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.

Album Review: Ensiferum - From Afar

Artist: Ensiferum (Finland)
Album Title: From Afar
Record Label: Spinefarm Records (Finland, USA)
Released: 2009 (September)
Purchased From: The Omega Order

Fans have certainly been divided about post-2004 Ensiferum. There are few bands in the folk metal genre that are so controversial without being at all political in nature. The elephant in the room when you talk about anything Ensiferum has released after 2004's Iron is the fact that, after that album, guitarist/vocalist Jari Mäenpää, whose work in both guitar and vocals was a huge (HUGE) part of Ensiferum's sound and wide appeal, was forced to leave due to conflicts between recording sessions for his project (and now full-time band) Wintersun and Ensiferum's touring schedule. In addition, they managed to lose their bassist and drummer not long afterwards, leaving the band with a largely new lineup. The addition of vocalist/guitarist Petri Lindroos has not been met with open arms by many fans of Jari-era Ensiferum. Therefore, he deserves some credit for sticking with the position despite some (unfair, in my opinion) negativity from fans, and the band as a whole deserves credit for rebuilding Ensiferum, even though they may not sound entirely like the band that wowed critics and fans all over with their self-titled debut and its well-received 2004 follow-up.

I'm not interested in getting into arguments as to which incarnation of Ensiferum is better, as I enjoy both, but I should mention that "Dragonheads" (from the 2006 EP of the same name) is one of my favorite Viking metal songs, and I really enjoyed much of 2007's full-length Victory Songs, especially the title track. I wasn't sure what to think of From Afar when samples began to appear of a few of its tracks shortly before its September release, but out of loyalty I pre-ordered it anyway, and was pleasantly surprised by how overall improved it is from the already-strong Victory Songs.

The only lineup change between their 2007 album and this one is that keyboard player Meiju Enho has been replaced with Emmi Silvennoinen. I'm not really sure how Emmi compares as a keyboard player because this album uses a lot of sampled orchestral instruments and choirs in place of synths, though there are still a number of folk-sounding moments that use keyboards, like the intro track, and they all sound great, though I don't know if they're played or programmed.

The heavy use of orchestral and choral elements is a dramatic change in Ensiferum's sound, as if everything has been turned up to an extra level of epic-ness, kind of like how big of an impact those elements made on Turisas' excellent The Varangian Way. But what else becomes evident as one listens to the new album is that the guitars and vocals have also improved over the previous few efforts. Petri seems to have become more comfortable in his role in the band, and his vocals seem to be fit better within the band's sound. He only handles the harsh vocals, however, and the clean vocals are mainly performed by founding member Markus Toivonen and bassist (and primary lyricist) Sami Hinkka. I like many of the lyrics on this album, but I still think "Twilight Tavern" is a cheesy title, though the song itself is quite good.

Ensiferum may be known as more of a widely-accessible, somewhat shallow band within the genre, but on From Afar they show some depth with "Heathen Throne" and "The Longest Journey: Heathen Throne Part II." These two songs are longer than the rest of the songs on the album (at 11 and almost 13 minutes, respectively), and have a generally slower and more epic pace. Great stuff! As they did in the first two tracks of Iron, Ensiferum pays tribute to composer Ennio Morricone (and perhaps "Spaghetti Westerns" in general) with "Stone Cold Metal," a song that oddly contains one of the few whistling solos I've heard in metal, not to mention the short banjo solo later in the track. This is an odd song that seems to perplex a lot of listeners, but I think it's kind of fun. Then again, I'm a pretty big fan of Spaghetti Westerns.

The clean vocals, which are sometimes done in unison or choir form, are also surprisingly strong on From Afar. In particular, I should mention "Smoking Ruins," which contains almost entirely clean vocals and is a pretty excellent song.

From Afar is a very strong album from a band that is becoming increasingly confident and who have tapped into something really good with the orchestral elements and the improved vocals and musicianship. It may not bring back all of the old-school Ensiferum fans to the fold, but, judging by what I've read from fans and reviewers, many attitudes towards the new lineup have been changed for the better since its release. It's a very, very good album that is well worth checking out, whether or not you have written this band off. Never say never, friends. Ensiferum is in strong form and the future looks very bright indeed!

