Finntroll

New Keepers of the Water Towers – Cosmic Child Review

By Madam X on February 15, 2013 in 2013, 4.0, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Listenable Records, Non-Metal Metal Things, Progressive Metal, Rating, Releases, Reviews, Sludge, Swedish Metal, 6 comments

“Cosmic Child came through a little thin on the promo information (and in fact prior to listening to it for the first time, I didn’t even know the name of the album – so much for embedded album info) at any rate, I figured alright, close your eyes, hit play and go from there – how bad can it be right? The band name conjured up images of something with a Finntroll flavor – tell me a band name like New Keepers of the Water Towers doesn’t sound even remotely folky and troll-like right? It actually ended up being absofuckinglutely nothing like Finntroll, go figure!” But…if it isn’t like Fintroll, what the hell is it like??? Calm down. Madam X will now answer your questions.

Trollfest – Brumlebassen Review

By Angry Metal Guy on August 20, 2012 in 2012, 4.0, Folk Metal, NoiseArt Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Folk Metal, 10 comments

To be honest, I’d never checked out Trollfest before. I’m an Angry Metal Guy, not a fucking silly one. These guys looked too goddamned much for me. Sure, I like Finntroll a lot, and they’re kinda silly, but there’s always been a serious side to them despite the band’s rambunctious and ridiculous music. But Trollfest? I dunno. They always struck me as just a pair of lederhosen and a made up language too far. But ack och fy, I have been living my life in the shadow! What a sad, sad, Angry Metal Guy I have been. Brumelbassen is a meistervärk!

Arkona – Stenka Na Stenku Review

By Angry Metal Guy on May 31, 2011 in 2011, 3.5, Folk Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Russian Metal, 5 comments

Arkona (Russian: ÐÑ€ÐºÐ¾Ð½Ð°) are a Russian folk metal band that has been a real revelation in the scene, as one commenter over at the Angry Metal Guy facebook page put it. Their music deftly blends Russian folk themes with black metally influence and ends up being a bit of a Finntroll plus Russia result. As far as this Angry Metal Guy is concerned, this cannot be more welcome. So while we aren’t being graced with a follow up to 2009’s excellent Goi, Rode, Goi! you can at least get a taste of an acoustic version of it on this EP.

Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 40-31

By Angry Metal Guy on March 31, 2011 in Blog Posts, 26 comments

After Steel Druhm’s fine addition to this discussion about awesome metal songs, here’s the continuation of my ridiculously superior list. No need for a rant. Just jump right on into the joy contained below. Here’s the first one.

Korpiklaani – Ukon Wacka Review

By Steel Druhm on February 7, 2011 in 2011, 4.0, Finnish Metal, Folk Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

I’ve always said there can never be enough folka/polka humppa drinking metal from Finland. Go ahead, ask my friends, I’ve always said that! Thankfully Korpiklaani feels much the same way so they keep churning out albums at a highly dependable rate (seven albums in seven years). If you heard any of the previous albums you know what to expect here on Ukon Wacka. If not, imagine a far less serious and way more drunken Finntroll. This is filled to the brim with ridiculously catchy humppa/polka styled folk metal meant to be played whilst hoisting huge frothy mugs of foaming ale. That’s entirely appropriate since Ukon Wacka was an ancient pagan festival where the beer flowed muchly. If such beer soaked party music from 1099 doesn’t sound appealing to you, go home and tell your mom you’re a loser not a boozer.

Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2010

By Angry Metal Guy on December 13, 2010 in 2010, 2011, Blog Posts, Reviews, 24 comments

2010. Wow, man. 2010. We’re counting months now until we all die in 2012. So how do you think it’s going to happen? Do you think that terrorists will get a nuke and fuck up the world? Or do you think that a meteor will hit? Or should I wait until the end of 2011 to ask that question?

Equilibrium – Rekreatur Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 15, 2010 in 2.0, 2010, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, 0 comments

Equilibrium hit the world right in the face when Sagas was released a couple years ago and they really became a folk metal (pagan metal, viking metal, whatever the fuck you want to call it) sensation. And sensational is really how many people experienced that record. It was like a cross between Finntroll, Ensiferum, Turisas and Rhapsody of Fire: unceasingly melodic, over-the-top, ridiculously happy and engaging as hell. In 2010, now, this elite German act is returning with a follow-up to what is already considered to be a classic in the genre, with their third record entitled Rekreatur. How could it possibly live up to all the expectations?

Helfahrt – Drifa Review

By Lord Doom on April 28, 2010 in 2.0, 2010, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Reviews, Trollzorn/SMP Records, Folk Metal, 0 comments

Folk and pagan metal seem to be the new melodic death these days, where every band with a fiddle or flute and a fondness for Renaissance Faires can produce “epic” songs of long-forgotten lore and jump on the bandwagon that trails behind genre leaders like Finntroll and Moonsorrow. After the recent whirlwind success of fellow Germans, Equilibrium, I had high hopes for Helfahrt and their third full-length album Drifa. Yes, the band’s name reads “Hell Fart” in English (though the english translation is roughly “the journey to Helheim and the land of the dead”). Now that that’s out of the way we can continue. You in the back, stop sniggering!

Skyforger – Kurbads Review

By Angry Metal Guy on April 24, 2010 in 2010, 4.0, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Folk Metal, 1 comment

Skyforger is Latvia’s answer to folk metal and they’ve been giving it a go for quite a while. Despite having been around since 1995, however, they’ve not produced a terribly huge discography. In fact, Kurbads is the first Skyforger album since 2003, when they self-released a folk album that was mightily well-received by their fanbase, even, apparently, more so their metal album from the same year Thunderforge. The band, for the record, has also been involved in a bit of controversy surrounding the use of, what the band calls a thundercross, and what the rest of us call a swastika in their logo. But it seems the band has worked very hard to distance themselves from any of the controversy surrounding this and should be approached from a non-political stance.

Svartsot – Mulmets Viser Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 18, 2010 in 2010, 4.0, Folk Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Folk Metal, Viking Metal, 4 comments

Given the whole history of medieval Scandinavia and where the vikings actually came from as a rule, it is surprising to me that there are not more bands from Denmark that have jumped onto this whole Viking Metal thing that has been swelling up in metal for the last decade or so. No, instead it was basically introduced by a Swede in the 1980s and has been carried on primarily by Swedes and Norwegians who do the style well. But it was not the Swedes that the Englishmen were so afraid of, but the Danes. There was even a law (and a word for it) where they called the money that was paid in tribute to the Vikings who were threatening to invade a certain area: “Danegeld”. It is true that (what would be modern day) Norwegians were involved in these raids, and so, too, were the Rus, or Swedish Vikings. But the Danes are the Vikings you learn about. “Sure,” you say, “but this point is pedantic and long-winded. You’re Angry Metal Guy not Angry History Nerd.” Good point. But my point is this: very little Danish viking metal exists. The only band I’ve heard of is Svartsot, who has just released their second album of folk influenced, medieval Scandinavian metal songs.