Album Review: Odroerir - Götterlieder II

Artist: Odroerir (Germany)
Album Title: Götterlieder II
Record Label: Einheit Produktionen (Germany)
Released: 2010
Purchased From: The Omega Order

Götterlieder II was my most anticipated CD of 2010, in any genre. As it neared release I was excited but also a bit nervous. I couldn't imagine how Odroerir could top their 2005 masterpiece Götterlieder. I was worried that the band might drop the rich vocal harmonies that was my favorite element of their sound, or that they would make some other large change to their sound that would cause them to lose their identity in the sea of folk metal bands that had emerged since 2005. Fortunately, my nervousness was unwarranted. Odroerir has returned with an excellent follow-up to Götterlieder and has managed to improve and progress in many ways.

First of all, the harmonized, layered vocals are back, and they're even more prominent than before. The layers don't seem to be quite as thick as they were at certain points on Götterlieder, but they sound more confident and polished than before. Maybe all the touring they did between 2005 and 2010 helped in that area. The vocals tend to be the focal point of the songs, especially on tracks like "Idunas Äpfel."

That is not to say that the instruments have been given any less attention. Band leader Fix not only sings and plays electric and acoustic guitars, but this time he also plays various percussion instruments, mandolin, mandola, zister, flute, tin whistle, and Jews harp. Stickel returns on vocals and guitar, Manuel and Philipp return on bass and drums, respectively, and Veit plays violin and cello and also contributes vocals this time around. The new addition to the band is vocalist Natalie, who has a very nice voice and will likely be seen as superior to previous vocalist Yvonne (though I enjoyed Yvonne's vocals as well). The band uses mandolin and the other stringed instruments in the place of the acoustic guitar during many parts of the album, which gives them a somewhat less accessible sound than before, in my opinion.

The lyrics on Götterlieder II, again, are adapted from the Edda, and are all in German. As I said in my review of the previous album, I don't usually think of German as a beautiful-sounding language, but bands like Odroerir and Carved In Stone have been able to convince me otherwise, at least for a while. Anyone who doubts should give "Idunas Äpfel" a listen, because it's a staggeringly beautiful song and the highlight of the album for me.

The songs alternate between more metal-oriented and softer acoustic songs, with four "metal" tracks and three "acoustic" tracks, though even the metal songs have softer elements to them. The first track, "Heimdall," begins with the sound of someone walking, followed by a horn sound (played by Manuel, it appears) and a nice little instrumental folk section. At this point new listeners might think they picked up the wrong album, but after about two minutes the metal elements appear. Not that, even once that happens, anyone will mistake Odroerir for being any other band. The sound of mandolin (or mandola?) and flute continues even after the electric guitars appear, and then you hear the vocals, which are not quite like anything I've heard in folk metal. They are not "flashy" or modern-sounding (these are not power metal vocals). They are what I would describe as the vocals that could be found in traditional folk music, except perhaps for the harmonizing, and perfectly complement the atmosphere that Odroerir is creating. The listener will get a good idea of what this band is all about after listening to the first track, and will probably decide at this point whether or not Odroerir is for them. Some will not enjoy it, but I think many will if they give it a chance.

"Heimdall" is followed by the short but sweet acoustic track "Bifröst." As the next track, "Des Thors Hammer Heimholung," begins, I finally hear the familiar baritone vocals (Stickel?) that remind me of the lead male vocals on the first two albums. For whatever reason, they're not as prominent on Götterlieder II as a whole. Again, a mandolin plays throughout the song even when the electric guitars are present, which I think gives the album an all-encompassing "folk" sound that gives me the impression of Odroerir being a folk band that happens to incorporate metal into their music, rather than the other way around.

The long acoustic track "Idunas Äpfel" follows, and on this track Natalie is given a chance to shine. This is a very vocal-centric song, and a very powerful one, despite not being metal in any way. "Skadis Rache," for the first time since Odroerir's 2002 debut, has some shrieked black metal vocals, but only a little. The violin plays a prominent role in this track, and there's a nice guitar solo as well. The next all-acoustic track, "Der Riesenbaumeister" contains what I think is the mandola, and there's also some nice hand percussion. The final track, the nineteen-minute long hymn to Odin, "Allvater," reminds me quite a bit of "Skirnirs Fahrt" from the first Götterlieder, though not quite as satisfying, in my opinion. It is a very good song and an epic and reverent way to close the album, however. It contains probably the most technical lead guitar work on the album (though this of course is relatively speaking), as well as some great violin and cello work.

