deserve to get a lot more recognition than they have gotten so far. Hopefully Gardarika Musikk will get the CD out there so that more people can hear it. Tracking it down on this side of the Atlantic is practically impossible. Fortunately the good folks at Dark Symphonies got in a few copies, though they sold out quickly.

I will do my small part to help spread the word about Fearlight by typing "BUY THIS!" and posting this review on my humble blog that nobody reads.

Album Review: Drudkh - "Estrangement"

Artist: Drudkh (Ukraine)
Album Title: Estrangement
Label: Supernal Music (U.K.)
Released: 2007

Although it's not very often we'll see an album by a pagan metal band from a country as obscure (in the metal world) as Ukraine grab the attention of underground metal critics, that's exactly what happened when Drudkh unleashed Blood In Our Wells upon the world in 2006. They had been quietly building up a fanbase for the previous couple of years, releasing a trio of albums that you will often see mentioned in "best of" lists on metal forums: Forgotten Legends, Autumn Aurora, and The Swan Road. But, for some reason, Blood In Our Wells managed to make Drudkh a bit of a critical darling in the world of underground extreme metal. Not bad for a band who never gives interviews or concerts, has never released any sort of band photo, and is often incorrectly identified as National Socialists.

As is inevitable, expectations were high for a follow-up to Blood In Our Wells. That album, to many, is the pinnacle of their impressive career. Then they managed to confound everyone, not once, but twice. The first was with the release of an instrumental folk album,Songs of Grief and Solitude, which many described as boring, and the 10" vinyl Anti-Urban EP, which most viewed as pointless and sub-par. Therefore, by the time Estrangement was released in 2007 (less than a year and a half after Blood In Our Wells), it seems that much of the crowd had dissipated. I suppose it's just as well, because Drudkh doesn't seem to welcome the attention.

Drudkh's sound is a little difficult to describe, at least if you want to do it any justice. They write very atmospheric and somewhat repetitive songs, often with a thick guitar tone, accompanied by lyrics taken from Ukrainian poetry and vocals that are kind of a rough shout rather than a growl or shriek. At first, they didn't use any keyboards, but ever since Autumn Aurora, the occasional keyboard will show up at just the perfect time. The band manages to evolve with each album, but on Estrangement they almost seem to devolve into a mixture of the sound they employed on the first few albums. However, they've improved in the way that the bass is now very audible (and well performed), and the songs, to me at least, seem less repetitive. The occasional solo is also welcome.

The few negatives I can come up with are that I don't really care for the way the drums are recorded, and that the album is a little on the short side. There are four songs, and it clocks in at about 36 minutes total. However, there is no filler, and even the instrumental that closes the album is great (and this is coming from a person who doesn't usually like instrumentals). They've trimmed out most of the use of samples, except for a very brief one that begins the album. This may be a good or a bad thing depending on whether or not you enjoyed the Ukrainian film and folk music samples from Blood In Our Wells.

There are always those who say that Drudkh is overrated, and Estrangement is not likely to silence those voices. It's a strange little album, and if I were more of a cynical type (I'm not, which is one reason why I make a very bad album reviewer) I would say that Drudkh kind of pushed this one out the door without much effort. However, I really enjoy Estrangement. I listen to it more often than I listen to their earlier albums, with the possible exception of Blood In Our Wells. It has kind of an addicting sound that I don't get tired of, even on those days when my attention span is shorter than usual. The songs are well constructed, the recording quality is good (except for the drums, as I already mentioned), and, even though they dialed back the epic qualities of their music, the beauty and melancholy is still very much present.

So, despite what the detractors might say, I find Drudkh to be an amazing band, and Estrangement is a great addition to their discography.

Album Review: Graveland - "Will Stronger Than Death"

Artist: Graveland (Poland)
Album Title: Will Stronger Than Death
Label: No Colours Records (Germany)
Released: 2007

Chances are, just about every fan of pagan metal has at least a passing familiarity with Graveland's Rob Darken. Whether it is the controversy he has courted over the years due to his political affiliations and interviews, or his flow of almost-yearly album releases, he remains a visible and outspoken figure in the scene.

