Album Review: Die Saat - "Wir laden zum Feste"

Band: Die Saat (Germany)
Album Title: Wir laden zum Feste
Label: Ewiges Eis Records (Germany)
Released: 2006

Well, here it is, the crowning achievement of a great Viking metal band. Wir laden zum Feste, in my opinion, is the fulfillment of the potential Die Saat has shown. It's a full 20 minutes shorter than Der Schlachten Tribut, the band's previous album, but to me it's to Die Saat's benefit, as it sounds tighter and more focused. It would have been great to see how they would top Wir laden zum Feste, but unfortunately, it looks like the band has split up (according to Encyclopedia Metallum, at least).

Although I enjoyed the first and second album greatly, I was not prepared for how good their third album would be. Everything has improved over the previous album, including the production. Finally, the production is worthy of the music, or at least very close to it. There is still room for improvement, but everything is more clearly recorded and is given proper space within the stereo spectrum. Even the drum machine has improved.

If the album has any fault, it's that it takes a few minutes to get moving. It begins with an a cappella track called "Willkommen," and follows with "Midgards Erben," the first real song on the album. "Midgards Erben" is not a bad song over all, but it starts out kind of weak. However, things pick up by the chorus, and for the rest of the album, I was entirely captivated.

The keyboard sounds and arrangements have a majestic, sweeping quality. There are some moments that are so perfect that I have to smile, and those moments come quite often on this album. I was going to try to list some of them, but there are just too many. Picking a favorite track is difficult as well, not because the songs seem to blend together into one long song (they don't, they each manage to stand out), but because they are all so good. "Asatru" is particularly breath-taking, though. And I love the clean vocals that close the title track.

As I stupidly decided to write reviews for all three Die Saat albums in one evening, I'm at a loss for words to describe Wir laden zum Feste adequately. I guess the biggest endorsement I can give is that it's in my top 5 metal albums of 2006. If it's the final contribution we'll see from Die Saat, at least they went out on a high note. Unfortunately, it's one that few will probably hear, as it was limited to 1,000 copies between two editions (a regular digi-pack and a metal box version). It's definitely worth tracking down, in my opinion.

Hails to you, Die Saat! May you one day return!

Album Review: Die Saat - "Der Schlachten Tribut"

Band: Die Saat (Germany)
Album Title: Der Schlachten Tribut
Label: Ewiges Eis Records (Germany)
Released: 2003

On their second album, Der Schlachten Tribut, Die Saat has evolved into a Viking metal band to be reckoned with. The production is still raw, and the drum machine is still pretty weak, but the album shows the band maturing in their songwriting and arranging while maintaining the energy and spirit of their debut. At just under an hour long, Der Schlachten Tribut is epic in more than one sense.

The album opens with the title track, which features two sets of clean vocals. I'm not sure if Sturm handled both sets of clean vocals, or if Tormentor is the second voice, because both are credited as vocalists on this album. At any rate, the harmonizing clean vocals sound great, and they appear often on this album as well as the third album, Wir Laden Zum Feste. The rest of the vocals are again done in a distorted shriek, though they are sometimes alternated with low, growling vocals. The vocals are one improvement over the previous album. The clean vocals are used quite frequently, sometimes at the same time as the shrieking vocals, and they sound proud and Germanic.

The keyboards have also improved, and can finally transmit the epic quality that the music requires. The keyboard arrangements are an important part of Die Saat's sound, which I'm sure will bother pagan metal fans who despise the heavy use of keyboards. I enjoy keyboards, though, especially when they're used tastefully, as they are here. The guitars are sometimes relegated to background duty, but, despite the keyboard-heavy arrangements, there is some really nice (and frequent) lead guitar playing going on.

Most important to me is that this album has the atmosphere I crave in my Viking metal. Although I have no idea what is being said in the German lyrics (one song, the slightly goofy "Black Metal," is in English), the music manages to stir the noble spirit within. With the penultimate track, Die Saat pays tribute to their home, the German state of Thuringia. I've never been to Thuringia, but it must be quite the place, because no fewer than four of my favorite pagan metal bands have emerged from that region of Germany (Die Saat, Menhir, Odroerir, and XIV Dark Centuries).

