Metsatöll // Äio Rating: 3.5/5.0 —Entertaining even though we haven’t a clue what’s going on, good sign! Label: Spinefarm Websites: metsatoll.ee | myspace.com/metsatoll Release Dates: EU: 03.03.2010 | US: ? That Metsatöll even exists is actually a great surprise. We had no idea! Seriously, not even a little bit of an idea. Turns out, they’ve […]
Finntroll
Metaltown 2010
I am not a big festival fan. But I gotta say, the lineup for Metaltown 2010 looks pretty sweet, thus far. I think Angry Metal Guy might just try to get credentialed for this thing to do a shit ton of interviews, maybe a video or something… Förra Ã¥ret slog Metaltown alla möjliga rekord när […]
Finntroll – Nifelvind Review
I remember the first time I ever got to hear Finntroll. It was shortly after Jaktens Tid had been released and it absolutely blew my mind. It was like the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard: oompah and metal, all tied up in one over-the-top packaging, complete with joik! Many have approached Finntroll as though they’re a joke band, but honestly since Nattfödd, they have been a very serious band in my mind. They took it to the next level with Ur Jordens Djup, which was as dark as anything the band had produced up until this point. And honestly, I don’t think a lot of fans were sure of what to expect next from these Swedish speaking Finns. The answer to that question is Nifelvind… which may be Finntroll’s finest record yet.
Solsagan Video
Holy shit, Finntroll has posted a new video for the track “Solsagan” from their forthcoming record Nifelvind (which I will be reviewing soon!!) and it’s actually really good. There is so much potential for cheesiness with these guys but somehow they manage to avoid it these days. Win for Finntroll!
Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR Review
Few bands will ever make their own mark on a genre of music. it’s just a statistical rarity. Someone once told me that there are something like 5 million bands on MySpace, if that gives you an idea of the breadth which exists when one is thinking in terms of how many musicians there are out there. Of those, most of them probably last longer than a year, never produce much of a demo much less get signed to a real label, and how many ever produce a real step forward into a new decade with a statement of great things to come? The chances of becoming a professional musician are basically NIL and then of the number that do, how many ever produce something that will be remembered and affect enough listeners to ever influence any? That number is even smaller. Orphaned Land is one of the few bands that will ever exact change in metal and they are doing so now with their new record The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR.
Arkona – Goi, Rode Goi! Review
Sure, folk metal is Europe’s deathcore, but somehow it’s so much more enjoyable as a genre! It probably has something to do with the accordions. Oh, and the lack of breakdowns. If folk metal is Europe’s deathcore, than I’d have to say that Arkona is the equivalent of The Red Chord or Between the Buried and Me: so much better than the genre-title implies. Many have come to associate folk metal with the silliness of Korpiklaani and written it off as too much for their tastes. Then there are other people who get a little bit nervous about the sort of nationalistic shit that could easily be associated with a band like Arkona in a land where right wing extremists are definitely an issue. But as far as this Angry Metal Guy is concerned: Arkona is not your average folk metal band and Goi, Rode, Goi! is definitely not your average folk metal record.
Angry Metal Guy’s Stupid Metal Trends: “Atmospheric” Nature Soundscapes
Every era of metal is marred with stupid trends. The ’80s had spandex and ballads. AMG is here to say: “atmospheric nature soundscapes”? You’re on notice!
Fejd – Storm Review
Napalm Records has long been one of my favorite labels, putting out a lot of bands that I really dig (especially the Vintersorg/Otyg/Fission stuff), and they’ve recently taken a hard dive into folk metal and other genres more of this type. So I wasn’t surprised, but I was particularly excited, when I read that Sweden’s Fejd (pronounced like the English word “fade”) had been signed to Napalm as I had earlier discovered their demos which had been put up for free at the Free Metal Albums blog. I had discovered the demo “I en tid som var…” and had gotten really excited the band, and was frankly surprised that they hadn’t been picked up by anyone. So as you can suspect from this introduction, I was eagerly anticipating Storm—the band’s newest release.
