Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Folk Metal
Label: Spinefarm Records

It may come as a shock to many readers (all three of you) but, I have never actually gotten into Ensiferum. And if buzz is any indication, I should of gotten into them YEARS ago. But alas, my metal knowledge is not as vast as it should be, according to the Blabbermouth.net message boards… dicks. At any rate, Ensiferum are a long standing Finnish folk metal band with, I’ve come to find out, very loyal fans. Well kiddos, I already pissed you off on those forums so I don’t see a problem repeating the process here and now.

Ensiferum’s folksy nature was appealing to me almost instantly. The opening track, “Symbols” is a whimsical intro that sets up a mood of magic, might and epic tales to come… and when “In My Sword I Trust” gets going, that mood is inescapable! Driving bass kicks and operatic/gang backing vocals help create a soundscape that’s ready to accept your offering of blood and steel! But to be honest, it kind of took me by surprise when the harsh vocals started up and this guy pretty much sounded like Randy Blythe… no thanks. I try to keep bands like Lamb Of God as far away from my thoughts when I listen to folk metal, so thanks for messing that up for me!

Unfortunately, the epic mood that “In My Sword I Trust” starts, the next track, “Unsung Heroes” brings to a grinding halt. Sans a catchy hook, there really isn’t anything about this song that I can praise. The same goes with most of the remainder of the album (except for any time the guitars go acoustic). ”Celestial Bond”, however is a pleasant surprise among the yawn educing, b-side dumping ground that is the rest of Unsung Heroes; a Celtic inspired serenade with stunning female vocals. More of this would be appreciated.

Overall: I’m left pretty confused as to the rabid fan defensiveness. I guess I should probably take a closer look at Ensiferum’s previous efforts before judging them completely though…  And as much as I ragged on this album, I should probably say that Unsung Heroes isn’t a bad album. Just bland. Hopelessly, terribly bland.

6/10

Ensiferum Official
Ensiferum On Facebook 

-  Typhon

Genre: Folk Metal, Power Metal
Label: Independent

Hailing from Minnesota, the Minos have their work cut out for them with their debut album, MMXI. Why does their state of origin extra pressure from the metal community at large? Easy: Minnesota is a state that really loves what it loves. Football? That’s uber serious shit there. Food? The more German or Scandinavian, the better. I can only imagine that Minnesotan metalheads take their music pretty damned seriously too. Also, with the ever growing popularity of Alestorm, Swashbuckled and even a resurgence of attention being paid to Running Wild, I’ve already had people tell me that, “that shit is gay” after I played a track or two from them off of MMXI. How bothersome, right?

Listen, I love Alestorm though, not as much as I love Running Wild mind you. The point is, Minos stand on their own without being a carbon copy of other bands that may or may not be trying to cash in on the (hopefully dying soon) pirate fad.

Vocalist Jason Hickman has the perfect voice for this kinda of thing. His clean vocals are more gruff than melodic and even manages to belt out a healthy/bluesy yell or roar every few songs. A perfect example of using something in moderation that EVERYONE else overuses. Another example to show you how hard these guys rock: guitarist Joe Waller (of Dawn Of Valor) cuts loose in a completely different fashion that I was used to being the Dawn Of Valor fan that I am. Excellent hooks, memorable riffs and the like are to be heard all over this gem of an album.

Moving away from the instrumentation for a minute, I’d like to draw attention to the lyrics. Minos essentially drops you into a high fantasy world with vengeful forest spirits, treason and of course, pirates. These are easily some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard in metal.

Yes, there are a few songs on MMXI that are completely about being a pirate. But only a couple and the fucking kill! Case in point: Pirate Soul. I caught myself getting too into this song when I shouted, “become on of them, OR DIE AT THE MAST!!!” in what I thought to be an empty parking lot. Turns out a few homeless dudes heard me make an ass outta myself since I sound nothing like Hickman.

Overall: Minos is a band to watch out for in the coming years. They may seem like a bunch of scene hoppers at first glace, but I assure you that if you slow down, take a deep breath and pull that stick out of your ass, I can say that you’ll love this album as much as I do.

9.5/10

Minos On Facebook 

Genre: Pagan Folk Metal
Label: Napalm Records

Oh Arkona. Where else can an accordion and flute sound so fucking metal? Throw in lightning fast guitars, bass, and drums to create a most unusual – and thoroughly enjoyable – experience.
Despite not having a clue as to what’s being said (it’s all in Arkona’s native Russian), I’m sure the lyrical content is just as epic as the vocals themselves. Sung by Masha, who’s impressive vocals are somewhat chant-like, and hypnotic at times. Her death growls are awesome, and truthfully I thought they were done by one of the men in the band.
The EP itself is to prepare fans of Arkona for a new full length, coming out soon. It’s got a couple new tracks, including “Skal”, which features Varg and an acoustic version of the title track off their last LP, Goi, Rode, Goi! It’s probably not essential unless you’re a big fan, or a more inexpensive way to introduce yourself to the music of Arkona, but I definitely recommend it.
7 out of 10.

Arkona on Facebook.

Genre: Folk Metal, Pagan Metal

Label: Napalm Records

By the right hand of Tyr! It’s… Tyr! They’re back after a two year respite and are ready to help sneaky teenagers trick people into thinking that they know everything about Norse mythology by repeating what they’ve “learned” (an unfortunate, yet necessary side effect of such a mind bogglingly awesome band) on their new album The Lay Of Thrym.

As always, every song is an epic story of either a bloody battle between Gods and monsters, how much The Faroe Islands kick ass or something equally as interesting. And we all know that Tyr brings their A-Game to every aspect of their music, but where these guys shine the brightest (to me at least) is in their lyrics.

“You who think the hue of your hide means you get to blame
The black for your own faults and so bring humanity shame
Make sure you count me out of the ranks of your inbred morons
With your sewer gas and kiss my Scandinavian ass”

-Shadow Of The Swastika

Are you really going to argue with me after reading that?

On a less complimentary note, it seems that the further away from How Far To Asgaard we get, there’s less and less of a folky influence in Tyr’s music. I mean, it’s still here in The Lay Of Thrym (in Konning Hans and Ellindur Bondi a Jadri most noticeably), but only by inches compared to earlier releases. Now, it’s all wailing guitar solos, and driving beats… wait, am I really complaining about that? It’s more of a lateral move or maybe a trade off of sorts. More “traditional metal” for less “traditional folk”. I guess you can chalk that up as a plus if you want, but I think it takes away from what makes Tyr sound like Tyr.

Overall: The Lay Of Thrym is an epic, hard driving album that just begs to be added to your already choked viking/folk metal collection. I mean, come on! How can you pass up an album that contains the phrase, “Kiss my Scandinavian ass!”?

9/10

Tyr On Facebook

Genre: Scottish Pirate Metal
Label: Napalm Records

Ah, Scotland. The home of golf, haggis, bagpipes, and the kilt. And high seas piracy?
Sing-along choruses and Scottish instruments fill these riff and hook soaked songs of whiskey, rum, the ocean, squids, and whores. Don’t forget the whores. Elements of punk, thrash, and folk metal all come together to form this voyage, and in all it’s a pretty epic tale indeed.
Favorite tracks are “Buckfast Powersmash”, “Scraping the Barrel”, and the album closer (and longest track) “Death Throes of the Terrorsquid”.
7 out of 10.

Alestorm on Facebook.