It's difficult for me to do justice to a band like Odroerir, and an album like Götterlieder II, by using words. There are some very talented writers that might be able to, but I'm not one of them. It's simply a beautiful album. I don't expect that it will get a lot of praise from metal critics, mainly because it's such a different album that is difficult to describe or categorize, and may not contain enough "metal" elements to satisfy some fans, even fans of pagan/folk metal. But that's part of the appeal of Odroerir. They're in a category of their own. They are Odroerir. And they're one of my favorite bands in the genre, for what it's worth.

Album Review: Odroerir - Götterlieder

Artist: Odroerir (Germany)
Album Title: Götterlieder
Record Label: Einheit Produktionen (Germany)
Released: 2005
Purchased From: CM Distro

There's no way I can be unbiased in this review of Odroerir's second album, Götterlieder, because this is the CD that got me hooked on folk metal. Way back in the days of 2006, when I was expanding my "Viking metal" horizons, I came across the name of a band called Menhir, and, during my exhaustive research of this band (which mainly consisted of consulting the Metal Archives), I discovered that one of the members had a second band called Odroerir. CM Distro had an album by each band in stock and I ordered them at the same time. The one that made the biggest immediate impact on me was the CD by Odroerir, because I hadn't heard anything like it before.

The brief intro, "Ginungagap," which consists of the sound of waves and wind, fades into an acoustic piece called "Weltenanfang." I was already intrigued by the the lovely acoustic guitar and female soprano vocals (something I wasn't quite used to yet, having been listening to a lot of black metal up until this point), which are soon joined by a chorus of male vocals, but then the band ups the ante by richly layering several tracks of vocals in beautiful harmony. I've always been drawn to harmonized vocals, but I had never heard anything quite like this on a metal CD. Actually, to be honest, I still haven't heard another metal band with such immensely satisfying harmonized vocals. Sometimes, after dozens or perhaps hundreds of listens later, I can still get goosebumps when listening to "Weltenanfang," and that's only the second of seven mostly-long tracks. The only reference point I could ever find for the vocals is the Irish folk-turned-New Age band Clannad.

"Weltenanfang" seamlessly shifts into track three, "Wanenkrieg," which introduces metal elements into the album for the first time. The electric guitars are pretty high in the mix. There's some melody there, but they kind of just roughly chug along, except during the tasteful guitar solos. The guitar solos always exist for the greater good of the song. They never sound like someone showing off what they can do. The nicely sung and blended vocals introduced on "Weltenanfang" don't go away when the metal elements are introduced. That is actually what Odroerir's vocals sound like. Sometimes there's a solitary voice singing, but it's never too long before another voice or a chorus of voices joins in. Lyrics are all in German, which is not a language I've ever considered "beautiful" when sung, but they make it work. The lyrics on Götterlieder are all adapted from the Edda, specifically the parts that deal with the earlier days of the universe.

The band is led by Fix, who sings, plays acoustic and electric guitar, and plays flute. Stickel sings and plays acoustic and electric guitar. Philipp returns on drums, Yvonne returns as the soprano vocalist, and Manuel (of fellow Thuringians XIV Dark Centuries) joins the band on bass. Another fine addition to the band is Veit, who plays violin and cello. Violin already played a part on the first Odroerir album, but the band felt it was an important enough element in their sound that they added Veit as a full-time member. And, indeed, I think it adds a lot to the sound.

Even in its metal moments, Odroerir is not a particularly heavy band. Nor do they play very fast. The songs move on at a comfortable, leisurely pace, with the lovely ballad "Ask Und Embla" and much of fifteen-minute closer "Skirnirs Fahrt" giving the album some quieter moments. This is an album that I think even non-metal fans could enjoy, because it lacks so many of the elements that annoy many people about metal. However, these qualities could also limit the enjoyment that some metal fans would get from it. Odroerir has to be approached on their own terms, because there are no other bands, to my knowledge, that sound like them.