I'm not much of a fan of Graveland's early, black metal, period. And I never really got into albums like Thousand Swords, despite having heard many good things about them. My introduction to Graveland (and I admit this rather sheepishly, since it will reveal me to be a relative newcomer) was 2005's Fire Chariot of Destruction, an excellent and epic album. I began tracking down many of his earlier releases, but Fire Chariot of Destruction remained my very favorite. Since with each release his production skills improved (and the "epic-ness" seemed to increase), I felt that Will Stronger Than Death would be even more sweeping.

However, I was shocked (and, admittedly, a little dismayed at first) to find that Will Stronger Than Death is actually a step back in many ways. The production is less clear and the keyboards and choirs are used less often than on its predecessor. It seems that maybe Rob Darken realized that he didn't want to continue travelling in that direction and made a bit of a departure. I was unhappy about this at first, but then I gave the album a chance and realized that, in many ways, this is quite possibly the best Graveland CD I've heard.

The key to the appeal of this album is, for the most part, the riffs. The riffs are like the sound of war. The drums help give it that effect as well. The riffs are repetitive, certainly, but they work together to cast a persistent mood throughout the album. The color of the album is almost entirely gray, like you're traveling into battle with clouds looming overhead. That kind of mood may cause some to tire of the album, since every song at least on a surface level sounds quite similar to the one that preceded it, but, if you're in the right mood, it's a very satisfying listen. The elements of the album will be familiar to anyone acquainted with the sound of modern Graveland (including that barely-decipherable, almost-emotionless croak of Darken's); it's the strong songwriting that helps it stand out from its already-strong predecessors.

I guess the easy way to say this is that if you didn't like any Graveland before, Will Stronger Than Death is not likely to win you over, but I think even fans of certain periods in Graveland's career who have been alienated by the newer albums may find this to be a pleasant surprise. As for me, I have heard enough comparisons to his earlier work that I may have to track down some more releases.

Album Review: Аркона - "От сердца к небу"

Artist: Аркона [Arkona] (Russia)
Album Title: От сердца к небу (From the Heart to the Heaven)
Label: Sound Age Production (Russia)
Released: 2007

Arkona may have only been around since 2002, but the band has made a large progression in only a few short years. The first two albums, Возрождение and Лепта, were very solid metal albums which put Arkona on the map, to to speak, but the folk metal was really kicked into overdrive with 2005's Во славу великим!, a monster of an album, which replaced the first two album's keyboard-based folk melodies with a number of traditional instruments such as various flutes and bagpipes. Во славу великим! also clocked in at over an hour long, and managed to keep its momentum throughout. It's a tough act to follow, but after only 2 years, during which time they released a live CD and DVD, Arkona is back with another masterwork, От сердца к небу (which I will call From the Heart to the Heaven for the remainder of this review).

One of the major draws of this band, besides the many wonderful folk melodies, are the excellent vocals by frontwoman (and principal songwriter) Masha "Scream." She is capable of doing both clean and harsh vocals proficiently, and, in a live setting, can quickly alternate between the two without missing a note. She's like the Russian female version of Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt in that regard. She also has a great love for Russia, paganism, and folk music.

I was really excited to get this album, and ordered the limited edition digibook version from a Russian Ebay seller shortly after its release. I'd only been listening to Arkona since the summer of 2006, when I bought Лепта, but since then had acquired all of their CD's (as I tend to do). The digibook is pretty slick, with excellent artwork from Kris Verwimp. I don't like the digibook's cover artwork as much as the image posted above (which I'm guessing will be on the regular jewel case edition), but at least that image is contained within the booklet itself. The artwork seems to give off a somewhat melancholy atmosphere, which is a pretty good preparation for the music itself.

From the Heart to the Heaven is a pretty dark album, compared to its predecessor. It is also an album that is even further rooted in traditional Russian folk music than any Arkona album before it, and perhaps more than any folk metal album I have ever heard from that country (and, being a big fan of Russian pagan/folk metal, I've heard many). After a short and dark synth intro, the first track explodes into one of the heaviest Arkona songs I've heard thus far. The guitars are crunchy, Masha's voice is snarling, and the drumming is tight. Yep, this is classic Arkona. The second track, however, is the first of many songs on the album to contain the chanting of a folk choir. It sounds great, but I would imagine some listeners may not like it.

The CD is split pretty evenly between what I would consider "normal" Arkona songs and songs which are much more folk-based (and therefore may not appeal to listeners who are looking for simply a metal album with folk melodies). Out of the eleven tracks on the album (twelve in the digibook edition), six are what I would call "normal" Arkona songs. Four songs are metal (or partly metal) but with folk choir vocals, and one is a folk instrumental. The digibook contains a bonus track, which is another instrumental folk tune. Most of the non-"normal" Arkona songs fall towards the middle of the CD, so for a listener who doesn't like those types of songs, the middle of the CD will seem to drag.

