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.