Despite my love for this album, I acknowledge that there are still some rough edges that could be smoothed out. The vocals, while mostly well done, are not always perfect. There's a vocal line or two on "Zwergenschmiede" that sounds completely flat to me, and the electric guitars are so loud in the mix that they give many parts on the album a "muddy" sound that I think obscures the softer and more beautiful elements at times. Still, depending on my mood, sometimes I think of the guitars as being "rough hewn" and that it adds to the rural charm of the CD. I don't know. I'm conflicted about them. Still, I absolutely adore Götterlieder, four and a half years after first hearing it. I can't get enough of the violin, the flute, and especially the vocals... man, the vocals!

If there is any downside to this album, it's that, with the exception of Odroerir's 2010 follow-up Götterlieder II, there's nothing quite like it. I spent a lot of time after its release trying to find something else that sounded like it, to no avail. Fortunately Götterlieder stands up to repeat listens, because otherwise it would have worn out its welcome many spins ago. I still enjoy it just as much now as I did when I first discovered it, and I would still recommend it to any fan of true pagan/folk metal who is looking for a serious and mature album that is also a lot of fun.

Album Review: Odroerir - Laßt Euch Sagen Aus Alten Tagen...

Artist: Odroerir (Germany)
Album Title: Laßt Euch Sagen Aus Alten Tagen...
Record Label: Ars Metalli (Germany)
Released: 2002
Purchased From: Ebay (Red Stream)

In 1998, German pagan metal pioneers Menhir released the brief but beautiful Buchonia EP. A departure from their normal black metal style, Buchonia was basically a folk or folk rock EP, featuring mostly acoustic guitars, violin, Heiko's baritone vocals, and a female soprano vocalist. As of yet, Menhir has not revisited that style, with the exception of parts of Hildebrandslied. However, also in 1998, Menhir's drummer-turned-guitarist Fix formed a second band, Odroerir, who plays pagan/folk metal in a style similar to that heard on the Buchonia EP. Perhaps he was inspired to continue creating music in that vein after Menhir had gone back to their heavier style? Whatever the reason, I'm certainly glad Odroerir was formed, as they are a pretty remarkable and unique band.

Odroerir, circa 2002, consists of Fix on acoustic and electric guitars, vocals, and a reed instrument called a schalmei. Also on guitar, vocals, and schalmei is Stickel, whose baritone voice is so similar to that of Heiko (of Menhir) that, for a while, I assumed they were the same person. Yvonne handles soprano vocals, Philipp plays the drums, Ralph plays bass, and there's a guest violinist on a few tracks. The male and female vocals are often layered and harmonized, though not as often as on later albums. Acoustic guitar is quite prominent, and, though there are some lovely and melancholy guitar solos, the electric guitar just kind of chugs along much of the time, serving as a rhythmic backbone to the music. The melodies are often carried by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and occasional violin. Odroerir has a truly folk-like sensibility that gives them a unique, rural sound. They're not overly festive, and they're not the kind of band that a lot of people will shake plastic swords to. There are no epic keyboard sounds. Odroerir is a pretty serious band, an authentic band. Their blend of folk and metal is their own.

At this stage, the band still had some rough edges to work out (though it can be argued that the "rough edges" are a part of their charm), but tracks like "Salzschlacht" and "De exidio Thuringiae" hint at the greatness ahead. There is also at least one classic track on the album: "Iring," which is driven by the violin and a simple but catchy chorus. The band only flirts with black metal for a few brief moments on "Menosgada" and "De exidio Thuringiae." But if I were to be asked what specific style of metal Odroerir plays, I would be unable to give a satisfactory response. Is it power metal? Traditional metal? Doom metal? Not really... it's folk metal. It's Odroerir. You can't really pigeonhole them.

Of their three albums, Laßt Euch Sagen Aus Alten Tagen is by far the most difficult to find. I read somewhere (perhaps in an interview?) that the guy behind the label Ars Metalli disappeared with most of the copies of the CD, which means there could be several hundred of them sitting in an attic or basement somewhere in Germany. The band reissued the CD themselves several years later, but it was only available from the band and has also gone out of print. I obtained a near-mint copy of the original pressing thanks to Red Stream, but I've only seen it for sale that one time. Hopefully more copies will surface.