However, for those who are looking for a "true" folk metal album and not just a metal album with some folk melodies thrown in, From the Heart to the Heaven is one that must be heard. The "folk choir" vocals remind me of a Ukrainian folk choir CD I have in my collection. I've never heard a Russian folk choir, but I would guess it sounds pretty similar. I don't know if this is what Arkona was aiming for, but the choir-style vocals (usually backed by bagpipes or other traditional instruments) certainly adds to the atmosphere the album creates. A variety of sound effects (of nature, usually) between songs also helps.

As a concept album, From the Heart to the Heaven is best when taken as a whole, though there are certainly some standout songs that will sound great on their own (the title track is one of them; the anthemic "Славься, Русь" is another one). It is a wonderful album, but it is less accessible than Arkona's previous albums. For those who are musically open-minded and adventurous, or those who have an affection for traditional folk music but also don't mind a lot of screaming and guitars, Arkona's latest is an easy one to recommend.

I should also point out that the production is excellent throughout, and the band sounds better than ever. I've never found the metal elements of Arkona's music to be that impressive --they sound fine, but there's nothing flashy or memorable about their performances, besides Masha's vocals-- but in my opinion the entire band has managed to impress me with this release. I was especially pleased with the work of drummer Vlad. The traditional instruments also sound fantastic, and I hope that this is an element that Arkona continues to incorporate on future releases. I don't know how many different wind, string, and percussion instruments are used on this album (my ability to read Russian is very limited), but I think there is a much greater variety used on this album than on the last one.

From the Heart to the Heaven solidifies Arkona's place, in my opinion at least, as one of the very greatest bands in pagan and folk metal. I hope that they continue to follow this musical path, but, even if they don't, this album will stand as a masterwork of the genre. It may not draw in as many new fans as Во славу великим! did, but Arkona is to be commended for following their hearts and contributing a work of great art. This is one of my top albums of 2007, and one that, each time I listen to it, reaffirms my love for folk metal and the great potential this genre has.

Album Review: Dalriada - "Kikelet"

Band: Dalriada (Hungary)
Album Title: Kikelet
Label: Nail Records (Hungary)
Released: 2007

Dalriada, formerly known as Echo of Dalriada, has to be one of my favorite discoveries of 2007. Grounded in Hungarian folk music, and sounding completely unlike anything I've ever heard, their albums are both immediately pleasing and yet hold up under repeated listens. They were first brought to my attention on the Viking Blood messageboard, when someone posted a Youtube link to the video for their song "Téli ének" from 2006's Jégbontó and I was immediately enchanted by vocalist Laura Binder's unique (in this genre anyway) style. She doesn't have a typical metal voice at all; it sounds more like a traditional Hungarian folk voice. It took me longer to get used to the vocals of founding member Andras Ficzek, who sometimes sounds like he's really straining to hit the notes. After a while, Andras' vocals became part of the great charm of this lovely folk metal band.

Although I immediately fell in love with Dalriada's sound, it took me several months before I was able to track down their albums. Unfortunately, they seem to have little to no distribution outside of their native Hungary, and I had to get them from a (very nice) Hungarian seller on Ebay. First I acquired the two albums released under their previous name, Echo of Dalriada, and then about a month later acquired Kikelet. The debut, Fergeteg, is a good CD, though it pales in comparison to Jégbontó, which quickly became one of my very favorite folk metal albums. Jégbontó is full of songs that are catchy, beautiful, accessible, and yet still very deep, with so many melody and key changes that it's pretty much impossible to predict where a song is going to go until you've listened to it several times. While this may sound daunting, the band's sound is so enjoyable that it seems to flow naturally.

With the release of Kikelet, not much has changed since Jégbontó despite the band name being shortened. The songs aren't as immediately catchy and accessible as they are on Jégbontó, though with repeated listens it begins to make sense and I began to enjoy it just as much. A standout track is the single "Táltosének," which is available as an mp3 download from Dalriada's website (and can be heard on their Myspace page). Though catchier and perhaps not as complex as the rest of the songs on the album, it is nonetheless a great introduction to the band, with an absolutely addicting chorus (thanks to Laura Binder's infectious vocal lines and some solid backing vocals).

