Moonsorrow

Falkenbach – Asa Review

By Steel Druhm on November 4, 2013 in 2013, Black Metal, Folk Metal, German Metal, Prophecy Productions, Reviews, Viking Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Viking Metal, 25 comments

“There’s music meant for a summer drive with the top down (old Van Halen), hitting the weights hard (Slayer, Pantera) and a night of hard-drinking in sketchy beer mills (Fireball Ministry, Orange Goblin). Likewise, the new slice of folksy Viking metal from Falkenbach proves perfect for chopping wood in the brisk Fall air. While I recognize “wood chopping” or “lumberjack” metal is an under-served medium, I feel confident saying this is the finest chopper album I’ve heard all year.” Grab thine axe as Steel Druhm weaves his tales of Viking rage and folksy tomfoolery.

Månegarm – Legions of the North Review

By Angry Metal Guy on July 28, 2013 in 2013, 3.0, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 4 comments

In the late ’90s and early ’00s (aughts, as I call ’em), there was a swath of Scandinavian bands forming something of a scene around the sound of folk influenced black metal. Chief among these were Thyrfing, Moonsorrow, and Månegarm. While Moonsorrow changed their sound with time and went on to have widespread respect, the Swedish bands (Månegarm and Thyrfing) both labored in relative obscurity. Why Månegarm never quite pushed their way onto the international stage is mysterious for me, because they’ve always been a band producing unique, interesting, and enjoyable music. In any case, Legions of the North marks the band’s first record since 2009’s Nattväsen which was released on the struggling (and now defunct) Regain Records. While Nattväsen was excellent, my major complaint was simply that it was largely a repetition of 2007’s Vargstenen. After 4 years, signing with Napalm Records, getting a new drummer and losing violinist Janne Liljeqvist, can Månegarm present a fresh face and fill their little niche in folk metal?

Finntroll – Blodsvept Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 20, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, Century Media, Finnish Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Folk Metal, 18 comments

I sometimes have wondered whether or not Finntroll is proof that we live in someone’s hypothetical universe. This smarmy imagineer in a banal universe somewhere, may have constructed an elaborate The Producers-like scheme to produce a flop that makes him money. “How about,” he says to himself, “a group of Finns, speaking in a minor dialect of Swedish, dressed up as characters from the LARP version of Changeling: The Dreaming and make folk-influenced heavy metal, complete with a screaming madman instead of a singer! Who on earth would buy that?” Were this hypothetical businessman able to see into our not-so-hypothetical universe he would most certainly be surprised to see that this motley menagerie of Österbottningar that fits his description are releasing their 6th full-length record in just a few days time — and it’s their second on one of metal’s premier labels.

Thyrfing – De ödelösa Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 24, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, NoiseArt Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Viking Metal, 6 comments

“Thyrfing might be one of Swedish metal’s ‘best kept secrets,’ an unfortunate moniker for any band. Having been around since the late ’90s and having released 6 full-length records through 2008, these Viking metallers have a history and deep respect in the scene – but not a ton of notoriety. As anyone who’s listened to pop radio should be aware, there is no direct correlation between notoriety and talent; while the former is great for those involved, the latter is better for fans and Thryfing produced 3 very well-respected records between 2000 and 2005 before going astray with 2008’s Hels vite following the departure of vocalist Thomas Väänänen. The band’s sound during that time developed, getting darker and less… well, let’s be frank about those keyboards… fruity.” Now that the band is releasing their second record with new vocalist Jens Rydén, Angry Metal Guy tells you whether or not these Swedish warriors have righted their longship.

Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2011

By Angry Metal Guy on December 30, 2011 in Blog Posts, Record o' the Month, 71 comments

And here it finally comes. I want to take a little time to gaze at my navel before heading off to the races here. 2011 has been a hard year for me and for AngryMetalGuy.com. Without the help of Steel Druhm, this website probably would have gone under due to serious burnout. It stands that there are other options for both of us as reviewers, but we both love this site and the little community it has become and don’t have any desire to see it go anywhere. And, frankly, due to blood, sweat and more blood, we just don’t feel like we can really stop working on this website. So when I say to you all, that we don’t want to stop doing this largely because you guys keep coming by and reading this I seriously mean it. It’s a great feeling–even when sometimes the music industry gets goddamned lame.