Compared to the later albums, I wouldn't say Laßt Euch Sagen Aus Alten Tagen is an essential pagan/folk metal album, but it's pretty solid and may be worth tracking down for those who can't get enough of the band after Götterlieder I and II.

Check it out

I know that the words "No Downloads" appears at the top of this blog, but in this case, since it's the band itself encouraging the download of their new album, and because it's a band I happen to really enjoy, I felt that I should help get the word out.

Australian heathen folk/metal band Ironwood has just self-released their fantastic new album, "Storm Over Sea," and, to hopefully draw in some new listeners, they've put the entire album up on their website (in 128kb mp3 quality) for free download, with the request that, if you like what you hear, you consider ordering the album from them or one of their distributors (in the U.S., so far Paragon Records, Red Stream, and The End Records have stocked the album, but there are possibly others).

Hopefully I'll be reviewing their music in the near future, once I get back to writing reviews, but, as a quick summary, Ironwood takes beautiful acoustic neo-folk music, mixes it with progressive and occasional black metal elements, and then tops it off with often-beautiful layered clean vocals. I suppose I could draw comparisons between their music and that of Agalloch, early Ulver, Opeth, and October Falls, though that would only tell part of the story. I invite you to go to their website (Ironwoodsound.com.au), listen to the music, give it some time to sink in, and then, hopefully, purchase the CD and support a great band.

Kamaedzitca Дзецi Леса video clip

The Final Age will return with reviews soon.

Enjoy this video clip I just discovered of Kamaedzitca's "Children of the Forest."

Youtube clip here

Album Review: Glittertind - Landkjenning

Artist: Glittertind (Norway)
Album Title: Landkjenning
Record Label: Napalm Records (Austria, US)
Released: 2009 (May)
Purchased From: The Omega Order

One can be forgiven for overlooking Glittertind's second full-length album (or third, if you count the demo Mellom Bakkar Og Berg), especially if that person has reached his or her saturation point with the genre of folk metal. The cover of a longship, and the sticker from Napalm Records that reads "Norwegian Folk Metal!," on the U.S. version at least, doesn't really inspire confidence that Glittertind is a band that will stand out from the pack of folk metal bands that have emerged in the wake of the genre's explosive popularity in the metal underground. However, this two-man project (which was a one-man project for the first several years of its existence) is no "Johnny-come-lately" folk metal band, nor is it typical with regards to its sound. Glittertind contains just as much of a punk and rock sound as it does metal, though it is far closer to "folk metal" than the preceding full-length, 2003's Evige Asatro (fortunately re-issued by Napalm Records to coincide with the release of Landkjenning), which had a much stronger punk sound. I'm not a fan of punk music, but Evige Asatro is a pretty good listen, though it's not something I will likely find myself listening to a lot.

However, Landkjenning is a very good and unique album, which is relatively mellow and accessible while also being authentic and thoughtful with regards to history, Norse paganism, and folk music. Thematically, the jumping off point here seems to be the story of Olav Tryggvason, the Norwegian king who is credited with/blamed for bringing Christianity to his native land in the late 10th century. According to the liner notes, Glittertind's goal with Landkjenning is to present two different viewpoints as to the Christianization of Norway. To present the side that looks at the Christianization as good, Glittertind has taken some of their lyrics from the Norwegian poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, while the other side comes mostly from Glittertind's own perspective of history. This is not really a concept album, as there are songs about other topics, like the relationship of man and nature, the brotherhood of warriors, and the importance of living each day to its fullest. However, the beginning of Landkjenning deals with the return of Olav Tryggvason to Norway after his conversion, while the album ends with Olav's death in a battle at sea, followed by a somber but beautiful Norwegian traditional song, played on organ and Harding fiddle.