Album Review: Arkona - Goi, Rode, Goi!

Artist: Arkona (Аркона) [Russia]
Album Title: Goi, Rode, Goi!
Record Label: Napalm Records (Austria, USA)
Released: 2009 (October)
Purchased From: Napalm Records

When Arkona's frontwoman and fearless leader Masha "Scream" was interviewed shortly after the release of 2007's Ot Serdtsa K Nebu, she mentioned that she was at a deadlock because she didn't know how to make something better than that album. Amazingly, she managed to do just that with Arkona's fifth studio album, Goi, Rode, Goi!

Honestly, I don't know how Masha and company managed to find time to write and record such a masterwork of pagan/folk metal in the two years since Ot Serdtsa K Nebu, considering how busy things have been for Arkona since its original release in October 2007 on Russia's Sound Age Production. In 2008, the band signed to international metal label Napalm Records, who reissued Ot Serdtsa K Nebu worldwide later that year. Many concerts around Europe followed, and in the meantime Masha continued to raise her young family with husband Sergei "Lazar," who plays guitar for Arkona in addition to fronting his own band, Rossomahaar (whose other members also play in Arkona). Despite all this activity, the band went into the studio towards the end of 2008 and first several months of May 2009, emerging with an album that I believe will be hailed for years as one of the great Slavic pagan metal releases. If anyone was afraid that their signing to Napalm would somehow change Arkona, or that they would perhaps weaken under the pressure of a larger, worldwide audience, I believe that instead it has only made them stronger and more focused.

The album makes itself known strongly with the opening track, "Goi, Rode, Goi!" The traditional instruments, again played by multi-instrumentalist Vladimir Cherepovskiy (who might as well be considered the fifth member of Arkona), make their first appearance 35 seconds in, and Masha's layered, Russian-language vocals appear at less than a minute's time. The black metal influences and Masha's fiercely growled vocals show up merely twenty seconds or so later. The ingredients of Arkona's greatness make themselves known on this first track (of which a video has been released), and by this point the listener will have no question as to what this band is about.

The second track, the title of which translates into English as "On the Unknown Trail," turns up the speed and ferocity, though it contains some more mid-paced sections and great folk-infused moments as Masha alternates deftly between harsh and clean vocals and is joined by a choir of "Loi, loi, loi"'s. This tendency to change pace, mood, and level of aggression continues throughout the album, with many songs going through a lot of changes throughout. It never feels disjointed, at least for someone who is familiar with Arkona's back catalogue. I suppose it should strike me as strange that a song can quickly go from being a fast-paced, black metal song to a happy, folky tune, and then back again, but it's to the band's credit that they make this variety feel natural and not forced or labored. Some listeners will no doubt be flummoxed by the unique sound and overall mood of Arkona, but upon repeated listens it should begin to make sense. And, with an album this long and epic (with its 79 minute, 40 second runtime and incredible musical richness and depth), one will certainly not uncover all its charms on first listen, no matter how closely they pay attention to all that is going on.

Arkona has been utilizing a variety of guest musicians (usually vocalists) for a while now, but the list of guest musicians on Goi, Rode, Goi! is staggering. Ilya "Wolfenhirt" (Svarga) and Aleksandr "Shmel" (Rarog, Kalevala), who both have appeared with Arkona on albums and in concert in the past, lend their voices to the choir on the album, and a string quintet and female choir are also featured. Other guest musicians appear here and there, but the most notable appearance of guest musicians is on the 15-minute long "In My Land." How does this guest list sound: Erik and Jan of Månegarm (Sweden), Baalberith and Sadlave of Obtest (Lithuania), Peter and Edgar of Skyforger (Latvia), Heiko of Menhir (Germany), and Joris and Mark of Heidevolk (Netherlands)? Each set of vocalists and musicians represent a different country visited by the character in the tale, with a message of reverence of one's land, family, traditions, and Gods. This song, which, in less able hands, might have come off disjointed and bloated like Folkearth, turns out to be a great and inspiring song of unity.