Their third album may be my favorite Die Saat release, but that's certainly no reason to write off Der Schlachten Tribut. If you can still locate a copy (it was limited to 1,000, which is twice as many as were pressed of Niedergang), I whole-heartedly recommend it. Like me, you may need to get past the production and the weak drum machine before you can truly enjoy it, but I found it to be more than worth the effort.

Album Review: Die Saat - "Niedergang"

Band: Die Saat (Germany)
Album Title: Niedergang
Label: EE Records (Germany)
Released: 2002

Die Saat has quietly become one of my favorite bands in the pagan metal genre. But, to be perfectly honest, I initially hated their music. It actually took me a few months before I would bother to sit through the first album, Niedergang, and it quickly began to grow on me.

This Thuringian band plays Viking metal with German lyrics. At this point, the band consisted of guitarist/vocalist Sturm, guitarist Tormentor, bassist Eofperaz, and keyboardist Ardor. The vocals on Niedergang are delivered mainly in a distorted shriek, though there are also clean vocals, though not to the extent that they would be used on later releases. Production is raw for a Viking metal album, especially one that is attempting to sound so epic. That is the reason why I initially disliked the CD. The keyboards are a major part of the overall sound, yet on this album they sound like cheap toy keyboards. When epic parts are played (like on the excellent "Adler der Asgard") it is somewhat frustrating that the keyboards have such a weak sound when the arrangements are so good. Another problem is the weak drum machine. It is well-programmed, but it doesn't provide as good a backbone for the music as a real drummer or a better quality drum machine would have.

Though these initial frustrations were enough to keep me from enjoying this album for a while, I'm glad that I was able to eventually get past them, because this is a good album. Although not as fully-realized as on Der Schlachten Tribut or Wir Laden Zum Feste, the songwriting and arrangements on Niedergang are very good. Keyboardist Ardor (if that is indeed him playing... it may be Sturm) is given a chance to shine in the great closing track, "Armageddon." It was on this track (as well as the aforemented "Adler der Asgard") that I received the best glimpse as to what Die Saat would achieve in the future. Everything really comes together on this track.

Though I don't enjoy Niedergang as much as the later Die Saat releases, it still provides a great look at a young band with a lot of ideas and ambition. It is music full of passion and nobility.

Album Review: Nokturnal Mortum - "Mirovozzrenie"

Band: Nokturnal Mortum (Ukraine)
Album Title: Mirovozzrenie
Label: Oriana Music (Ukraine)
Released: 2005 (2004 copyright date)

This is quite possibly my favorite pagan metal album to date. I'll say that outright. It's an immensely satisfying listen, and it's difficult for me to find any fault with it. Nokturnal Mortum has been a consistently good band over the years, but, in my opinion, Mirovozzrenie is their crowning achievement so far.

This album is better known by the title Weltanschauung, which is the name of the English-language version released by the German label No Colours. There are other differences besides the language of the lyrics and packaging, but, having never heard that version, I'll have to take someone else's word for it.

Nokturnal Mortum's career has seen them change with every release, sometimes drastically. Their previous full-length, NeChrist, was generally very fast symphonic black metal, but Mirovozzrenie, for the most part, slows things down quite a bit, and also introduces more folk into the songs and the interludes. What results is a classic pagan metal album with a huge sound and presence. They also dropped many of the trappings of the black metal image for chain-mail and swords. Now they look less like Satanic minions and more like mighty pagan warriors.

Mirovozzrenie consists of 14 tracks, six of which are actual songs. Each of these six songs are excellent, in my opinion. Three of them are newer versions of songs heard previously on The Taste of Victory, but these versions are more refined and better-produced. In fact, the production on the album is wonderful. Every instrument is given room to shine, and the songs sound appropriately powerful. The music is still very epic and symphonic, with some great keyboards that greatly enhance the atmosphere but do not dull the impact of the guitars, drums, and vocals. This is the way it should be done. Vocals are delivered in a sort of black metal shout. It's not shrieking or growling, and it's not like the shouting used in hardcore music. It's hard to describe, but it fits. There are occasional clean background vocals, as well as clean lead vocals on the final actual song, "The Taste of Victory."