The musical style of the album varies from song to song. The tracks that speak of Olav Tryggvason in a positive light ("Landkjenning" and "Brede seil over Nordsjø gårhave") have an almost "sacred" quality about them, with layers of vocals resembling religious choral music. A few of the songs ("Nordafjells," "Varder i brann," and "Longships and Mead") are more upbeat, folk metal songs. "Longships and Mead" is the only English-language song on the album, and it has a rollicking sound that is bound to be a crowd-pleaser amongst fans of happy-sounding folk metal. There are a few punk-inspired songs ("Glittertind" and "Jeg snører min sekk"), and then a couple of slower, ballad-like tracks ("Går min eigen veg" and "Mot myrke vetteren"). The former of these ballads is especially beautiful, with excellent background vocals and flute.

Along with the guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards, Landkjenning contains Harding fiddle (a violin native to Norway), flute, accordion, and cello, as well as organ. Production is very high-quality, and everything from the instruments to the vocals are well-performed. Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that all the vocals on Landkjenning are sung, and sung rather well, in fact. Founding member Torbjørn Sandvik made a great decision to bring Geirmund Simonsen on board, as Geirmund's presence seems to have added much to the Glittertind sound.

From beginning to end, Landkjenning is an album that is worth your attention. It has a unique and engaging sound that I can't adequately compare to anything else out there. At times it reminds me of Týr, sometimes Lumsk, sometimes Vintersorg or early Ulver. It's pretty mellow, overall, for a metal album, and possibly strays too far to satisfy some fans. But I've enjoyed it quite a bit, and it's an album I continue to listen to on a regular basis several months after its release. Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised that this album hasn't gained more attention than it has, but I haven't seen it promoted as much as other pagan/folk metal bands on Napalm Records. Perhaps it is because Glittertind is primarily a studio band, though they are preparing to play some live shows. Regardless, if you're a fan of the genre and are looking for something unique, thoughtful, and oft-times beautiful, you should give Landkjenning a try.

Compilation Review: Slavs Part 1

Artist(s): Various
Compilation Title: Slavs Part 1
Record Label: Scythian Horn (Russia)
Released: 2009
Received from: Cultural fund Scythian Horn

Torbjørn Sandvik, of Norwegian folk metal band Glittertind, wrote in the liner notes of their album Landkjenning: "folk music, and its contemporary expressions through musicians like ourselves, is first and foremost life-affirming, inspirited and uniting..." That is a quote to which I keep returning when I listen to Slavs Part 1, a terrific compilation CD of various Slavic folk bands and ensembles. 20 great songs are packed into a 76-minute runtime, and within those 20 songs are many different styles and from many different countries. Admittedly, I am not as well-versed in Slavic folk music as I wish I were, so this CD has served as a wonderful introduction to the rich variety of music that exists in the area covered by this compilation, though obviously it only scratches the surface of what one might find there.

There are 13 different bands and ensembles represented here, and attempting to review this CD thoroughly would require looking at each of these artists individually. I'll do my best. The CD begins with a rather modern-sounding piece by Afion, a five-piece Croatian band who seems to be influenced by folk rock (as they are one of the few bands on the CD that uses a modern drum kit). Then things take a turn with the more traditional-sounding Runo (of Serbia), which uses what strikes me as a more "folk-style" singing and traditional string, wind, and percussion instruments.

Next, Slovak children's folklore group Kornička performs a lovely medley of Christmas carols. The next two songs are by another Slovak group, Muzička, and the interesting thing about these two songs is that they don't sound like they came from the same group, as the first piece is entirely a capella, with female vocals, while the second song has a male vocalist and a full string section (in fact, it appears that the only instruments used by Muzička are violins, violas, and bass). I really enjoyed the voice of the male vocalist on this second song, "Pomali ovecki." Not knowing the Slovak language, I don't know what the vocalist is singing, but the beginning of the piece sounds rather thoughtful or somber, but after about three-and-a-half minutes the pace quickens, additional male voices are added, and the mood seems to change to something more celebratory. This is probably my favorite piece of music on the CD, though it's closely matched by the first piece of the next group, a Macedonian band called Monistra. The female vocalist on "Filizo mome," Gabriela Janusevska, has a voice that is absolutely enchanting. She has terrific range and control, and what struck me as a strong Middle Eastern sound in her voice. That strong Middle Eastern sound (for lack of a better description on my part) can be heard in all the contributions by the Macedonian bands on this compilation. The second song by Monistra is entirely instrumental, and there's some nice hand percussion and a very well-played stringed instrument that I can't identify. This second piece is nothing short of exhilarating.

