FOLK METAL NEWS

Exciting news for Ensiferum fans! The band have announced that their new album, to be titled Unsung Heroes, will be released on August 27th. Clocking in at over an hour of metal, Unsung Heroes will feature 10 tracks – including the epic, 16-minute 'Passion Proof Power'. In a statement on their official website, the band said: “We've tried to push the different aspects of what we do as far as we can, the sonic scope is wider than ever. The folk...

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FOLKSTONE - IL CONFINE

Before we even get properly started with this review, a quick word of warning for people who hate bagpipes: stay away! I know some people who simply can't abide the sound of bagpipes and if you're one of them Folkstone will be your idea of hell. Il Confine is all about the bagpipes, and they generally dictate the main melody of the songs. Fortunately for me, I quite like bagpipes, and I quite like Folkstone too. If the sound of bagpipes initially generates...

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SVARTBY - ELEMENTAL TALES

Svartby have in the past been derided as simply another derivative folk metal by-the-numbers band, a kind of budget Finntroll. On this, their third full-length, they have finally begun to answer some of those critics, and though Elemental Tales will win few awards for originality, it is the work of a band that is at last showing some desire to branch out and forge their own path. Gone are the broken Swedish lyrics, replaced instead with broken English....

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FOLK METAL NEWS 19/03/12

Here's another bumper news roundup from folk metal bands around the world! Century Media have announced the forthcoming release of Oriental Metal, a collection of Middle Eastern and Oriental-inspired metal compiled by Orphaned Land's Kobi Farhi. Clocking in at 52 minutes of metal, and featuring some of the biggest names on the scene, the tracklist is as follows: Orphaned Land – Sapari Amaseffer – Slaves for Life Arkan – Deus Vult Pentagram ...

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TROLLBAND - IN THE SHADOW OF A MOUNTAIN

Recorded on a shoestring budget in a Vancouver apartment, one could be forgiven for having low expectations of Trollband's debut album, In the Shadow of a Mountain. However, those expectations would soon be confounded, as this is an engaging and mature release, and a very enjoyable listen. The most striking aspect of In the Shadow of a Mountain is the fantastic variety in the songwriting. With songs ranging from the folky 'Heathen Blood', to...

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FOLK METAL NEWS 04/03/12

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...

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ELUVEITIE - HELVETIOS

Over the last few years, Eluveitie have established a reputation (rightly, I should add) as one of the best folk metal acts on the scene. Their last album, Everything Remains (As It Never Was), represented probably the ultimate refinement of the sound they had been crafting over their previous three releases. Having reached this point, the band inadvertently found themselves in the unenviable position of having to pen a follow-up to that seminal...

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