Colorado’s The Flight of Sleipnir has maintained a consistent but eclectic sound for nearly fifteen years, mixing Doom and Atmospheric Black Metal with elements of Folk and Prog Rock in a way that should sit well with fans of Agalloch. Their seventh album mostly adheres to this genre blend and boasts the fuller production that was last seen on 2017’s Skadi. However, Eventide (Eisenwald) manages to tweak the formula as those Blackened elements seem to be upfront than before.
Epic Folk inspired extreme metal band Siren’s Rain will release their debut album Rise Forth, this September. Drawing influence from Folk metal greats such as Eluveite, Nightwish, Korpiklanni, and Arkona (the later two bands they have opened for) and inspired by all that is ancient, sacred, and heavy AF! Siren’s Rain is a band you need to know about in 2021. In addition to standard fare musical gear, the band has incorproated a slew of traditional folk instrumentation, which brings yet another dimention to their sound. Their new single “Keepers” will bring your headspace firmly back to nature, before crushing you with great riffs and dramatic vocals! Listen to the track here at Ghost Cult!
Whenever the subject of influential Viking metal rears its head from beneath freezing, storm-ridden waves, Dragons of the North (Napalm Records) by Norwegian act Einherjer usually finds its way into the conversation fairly quickly. Released in 1996, the record still remains a favourite among fans of the excessively hairy subgenre, and twenty-five years later the band are still going strong.
Finnish Folk masters Korpiklaani is one month away from releasing their new album Jylhä, on February 5th, 2021 visa Nuclear Blast Records. They dropped the throwback sounding track “Niemi” with a new high-concept music video to match the story. Watch the video for “Niemi” now!
The early nineties was an exciting experimental and developmental time for the genre of Folk Metal. The German outfit SuidAkrA took on this evolving style and meshed it up with Black Metal on their debut album, Lupine Essence that was released in 1997. They were able to uniquely harmonize the two genres and create a memorable and meaningful record that is still considered with reverence in the Black/Folk/Celtic Metal scenes. Now the band is re-releasing their early work with original member Arkadius Antonik remastering each track himself. With new artwork, bonus tracks, and its first release on vinyl, these multi-genre metal veterans are getting a chance to properly present their initial material. Continue reading
German Folk-Metal band Subway To Sally, featuring remarkable singer Eric Fish and exceptional violinist Ally Storch, has now signed a worldwide record deal with Austrian metal institution Napalm Records. With 13 successful studio albums (DE #4, AT #17 and many more), eight explosive live records and countless impressive live gigs – Subway To Sally are now ready to enter a new chapter with Napalm Records.
Concentrating on a specific thematic concept for the first time, Thalassic (Metal Blade), the eighth full-length release by Finnish folk metallers Ensiferum, finds the band obsessing over – as the Greek translation suggests – the subject of things related to the sea.Continue reading
In existence for just three years, the life of Midlands act Wounded Cross was extinguished before its time. Unable to release anything while they were still a going concern, the band’s first (and only) demo recordings have finally been mixed and released onto YouTube three years after their split.Continue reading
Hot on the heels of ex-bandmate Hamish Glencross’s latest effort with new band Godthrymm comes The Ghost Of Orion (Nuclear Blast), the fourteenth full-length from Yorkshire Gothic Doom royalty My Dying Bride. This year celebrating 30 years as an entity, any pressure the band may have felt is counteracted by an expectedly assured, emotionally raw performance that comes with such craftsmanship and experience.Continue reading
Scandinavian dark Stoner Heavy Metal band Nocturnalia are releasing a new single this week, on September 13th, ‘Come Alive’ via The Sign Records. The track is their second single from their forthcoming new album III: Winter, due out on November 11th. It will be released by The Sign Records in November 2019. With members from esteemed underground bands such as Night, Forndom, Oblivious, and Year of The Goat, the band has grown bolder sonically in the course of their four previous releases (two singles and two albums). We’re stoked to bring you the debut of their new lyric video for ‘Come Alive’, an expansive, heavy track, with a myriad of influences galvanizing all their hard work. Check it out!Continue reading