Album Of The Month, September 2013

Ulcerate: Vermis

I can't fully remember the first time I heard about Ulcerate, but the fact they originate from Auckland, New Zealand and play technical death metal grabbed my intention immediately. It is no secret that I have always had the utmost pleasure in finding metal from countries you wouldn't expect. A quick visit to my metal bible, The Metal Archives, and the answer reveals: currently there are close to 300 listed metal bands from those small islands!

Vermis is the band's fourth full length and the first under Relapse Records. The album has been mixed, recorded and mastered in New Zealand by the band's virtuoso drummer Jamie Saint Merat. If you are a fan of technical metal drumming you have probably heard of this man before. His style is fast, complex, complicated and arrhythmic. Listening to the album makes me think how the hell can this guy remember to play the songs exactly the same live? I mean there a numerous tempo shifts, fills and rhythms inside one single song! Other trademark the band has is the down-toned and distorted guitar sound which has often been compared to Deathspell Omega. The final cornerstone of the band is the bass player and singer Paul Kelland. He is really nasty, fearsome and convinces me in his growls that "leave me alone, I know what I am doing!".

It is no secret this is one of my most anticipated records this year. I made the preorder immediately when I heard the first song from this album: it was galaxy crumbling! Officially the album has been out about six weeks now and it only seems to get better the more I listen to it. One word of warning: Ulcerate craves a lot from the listener as the one liner choruses are totally missing, the songs clock usually over six minutes and when the song is over it is more complicated than five technical death metal albums put together! For me the trick is the shear and utter relentless, raw power and talent the band unleashes upon you. It is like an oncoming avalanche: you see it's approaching from the horizon and you prepared to run away but as it roars closer to you, you compelled to stand still and have it done its way to you.

I cannot simply pick one song for you to tryout: you have to hear this bulldozer from start to finish. It starts with a short intro like song Odium before gathering its full destructive power and by the time Vermis starts be prepared to be smashed to the ground! Gracious of them, Ulcerate gives you a brief two-minute break to get your act together with interludium Fall to Opprobrium until it finally crushes you like a meaningless, despicable, scum of the earth insect by finishing you with the closing trio. After 55 minutes there is one question I need to ask myself: the sound has now been perfected to level where a point of no-return has been reached, so how are they going to top this? I don't know, but I need to change my pants. Again.

Stream and buy this monster down below:

2013 albums you might be missing out

Hamferð: Evst

I first came across to these young Faroese band when they were warming Moonsorrow a couple of years ago on their European tour. The fact that they originate from island group and archipelago under the sovereignty of Kingdom of Denmark with population less than 50,000 people instantly grabbed my attention. Located in the middle of nowhere between Norwegian Sea and The North Atlantic Ocean, metal is not served much on the menu: Týr and Heljareyga are the only two other Faroese metal bands I know. 

I knew I just had to get my hands on their 2010 EP Vilst er Síðsta Fet and after some googling I finally found it from their Faroese label, Tutl records and it has been spinning on my power play list ever since. The EP consists of four great songs and served as a stormwarning for things to come. Vráin and At Enda are my favorites from this EP. Check out the the stunning performance from a special gig in church here. I was more than happy to learn that in 2012 when they won the Wacken Metal Battle bringing them on the spotlight and gaining more acknowledgement and popularity.

Evst (translated Highest) is an emotional, melodic and sorrowful doom journey. First thing you might notice the guitar sound is similar to the latest Swallow The Sun tone: melodic, soft and clear. The death doom atmosphere is carried out masterfully throughout the album. I still cannot believe Evst is their debut album: the songwriting is versatile, songs are filled with despair and emotions. Although the songs are usually more than six minutes long, there is not a dull moment. Especially vocalist Jón Hansen shines throughout the record. Just listen to tracks like Deydir Vardar or Vid Teimum Kvirru Gráu: the pure emotion and dedication in his clean vocals are heart-ripping and beautiful. You sit in complete awe totally believing everything he sings. He can switch seamlessly to deep growls too and the transition works beautifully. The six-member band performs solidly on this album and the production is clear and powerful fitting the overall atmosphere nicely. Six epic songs clocking in just under fifty minutes, the duration is perfect. You want to push play again when it is over.

The album has been released in Faroe Islands already and you can order the EP + debut album package in Finland through this link. I have been devouring his album for three days now only, but I have a strong feeling this is definitely making my TOP 5 list this year.

Preview the title track Evst here.


Àrsaidh: Roots

Andy Marshall is a young and talented Scottish musician. He has been performing in Askival, In Vino Veritas and Falloch but is now focusing solely on Saor (yes, the band changed its name to it.). It is no secret that lately I have developed an undying passion for epic atmospheric black metal, add a hint of folk elements and you got me. Roots has those elements all over the place: three long, epic tracks all well over 10 minute mark plus one interlude. I only had to listen to the opening track for about five minutes and I knew I am going to be playing this album a lot. 