After a brief spoken-word track, the momentum of the album continues with a string of great songs like the short but festive "Yarilo," the passionate "Faces of Immortal Gods" (where Masha shows even more depth and range of her singing voice than I'd previously heard), and other excellent tracks that, again, contain a variety of styles within them. Highlights towards the end of the album are "Kolo of Nav," "Arkona," and the album's breathtaking closer, "Sullen Sky, Lurid Clouds." This final song begins with Masha singing a capella, then harmonizing with herself, and soon she is joined by the bass, drums, and a mandolin and domra (the mandolin played by Vetrodar of Tverd, yet another great guest appearance), and then by the guitar. This beautiful song, with its folky melody (which sounds to me not entirely unlike the traditional Russian song "Black Raven") and another wonderful vocal performance by Masha, is certainly one of my musical highlights of 2009, and I can't imagine a better song to end such a masterwork. In fact, the only real "filler" of this almost 80-minute album takes place in the waning minutes of this track, which contains a few minutes of nature sounds and then the sound of flutes.

Goi, Rode, Goi! is one of the very greatest and most important pagan metal albums I've ever heard. While a variety of bands have emerged to capitalize on folk metal's trendiness with bouncy, enjoyable music that is devoid of any real depth or lasting value, Arkona holds the banner proudly for deep, meaningful music that is full of reverence and pride. One does not need to understand the Russian language in order to be moved by this album. It comes from the heart. The many who misunderstand this style of musical expression and feel its value to be trivial should acquaint themselves with albums like this. The sheer amount of content may initially put some listeners off or exhaust them, but Goi, Rode, Goi! is a journey well worth taking again and again, and it's an album I know I will cherish for years to come. It's a refinement of everything they've been building up to until this point. Wonderful.

Album Review: Folkvang - Atmospheric Black

Artist: Folkvang (Belarus)
Album Title: Atmospheric Black
Record Label: Wintersunset Records (Finland?)
Released: 2009 (December)

Atmospheric Black is kind of a silly name for an album, but at least it's an apt description of the music you'll find. Folkvang is atmospheric black metal with a nature/heathen focus. If you want a lazy comparison, think Burzum except a little easier to stomach. This is the project's third full-length album and the first in which band founder Wind is not alone. On this album, he is joined by drummer Incarnatus (of Pagan Hellfire, a Canadian project with which Folkvang did a split release last year).

The music is mostly mid-paced black metal with decent, full production. The songs have a relatively simple construction, but it's pleasing to my ears. Honestly, this isn't much different than the previous two Folkvang albums, or the two splits that were released in the meantime (besides the one with Pagan Hellfire, there was a split with the UK's Wodensthrone which was also quite good), so if you're already familiar with the project, there won't be any big surprises here. For those of you who aren't already familiar with Folkvang, you might find this enjoyable if you like similarly atmospheric bands like Drudkh, Winterfylleth, or the aforementioned Burzum or Wodensthrone. I'm not well-versed in this style of black metal, so there are probably many other bands with which I could compare Folkvang, but this is the best I can come up with at the moment.

The vocals are treated with some distortion and reverb, like the vocals in Burzum's Filosofem. Some may not like the vocals because they're pretty monotonous, but I think they have a good sound. Unlike on the previous albums, which used Belarusian lyrics in a few songs, all the lyrics appear to be in English on Atmospheric Black. There are some pretty nice moments of acoustic guitar on the CD, like those that begin "Back to the Roots" and "Field of the Dead Fires," though I would have liked to have heard more. The latter track, which closes the album, is mostly instrumental, and it has a lot of nice moments that reminds me of Drudkh. The drums are well-recorded, maybe a little loud in the mix, and are unspectacular but solid. The riffs are melodic, with occasional solos. Nothing spectacular about the guitars, but they're solid and well-recorded.

I strongly doubt that this album is going to set the black metal or pagan metal genres on fire, but it's a pleasant and strangely relaxing experience that may appeal to many fans of atmospheric black metal. It's likely to be overshadowed by higher-profile albums, but there's a nice listening experience here for those who like this style of metal.