ALBUM REVIEW: Zeal and Ardor – Greif


Hailing from the Swiss city of Basel, Zeal & Ardor are an Alternative Metal act that have always well and truly had a sound of their own. Initially, a one-man studio project from the extraordinary musical architect Manuel Gagneux, Zeal & Ardor dropped into our speakers with thei debut album Devil Is Fine in 2016. Providing a highly experimental blend of Black Metal and Delta Blues, before exploring the sound further two years later with record number two – Stranger FruitContinue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Chris Shiflett – Lost At Sea


 

Much-admired, rightly and properly-acclaimed Foo Fighters guitarist/songwriter Chris Shiflett delivers his latest solo album, Lost At Sea (Snakefarm Records), and proves yet again, experience can count for so, so much. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Nytt Land – Torem


Nytt Land rip the balls off a Siberian tiger (no wild animals were injured for the purposes of this review) with the adventurously ambient, spirited and spiritual Torem (Napalm Records). Elemental, wild and ancient. Throat singing, Finno-Ugric languages. The kind of old-world wisdom the new world craves. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Hexvessel – Polar Veil


 

Having reviewed Grave PleasuresPlagueboys for Ghost Cult earlier this year, as a Mat McNerney fan I was excited to see he had another record out, this time via his folk-orientated project Hexvessel.  

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ALBUM REVIEW: Ianai – Sunir


With almost nothing revealed about their identity, singer Elitha Treveniel is an enigmatic presence in the contemporary world where true mystery is hard to maintain. As the main songwriter/vocalist for Ianai, this project’s music is equally as cryptic in part as it transcends across multiple spectrums. If there is one thing clear about the album Sunir (Svart Records) however, is that it is a captivating and wonderful experience.

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Atlas Pain – Tales Of A Pathfinder


The calliope-like entrance to Atlas Pain’s Tales Of A Pathfinder (Scarlet Records) heralds the auspicious story that encompasses the journey of a lifetime. It’s a wonderful ride that reveals a new world and the pinnacle of the folk metal sound. In true folk metal sound, the sound is jaunty and evokes a visage of happy square dancing in a courtyard. From start to finish, Tales of a Pathfinder feels like what Hobbits and Dwarves having a party together would play for their guests. You get the sense that the mead is flowing generously and some sort of beast is being slow-cooked on a spit over an open flame.

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Fedrespor – Fra en Vugge i Fjellet


Folk music has a pretty difficult time of it in the modern music scene. Despite being the foundation for almost all popular music genres, it is often considered cliche and archaic when held up against contemporary music, even though elements of the genre resonate throughout popular music. Whether it’s acoustic instrumentation or song structures which are the very backbone of popular music itself,  the influence and fundamental importance of Folk music is downplayed or outright neglected.Continue reading


Wolcensmen – Songs From The Fyrgen


The brainchild of Winterfylleth guitarist Dan Capp, Wolcensmen actually predates his time in the Mancunian Black Metal outfit by some years, and is a Folk project dedicated to a time when This Sceptred Isle was unperturbed by religion and industry. Originally released in 2016, Songs From The Fyrgen (Indie Recordings) is a reissue of Dan’s first foray into full-length territory and is a stirring and emotive one.Continue reading


Korpiklaani – Kulkija


Korpiklaani’s tenth album Kulkija (Nuclear Blast) is the tale of a wanderer; “Kulkija” meaning, well, wanderer. I didn’t find this out until after I listened to the album. Learned something new! What isn’t new is the incredible musicianship of Korpiklaani and the compositional depth of their music. Kulkija showcases fourteen songs and spans an hour and twelve minutes where each song tells a tale of our illustrious wanderer and his life during his travels. It isn’t necessary to speak the Finnish language to enjoy Kulkija but I’m sure it adds an insightful layer to the album if you do.Continue reading


Hear Taylor Momsen Of The Pretty Reckless Cover Woody Guthrie For The Fourth Of July


Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless shared a video of her covering Woody Guthrie’s classic folk anthem ‘This Land Is Your Land’. Guthrie, known for his groundbreaking songwriting and social activism, covered countless times. ‘This Land Is Your Land’ was intended like most of Guthrie’s music, as a protest song. The accompanying video features photos taken by late producer Kato Khandwala, who passed away earlier in 2018 in a motorcycle accident. Khandwala has collaborated on every release by The Pretty Reckless as well as producing Blondie, Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool, and Pierce The Veil. Continue reading