Andras Ficzek handles quite a bit of the vocal duties on this album, and in addition to his normal sung vocals gives an occasional black metal shriek (on track 8, "Tűzhozó"). Excellent drumming by Tadeusz Rieckmann is also worthy of mention. The band sounds tight; obviously they are all very talented musicians, and work quite well together. There are a few really nice violin parts as well. I don't know who plays the violin on this album, whether it's a band member or a session musician, but it sounds great. I will also mention the production, as it's fantastic and lets the listener hear every fine detail of the performances.

I find myself gushing with praise for this band, but they deserve it. Dalriada will probably never have the international success they deserve, which is usually the case with bands in this genre, but I feel Dalriada has a lot of potential for a wider audience if only that audience had access to their albums. They are a refreshing and totally unique band, and I would recommend them to anyone. I realize, reading back at my review, that I've been pretty vague about what the band sounds like. I think it's because I would much rather play the album for a person than try to describe it, as I'm not very good at describing music. For anyone who is interested, I recommend going here or here and listening to some of their mp3's. I know I say this a lot, but this is a band that is really worth going through the trouble of finding their albums.

Album Review: Родосвет - "Бойня Словена"

Band: Родосвет [Rodosvet] (Russia)
Album Title: Бойня Словена (Slavonic Butchery)
Label: Stellar Winter (Russia)
Released: 2007

In the realm of pagan metal, there exist a number of bands that push controversial politics yet have a significant number of fans who are not affiliated with those politics (and, in many cases, vehemently disagree with them). The most well-known examples of bands with this kind of crossover success are the infamous Temnozor (Темнозорь), Graveland, and Nokturnal Mortum. From the great Russian label Stellar Winter comes Moscow-based Rodosvet, a band which may become another one to add to that list.

I don't know much of anything about Rodosvet, except that some members of the band were formerly in a pagan metal band called Elfsword. At some point Rodosvet was formed, and in 2007 they released their debut album, Slavonic Butchery, through Stellar Winter. There does not seem to be any band information in the packaging itself, which is all in Russian. There are no credits, and no band photos (except for a photo of a guy with a wolf's head photoshopped onto his shoulders).

The album starts with a pleasant synth intro. That should come as no surprise to seasoned fans of the genre. In fact, it is almost expected for a pagan metal band to start each album with a short instrumental. The second track begins with a speech sample (a film sample?), and then the metal starts. The vocals at first are in a death metal style, but then turn into a more high-pitched black metal style. Then there are some nice folky melodies played on keyboard before the death metal growls start again. At this point, I was reminded of the Ukrainian band Dub Buk, a reference that I would come back to several times over the course of this album. It has that same "black thrash" type of sound, though this band seems to be too restless to settle for one particular sound throughout the album.

Not only is there variety in the music, but the vocals alternate among different styles, including the aforementioned death metal growls and black metal shrieks, as well as gravelly shouts that remind me of Rusich (Ukraine) and proud clean vocals reminiscent of Temnozor. This variety is nice, and keeps things interesting. There are a lot of time changes within the songs as well, as well as some acoustic and folk passages. It's all very pleasing to my ears and quite entertaining, though (as usual) I have no idea what is being said in the lyrics. The vocals sound both very proud and very angry. The album ends with a sad a capella song that reminds me of the Ukrainian folk songs that served as intros on Hate Forest's Battlefields and the track that ends Dub Buk's Rus Ponad Vse! I don't know if the track is composed of samples or if it's the members of the band singing, but it sounds mournful and probably an appropriate way to end an album called Slavonic Butchery.

I've never read a review on this album, nor have I seen many people discussing it. Personally, I think it's a really good CD and a pretty safe bet for fans of the bands I mentioned over the course of this review. The easiest comparison to make is Temnozor, but Rodosvet seems to have more creative energy and certainly better production (while lacking the flute that is such a big part of Temnozor's sound). Hopefully Rodosvet will continue to release albums and will be able to better differentiate themselves from other bands in the genre. Regardless, Slavonic Butchery is a very strong debut from a promising young band.

Krynitza live clip on Youtube

Here

I wasn't sure if Russian folk band Krynitza ever played live, but here is a clip of them performing at a folk festival.


While you're at Youtube, you might as well watch this fan-made video of the Krynitza track "Angel."

Angel video