I suppose those who dislike the use of keyboards in metal will find problems with this release, and I'm certain that many will find fault with the band's politics. Some will also feel that the album is overlong, or that Nokturnal Mortum lost the plot when they decided to slow down their music and drop much of the black metal sound of previous releases.

However, many, like me, have and will continue to consider this one of the finest releases in the genre. Nokturnal Mortum has shown us just how sweeping and powerful a pagan metal album can be.

Just excellent...

Thoughts 21-9-07

Judging by the few "reviews" I've posted so far, I realize that it looks like I'm pretending to be an actual music critic. I'm really not trying to be. I tend to read a lot of reviews, and it appears that I've picked up the format and the cliches, much to my chagrin.

To clear things up, I'm just a guy who really enjoys this kind of music, and because there are so few outlets for me to discuss my interest in pagan and folk metal, I decided to start this blog. I have no desire to be a "professional" critic. Personally, I would rather be making music myself, which I do on occasion, though not as often as I'd like due to many reasons. This blog is my place to share my own personal opinions on albums I've bought, as well as news and other items about the scene. If nobody ever reads it, that's okay. As long as I get it out of my system, I'm happy.

I also realize that a number of the bands I have discussed and will be discussing on this blog have controversial politics. I will try to not draw attention to those politics, because I hate reading reviews where the author spends half the space distancing themselves from any political messages of the band. If you have a problem with these kinds of bands, there are plenty of other places you can go to talk about it. Please don't use my comment system as a place to gripe about politics. If you do, I'll delete your posts and disable the comment system.

I will not have anything to do with the illegal "trading" of albums in mp3 form. Don't write me asking if I can send you files, or where you can obtain them. If you know how to use the Internet, I'm sure you'll find them if that's what you want. I stand for supporting the pagan metal scene, not cannibalizing it via the (apparently) socially-accepted thievery known popularly as "file sharing." I can direct you to distros where you can obtain the music legally and relatively inexpensively, but I won't help you on your path of dishonor and greed.

Anyway, to give you some background, I've only been listening to this kind of music for a few years now. The first CD I bought in this genre was Windir's 1184, a classic album. My favorite countries for pagan metal are Russia, Finland, Germany, Ukraine, and Poland. My current favorite bands are Moonsorrow, Kroda, Slavland, and Nokturnal Mortum. My most recent CD purchase was Woodtemple's Feel the Anger of the Wind. Right now I am listening to Turisas The Varangian Way, which is far better than I expected it would be.

Well, I'm signing off now.

Album Review: Vo Skorbyah - "Vo Skorbyah"

Band: Vo Skorbyah (Russia)
Album Title: Vo Skorbyah
Label: Sound Age (Russia)
Released: 2007

Vo Skorbyah (in English it seems to mean something like "in sorrow") is a one-off project featuring members of Bog Morok, Oprich, and Krynitza. Bog Morok I'm not at all familiar with, but Oprich is a folk metal band known for their 2005 split CD with Kroda, and Krynitza is a well-received neofolk band.

The music on this album has been described as "folk funeral doom." I don't listen to much doom metal, and have had even less exposure to funeral doom, so I can't even imagine who I'd be able to compare Vo Skorbyah to. Judging by what I've read from others, there really isn't a good comparison. If I were forced to make any sort of comparison, I would say that they kind of sound like Oprich, only much slower. And better.

The lyrics are apparently taken from Slavic funeral texts that date from pre-Christian times. The fifth song contains a sample of a Russian woman mourning a dead child through song. I'll have to take their word for it, I suppose, as I have no way to figure out what is being said, as all lyrics are in Russian. However, it is easy to determine from even a single listen that there is a lot of sorrow in these songs.