Tracks 8 and 9 are two short pieces by Trio Tzane, which is made up of three female vocalists, one from Bulgaria, one from Greece, and one from Turkey. Their only instrumental accompaniment appears to be a sort of tambourine, but they have very unique and interesting voices. The next group, the only one with which I was familiar before I received this compilation, is the wonderful Vedan Kolod of Russia. Their contribution, "U nas nyne," was also featured on the first Scythian Horn compilation, Ritual, but it's such a good piece of music that I didn't mind hearing it again on this CD. Vedan Kolod is one of the groups on this compilation that don't seem to be at all influenced by modern forms of music. They use all ancient instruments, and one can certainly imagine their style of music existing in the same form hundreds of years ago or even older, somehow captured on modern recording equipment. The blending of the female vocals on this track is beautiful.

Russia is also represented by Skomoroshia sloboda, which is a young folklore ensemble from the city of Sergiev Posad. This is another a capella piece, which seems to be comprised entirely of female vocals, singing in a style that I have encountered often in my very limited exposure to traditional Russian music. Tracks 12 and 13 are by Collegium Fiddle Dolce, from the Czech Republic, and I must say that I love these two songs. I don't know if Collegium Fiddle Dolce has any full-length CD's of their own, but if so, I would like to find one. There's a very "happy" vibe to these two tracks that always brings a smile to my face. Some may describe their style as "quaint," and it may not appeal to all listeners, but I come back to their tracks often.

Tracks 14 and 15 are instrumental pieces (for the most part) by Makedonka, another Macedonian ensemble. Like Monistra, Makedonka gives my mind a strong Middle Eastern imagery when I listen to them. According to Scythian Horn's website, Makedonka consists of more than 250 members across their various groups (which include folk dance groups, folk singers, and orchestra). It's a shame that these types of groups don't make it over to the North America more often, because I would love to hear this type of music in a live setting.

The next band featured, Svjata Vatra, is quite unique to my ears. They are an Estonian-Ukrainian folk band that sounds like nothing else I've ever heard. Their first track on the CD, "Kalyna," has some great accordion and Estonian bagpipes, while the second song, "Verhovyna," has what sounds to me like a... trumpet or trombone? Playing a Ukrainian folk melody? Svjata Vatra is what I can only describe as "quirky," but I would imagine that they would be very fun to see in concert.

Svjata Vatra is followed by Slovak mixed-voice choir Tirnavia, performing what, to my ears, sounds like a Christmas carol, and things get interesting towards the middle of the track when the singing turns to chanting, handclaps, and the stomping of feet, before returning to singing and then, finally, back to clapping and the stomping of feet. Next is Tundri, a World Music Orchestra from Serbia. This mostly-instrumental piece (though a choir of voices singing what appears to be wordless vocals appears throughout) has a strong jazz and rock influence and mostly modern instruments.

The CD reaches its end with a second piece from Afion, the Croatian band that also contributed the first song of the compilation. This last song, "Dizala skuto," is quite lovely, with hand percussion, handclaps, well-played stringed instruments, and beautifully harmonized male and female vocals, and it brings more smiles to my face to close out a great musical journey. This final song is so good that my first impulse once I reach the end of the CD is to start again with track 1.

Slavs Part 1 is a wonderful CD that exposed me to a lot of great music from countries with which I'm not very familiar, and it caused me to want to learn and hear more of what these nations have to offer musically, which is probably the intention behind the compiling of this CD. I'm looking forward to the release of Slavs Part 2, hopefully this year, but, in the meantime, Part 1 is a CD I will listen to again and again. It is one I would definitely recommend for those who, like me, are new to Slavic folk music in its various forms and would like to hear from many talented artists and ensembles whose recordings are very difficult to find. Because this review blog is mainly about pagan and folk metal, I would like to add that many fans of Slavic folk metal who are interested in exploring beyond metal will find much to enjoy in this compilation, as I have.