FOLK METAL NEWS 04/03/12 ~ FOLK METALLER

The folk metal bands of the world have been busy since our last update. Swedes Dråpsnatt have begun preparing for the upcoming release of their new album Skelepht. In a post on the band's MySpace page, the band explains the title of album (named after their hometown Skellefteå and the Skellefte River which flows through it), as well as giving a track-by-track rundown of the forthcoming album. Consisting of 8 tracks, the album's lyrical themes centre around the meaningless of existence, and the local mythology and culture of their hometown. It is due for release later this month.

Trollfest have announced on Facebook that they have finished the recording of new album, Brumblebassen and have begun the process of mixing it at Strand Studio. The album will consist of 12 tracks in total, but no release date has been confirmed yet.

Upcoming Spanish metallers Northland are to begin recording their highly-anticipated sophomore effort, confirming on Facebook that they are to enter the studio on March 5^th. This is an album we're looking forward to hugely, having included Northland on our list of bands to look out for in 2012, so expect to hear plenty more from them on this site over the rest of this year.

With Ensiferum soundalikes Northland due to start recording, the originals themselves have been hard at work on their follow-up to 2009's From Afar. With recording well under way at Petrax Studio in Finland under the watchful eye of Hiili Hiilesmaa, Ensiferum announced on their website that the legendary Die Apokalyptischen Reiter will appear as special guests on the album, as well as Finnish singer Vesa-Matti Loiri. The new album will contain 10 tracks, but we'll have to wait until later in the year to get our grubby mitts on it!

If Celtic folk metal is your thing, then this from French band An Norvys is worth checking out. The band have released 'Jack the Giant-Killer' from their new EP, One and All. Based on the Cornish fairy tale of the same name, the song tells the story of a young boy who slays the the fearsome giant Cormoran.

Many of our featured bands have been busy filming new videos recently, it seems. Italian folk metallers Folkstone have been whetting the appetite for their forthcoming release Il Confine (due on March 16^th, as reported back in December). New song 'Nebbie' (Mists) was first previewed on Italian website Spaziorock ahead of the release of the video, which can be seen below.

Heidevolk have marked the release of their new album Batavi with this video for 'Als De Dood Weer Naar Ons Lacht'. The album tells of the struggles between the Germanic Batavian tribe and the invading Romans, and the video continues this theme.