Many of the vocals are of the growling variety (delivered by Oprich frontman Yaromir), and there are also some beautiful clean male and female vocals. Krynitza's Rodoslav, besides contributing some excellent clean vocals, also plays flute (and jaw harp). Keyboards are used to good effect, and are never overbearing. Guitars and drums are devastatingly heavy. Even though four of the five songs are about 10 or 11 minutes long, I've never found myself bored or reaching for the "track skip" button. Each song unfolds perfectly.

In fact, I can't think of a single thing I would change about this release. Well, okay, the "crying" vocals at the end of "Batushka Part I" are a little off-putting, but I'm sure that if I had any idea what they were saying, it would all make sense to me.

I really wish I were better at expressing my thoughts and feelings about music so that I could do this album justice with my words. It's simply so good that it should be heard, as there seems to be no way to adequately describe how beautiful and near-perfect Vo Skorbyah is.

Though 2007 has been seen great releases in the pagan metal genre, Vo Skorbyah is certain to make my top albums list. It's one of those brilliant albums that came out of nowhere.

Album Review: Volh - "Solemn March Into the Ragnarok"

Band: Volh (Russia)
Album Title: Solemn March Into the Ragnarok
Label: Vacula Productions (Ukraine) / Othal Productions (Russia)
Released: 2006

When Russian pagan folk band Volkolak issued their metal album Dark Shine of Scales, many fans of the band were dismayed. Had they abandoned their folk sound for good, some wondered? Not to worry. In actuality, Dark Shine of Scales pre-dated their folk material by a few years. It had just taken a while for it to be released, for whatever reasons (I'd rather not know, personally).

While Dark Shine may be Volkolak's least-popular material, a few of us were intrigued by the sound. It was an interesting artifact, certainly, and not a terrible metal album, either, though somewhat mediocre.

Those that enjoyed Dark Shine may be interested in Solemn March Into the Ragnarok by Volh, a band (side project?) fronted by Grigori Kirjuhin of Volkolak (and possibly featuring other Volkolak members, though I'm not sure). More or less, it picks up where Dark Shine left off. This is hateful-sounding pagan metal through and through. The only folk sound to be found is a lonely jaw harp on a few tracks. Everything else is guitar, bass, drums (machine?), and Grigori's (here called Volkh) angry, distorted vocals. At a few points in the album, he also employs his Volkolak-sounding clean vocals, which is probably the only way anyone not familiar with Dark Shine of Scales may link the two bands, sound-wise.

Musically, Volh plays a relentless form of black metal, with lots of tremolo picking and blastbeats. This is not a style of music that I listen to very often, so I must admit that sometimes the drums give me a headache. However, the riffs are very melodic and I enjoyed the distorted vocals.

The songs don't do much to differentiate themselves from each other the first few listens. However, I particularly enjoyed the opener, "Don't Believe," and the seventh track, "Let Shine in the Spears of Valkyries Names of My Sons." There are also no instrumentals or pointless intros, which is refreshing. When you hear several dozen pagan metal albums begin with the sounds of battle or waves or nature sounds, followed by a 3 minute synth intro (believe me, I've been guilty of this in my own project, so I'm not trying to put anyone down), it's nice to hear a band get right to business and keep it moving until the album ends. However, it can also be exhausting. Fortunately, with 8 tracks at 45 minutes, Solemn March Into the Ragnarok is a good length.

This isn't an album that is likely to make much of an impact in the pagan metal scene, especially since it is limited to 1,000 copies. However, those looking for bands in the fast black metal style but with pagan lyrical themes may want to check it out. Volkolak fans may not be interested unless, like me, they enjoyed Dark Shine of Scales to some extent. I've found it to be an enjoyable release. It's not for everybody, but it's a solid debut for Volh and for Ukraine's Vacula Productions. Hopefully we will see more from each.

On Youtube: Belzagor of Slavland?

Here

Is the guy in the red Belzagor from Slavland (Poland)? The tag on the video seems to indicate that it is, but I'm not sure. It certainly could be him, as he plays bagpipes (among many other instruments) on the albums.

