“If you ascribe to the Arrow of Time theory, as AMG Inc. certainly does, you can never look back. Forward, always. A million-promo horde batters constantly at the wall, and only a brave few can stem the tide. So it’s the rare album indeed that subverts the laws of nature and demands you look backward. The Return is just such a prize.” Withstand the folk of time.
“Another day, another Italian folk metal band, this one apparently masterminded by one Zaira de Candia, singer and screamer extraordinaire, or so we hope. Newcomers to the scene, Kormak have only in the last two years finalized a lineup and Faerenus marks their first formal release. That kind of turnaround, especially on a debut album, is distinctly ambitious — worryingly so for some, myself included.” Get the folk out.
“World’s Blood operates at a similar intersection of folk, atmospheric black metal, and progressive tendencies as Agalloch. I would make some terrible puns about if it can take up that mantle or if it would merely be a pale imitation of those folkloric influences but I won’t do so as a man of class.” Class is cancelled.
“If you’re into the Norwegian black metal scene, you may know bassist/guitarist/songwriter Teloch. For those that don’t know, he’s the man behind Nidingr and responsible for guitars and songwriting on Mayhem’s Esoteric Warfare. If you do know the man, you already knew that and also know he’s a member of the once mysterious—but now not-so-mysterious—black/thrash outfit The Konsortium, where he writes and plays bass alongside the legendary black metal drummer Dirge Rep, and, together, they rip, shred, and tear shit apart.” At the Roga, Roga Cabana.
“It is hardly controversial to describe the Italian metal scene as ‘bombastic,’ or even ‘cheesy.’ Hell, it’s the go-to for basically everyone in the Anglosphere, even when talking about brutally heavy acts like Hour of Penance. So imagine my surprise when I turn over a rock and find an Italian act that defies those expectations!” Cheese famine.
This post has been removed because it promoted Nazi or Nazi-adjacent metal bands or musicians. We apologize.
“As the old (not so old?) adage says, scratch the car, but don’t total it. If dumping Ungfell’s TYMHM last year counts as a fender bender, then my whiffing on Varmia’s TYMHM altogether came damn close to causing a five-lane pile-up. Z Mar Twych crept straight outta Poland, riffing that mean blackness, that the country has become known for, while still having a folken good time. W Ciele Nie arrived little more than a year later, and I’m left wondering what the hell happened in the interim.” Poland happens.
“As a young lad, I took great pleasure in diving deep into the mythologies of the world. Little Me buried himself in books detailing Greek mythology like most people would with comic books. As years progressed and I discovered the joys of metal music, I found plenty of inspiring stories from around the world. From the books of J.R.R. Tolkien to Elias Lönnrot’s timeless Kalevala (thank you, Amorphis), my appreciation for stories of different cultures and lands would not be so rich had it not been for the music you and I love so very much. Now, Ireland’s Celtachor crafted Fiannaíocht, a 57-minute epic based on the stories of hunter-warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill, long-regarded as the bravest, strongest warrior to ever walk the Emerald Isles.” Fightin’ Irish.
“One of my esteemed fellows, when I picked it from the promo-bin, dismissed Weltenwanderer as Eluveitie-core. Even as one of the few people around here with a soft spot for Eluveitie, that criticism is spot-on. Abinchova are three albums into their career and are settled into a style of folk-infused melodeath strongly reminiscent of their countrymen. Leaving the merits and flaws of the style itself behind, is Abinchova any good at it?” All folked up.
“When one thinks of passionate metal that bleeds their country’s heritage and history, Primordial usually ends up being the first, if not only, band that springs to mind. With a rich catalog rife with epic song structures, full-chord riffs, and the soaring vocals of A.A. Nemtheanga, the Irish quintet possess a discography to be envious of. Oftentimes battle-worn, other times sad-yet-defiant, Primordial never cease to craft works of metallic art that thrusts them head-and-shoulders above their contemporaries.” Heritage, history, heresy.