Raventale – Bringer of Heartsore Review

By Steel Druhm on November 25, 2011 in 2011, 3.5, BadMoodMan Records, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Ukrainian Metal, Viking Metal, Black Metal, Viking Metal, 5 comments

Ukrainian black metal? With doom and viking elements? By a one man band? Sounds good to me! While Steel Druhm must sheepishly admit to being late to the Raventale party, now that I’m here, I’m a happy fucking camper indeed. That’s because one Astaroth Merc has single-handedly spewed out a very entertaining and enjoyable platter of contemplative, brooding, atmospheric and doomy black metal on his fifth album, Bringer of Heartsore. So good is the material here, I’m willing to overlook that awful, AWFUL album title (plus, I’m assuming English is like his fifth language so mistakes will be made). So what will a listener be treated to on a Raventale album? A composite of Moonsorrow, Helrunar and SIG:AR:TYR (minus the folk acoustics). That means big, sweeping musical pieces, alternatively epic, melancholy and brutal. Sometimes hollow like a dark, empty void, other times ice-cold like Nordic winters, Astaroth weaves many a mood over this relatively short but sweet blackened sojourn. I find myself impressed enough to begin immediate excavation of their back catalog for more rich doomy, blackened goodness. To decide if you might feel the same, read all the fine words below, in order.

Crimfall – The Writ of Sword Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 9, 2011 in 2011, 4.0, Finnish Metal, Folk Metal, Reviews, Spinefarm, Viking Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 8 comments

One of the things that one can never take into account when one is a music reviewer is the fact that one receives records and must render judgment in a short amount of time. Especially as a “soulless blog,” production of material sometimes happens in a week. In a sense, every review you read from a label who doesn’t trust this Angry Metal Guy is being done “split second” as opposed to having time to let a record ripen. Such was definitely the case with Crimfall’s first record As the Path Unfolds… which, while I enjoyed it, didn’t strike me as anything more than just an enjoyable record. However, here I am two years later listening to it regularly and really loving it. If I would score the record today I would give it a 4.5 and I would encourage you all to buy it (buy it, seriously, it’s great).

Yaotl Mictlan – Dentro del Manto Gris de Chaac Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 26, 2011 in 2011, 4.0, American Metal, Black Metal, Candlelight, Reviews, 2 comments

One little-known, but easily knowable, fact about Angry Metal Guy is that he (I, I guess we’re going in third person today) is a big history buff. In other reviews I (OK, back to first person now) have frequently referred to the history of whatever it is that said band is writing about and I truly enjoy it when bands look backwards to their own cultural history for influence. Why form a band and copy the Norwegians and Swedes who did the same? Look at your own world, look at your own culture and build up from there! The band Yaotl Mictlan has probably not read this blog to get this idea, but they have the same idea that I do. Drawing on hundreds of years of history and hundreds more of oppression, Yaotl Mictlan is writing black metal with folk undertones that is strongly influenced by the history of the Mayans, the pre-Hispanic-conquest people of Mexico, who have never really disappeared, even if their ancient empire collapsed.

RoutaSielu – Pimeys Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 24, 2011 in 2011, 3.0, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Spinefarm, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 1 comment

So, it’s actually a little weird that I would even be reviewing this disc since it seems to hardly be receiving an international release at this point, but it’s got some points of interest. First, it’s the band of Before The Dawn and Black Sun Aeon mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen, so it’s not like something one wants to actually ignore. Saukkonen produces a lot of material, he probably has 4 bands I don’t know of even, but the man has a heart of metal and his material is always solid, heavy, groovy and laden with great choruses. RoutaSielu isn’t a whole lot different; only this time the whole record is in Finnish and it causes some accessibility issues.

Moonsorrow – Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 11, 2011 in 2011, 5.0, Black Metal, Finnish Metal, Folk Metal, Record o' the Month, Reviews, Spinefarm, Viking Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Viking Metal, 21 comments

Moonsorrow is one of the few bands I can think of that no one I know doesn’t like. They seem to unite all fans of underground metal because of their amazing music and authenticity. Let’s face it, a band who writes 15 minute dirges in their native, and arguably alien, tongue doesn’t want for authenticity. Only a few other bands I can think of, like Primordial and Enslaved really have the respect of everyone in what they do. It’s like they’re playing on another plane of existence or something. That, predictably, raises expectations for new Moonsorrow records through the roof (to say the least). But unlike others, Moonsorrow never fails to deliver and Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa (Like Shadows we Walk through the Land of the Dead) is a monument to what atmospheric black metal should be like and to Moonsorrow’s impeccable legacy.