The author of the video has posted several other clips from the same event with "Slavland" among the tags. The music in many of the clips sound as if it could have been taken right from the folk moments of his albums.

Hmm... it looks like fun, regardless.

Album Review: Alcest - "Souvenirs d'un autre monde"

Band: Alcest (France)
Album Title: Souvenirs d'un autre monde
Label: Profound Lore Records (U.S.) - Licensed from Prophecy Productions, Germany
Released: 2007 (August)

Well, this album was certainly surrounded with hype. It seems like ever since samples of two tracks from Souvenirs d'un autre monde showed up on Myspace, it landed on many metalheads' Most Anticipated 2007 lists. Ahem, my own included.

Now that it's been released, the response varies from those who are calling it a classic to people who feel it was over-hyped and not at all worth the fuss. I won't go as far as to say I fall into the former category, but I certainly don't fall in the latter, either. Although I feel it's a bit thin and shallow, I've found Souvenirs to be an extremely enjoyable listen.

Alcest is the one-man project of Neige, though early in its life it was a black metal band. Neige surprised everyone with Le Secret EP in early 2005. Le Secret consisted of two long songs, one of which featured the soft vocals heard on this album, while the other song had black metal-style vocals. It was a sign of good things to come, though we had to wait a while before a follow-up.

It's not likely to set the music world on fire, but Souvenirs is quite a lovely album. There's only really one mood throughout its 41 minutes, but Neige does a good job keeping things interesting. Upon my first listen, I felt as if I had found something impossibly beautiful (though that initial impression dulled a bit upon repeated listens). It's difficult to describe the album. I guess I would label it "metal," as it has most of the qualities of metal, yet it is lacking in any sort of sinister or even melancholic atmosphere. It's a sort of escapist art, I guess. Many reviewers have called it "shoegazer," but I'm not sure I would agree, because there are few guitar effects employed. For some reason, at times it reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream, due to the guitars and the somewhat dreamy atmosphere. Lyrics are in French, and the vocals are soft and melodic. Indeed, the vocals may be my favorite element of this album. They're perfect.

I can't think of much else to say about the album, except that it's extremely beautiful, in a sort of shallow way. I don't think Neige was aiming to create anything terribly deep here, which is fine, because albums like this can be very refreshing when you're in the mood for them. It won't top my Best of 2007 list, but I'm certain it's an album I will listen to and play for friends often. Also, it has very lovely packaging. You can get a good idea of the atmosphere of Souvenirs by looking at the cover.

Quite nice.

Svarogovo Kolo festival

Ukrainian pagan metal band Kroda (КРОДА) made their first live appearance at the Svarogovo Kolo (СВАРОЖЕ КОЛО) festival in August 2007. A report about the concert is here (Russian text with pictures).

There's a short video of their show on Youtube here.

If my hasty and incomplete translation (via Google's translation tools) is correct, Kroda managed to play for about 15 minutes before technical difficulties ended their show. I would have loved to have seen it anyway.

Also interesting to me was that one-man band Chur (ЧУР) played as well. I would assume that he'd have hired additional musicians to help out, but apparently it was just Chur and his guitar (with a backing track, I'm sure), though Eisenslav (Kroda's vocalist) helped out with harsh vocals.

I'm not sure it's my type of crowd (black metal skinheads?), but it sounds like it was interesting.

Introduction

I decided to start this as a place for me to talk about pagan metal and other interests. I'm involved in a few online communities dedicated to this style of music, but the discussions are not enough for me. I wanted a place where I can rave about great new albums I've found (or gripe about ones that disappointed me) and share news.

I'm not a professional reviewer (or professional anything, for that matter), and I'll try my best not to talk like one. I'm just a guy who enjoys this kind of music and am always willing to share my interest with other people. I don't buy albums that I expect will be bad, and I tend to be more forgiving of bands in this style because I love the genre so much, so I'll probably be biased towards the positive. I felt it was right to warn you ahead of time.

There are other things I could say as an introduction, but I'd rather post some news and such.