Evangeli - ...In Sin

Artist: Evangeli
Album: ...In Sin
Genre: Folk Black Metal
Year: 2006
Origin: Sweden

I've been posting a lot of black metal in a row, and I usually try not to do that... OH WELL. Evangeli is a band formerly known as Magog, which changed its name because of another more popular band by the same name, and I've been looking for this album since first hearing some Magog tracks years ago. This is the audio portion of a live CD/DVD that is pretty much the only thing Evangeli released before promptly breaking up, and it includes one of the old Magog tracks as well. Long explanation aside, this is what viking metal is to me. It doesn't have any of the battle horns or whatever (it is a live recording after all), but the song melodies really capture an atmosphere of glorified pagan violence.

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Battlelore - The Last Alliance

Artist: Battlelore
Album: The Last Alliance
Genre: Power Metal
Year: 2008
Origin: Finland

I guess this is Tolkien nerd theme month! Here's a fun power metal-ish album, with a good mix of clean female vocals and growled male vocals. It's not super deep content-wise, but it has some nice melodies. The biggest thing I think they should've changed about this album is to move the first track to the end, because it's so great that it kinda overpowers the following songs.

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Falls of Rauros - Of Stone And the Stars In the Sky

Artist: Falls of Rauros
Album: Of Stone And the Stars In the Sky
Genre: Black Metal
Year: 2007
Origin: USA

This is a great little two song demo from American folk/black metal band Falls of Rauros. Yes the name is awesome, but no you don't have to be a nerd to appreciate the music. Both tracks are largely instrumental, and the title-track especially is very good. The production could be a lot better, but it doesn't detract from the music too much for me.

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Munruthel - Aquarius' Epoch

Artist: Munruthel
Album: Aquarius' Epoch
Genre: Folk Black Metal
Year: 2006
Origin: Russia

Munruthel is yet another Russian pagan black metal band, but this one is definitely above the curve. I call it black metal, which is definitely there, but you'll also hear a lot of folk and even power metal melodies (weird, I know!). It's good times, but I should mention that I cringed when I first listened to the album: why so hooked on the battle samples?! argh!

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Kauan - Lumikuuro

Artist: Kauan
Album: Lumikuuro
Genre: Folk/Doom
Year: 2007
Origin: Russia

Kauan plays folk influenced music with doom metal tempos and psychedelic melodies. It goes between typical doom heaviness and a lot of acoustic music. Despite the loads of folk-infused metal music, this album feels very fresh to me. It probably would've made my top 10 of 2007 if I'd heard it soon enough.

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Nokturnal Mortum - Lunar Poetry

Artist: Nokturnal Mortum
Album: Lunar Poetry
Genre: Folk Black Metal
Origin: Ukraine
Year: 1996

Nokturnal Mortum plays some of the best folk black metal I've heard. And I like them enough that I can pretend they aren't clutching to that sad nazi gimmick. This is a very early release for the band, and it might be their best. On Metal-Archives it has 4 reviews, averaging 100% - not bad! The later works, including To The Gates of Blasphemous Fire and Weltanschauung, are also worth checking out. I have no clue if the melodies are at all accurate to traditional eastern european folk music, but they are certainly compelling, and the band does pretend to care a lot about their heritage. The (awesome) bonus track was added on the 2001 re-release.

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Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness

Artist: Primordial
Album: The Gathering Wilderness
Origin: Ireland
Genre: Dark Metal
Year: 2005

This album is a masterpiece. Primordial has many great releases, but this is the zenith.

I think I can safely say I have heard a lot of sad and depressive music before, but this is the only album I can truly describe as "sorrowful". There are very few pieces of music that have this kind of emotional impact on me. But although it is the height of mournful music, it would be incorrect to say that the emotions I experience are negative. Music is often the most sad when it is accompanied by the most beautiful and haunting melodies. The vocals are anguished without being unpleasant, and the guitar riffs are epic without any hint of being overly drawn-out.

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