For some reason this album hits my sweet spot hard on personal level. What I absolutely love about this album is how the song have been totally liberated from any constraints, this is one of the highlights with underground music and labels: they don't push to follow some certain model. Writing songs more than ten minutes long isn't for everybody, so the artistic freedom needs to be harnessed to still serve its purpose. The songs take some four to five minutes before the vocals kicks in. The vocals have been pushed back to accompany the overall atmosphere and to me the folky arrangements with thin whistles is fitting. All three songs are equally strong, but if I had to choose one, it would be the closer Highland Lament. This is where the folk elements and music contemplate beautifully together and although it is close to twenty minutes long it keeps your attention fully.

The only complaint about this album is that the vocals can sound a bit monotonic at times, but considering the total package I still find it fitting. The folk elements have been well composed and the atmosphere is where Mr. Marshall nails it and brings the album home. I feel like standing alone in the foggy meadows of Scotland, holding my battle axe high: thou.shall.not.pass! This is one the absolute highlights of this year and Saor is getting ready to unleash a new record later next year. All good things come to those who wait.

The whole album is streaming here on their Bandcamp page. Support this young musician and buy your copy today!


Progenie Terrestre Pura: U.M.A.

Fancy some atmospheric space black metal from Italy? Look no further, Progenie Terrestre Pura is here! U.M.A. stands for Uomini, Macchine, Anime (Men, Machines, Souls) and it describes the album perfectly: a mix of machine driven beats and spacey, vigorous black metal riffs. You could compare this two-man duo loosely to Blut Aus Nord, but their sound is more synth driven and a bit lighter. I found these guys by accident a few years ago as I stumbled across their Promo 2011. Both of these songs made its way finally to the album, but since they both shine quality I am not complaining here.

This album is filled with lengthy passages of great riffs and synth driven space like sounds and samples. At first I didn't quite know what to think of them: they were not black metal enough due to heavy use of electronics but then again they were not too electronic to totally sway away from metal. I found myself returning to the album nonetheless, so I knew I needed to pick up this album and give credit where it is due. There are five arrangements to choose form, one of which is instrumental. There are plenty of room for the songs to grow and breathe. My favorites are Sinapsi Divelte and Droni, but all the tracks presented are strong and hold their place on this album. All lyrics are sung in Italian, so I cannot tell you what is going on but as far I understand the lyrical themes are humanity, machines, sci-fi and space.

Production wise the programmed drums sound a bit too soft some places, but considering the complete atmosphere and arrangements with electronics and guitar the package holds its form. What makes this album interesting is the fact that Eon(0) and Nex(1) have succeed in creating some kind of hybrid of electronic space black metal and the odd combination is a winner in my books. I am really looking forward to see what these guys have to offer in the future.

Stream the album here and support if you like!


The Fall Of Every Season: Amends

Marius Strand is the mastermind behind this one-man project called The Fall Of Every Season. It has only released two albums so far: 2007 From Below and now the sophomore effort Amends. However, what the albums lack in quantity, they make up in quality! Amends has been six years in the making, so he really doesn't push (doesn't need to?) himself with deadlines. Creativity is a tricky thing and luckily it clearly shows here that with given time and consideration the output is really well thought. Whether the slow pace was intentional or not, this approach has produced one of the finest doom albums this year.

Amends has only four long and epic songs plus one interlude. Mr. Strand is multi-instrumentalist so all instruments on the album are played by him personally. That is an instant win and I have to give a huge thumbs up on that. He displays both clean and harsh vocals and can create interesting and melodic arrangements to support his instrumental talents. The album is consistent, the production is clear and powerful and atmosphere melodic and sorrowful. 

This album is strongly recommended for any fan of doom metal. 

http://thefallofeveryseason.wordpress.com/

Best somewhat metal(ish) albums 2012

The Pirate Ship Quintet

Rope For No-Hopers

Preview: You're Next

The Pirate Ship Quintet is a six-piece post-rock band from Bristol, England playing post-rock / contemporary classical / screamo. I found these guys a few year back with their self-titled debut EP. Especially the Pirate Ship song stuck in my head for weeks, mostly due to the astonishing combination of cello, trumpet and the ordinary instruments. Mostly their songs are instrumental, but there are subtle screams in the background and they sound a bit sludge in my ears. The contrast may sound strange, but it actually works. 

Rope For No-Hopers is their first full length featuring five compositions and a total running time of 48 minutes. The songs are pretty much guitar driven, but the cello arrangements are done masterfully and the flow of the songs is interesting. These guys won me over with their stellar musicianship, atmosphere and songwriting. If you crave for post-rock with a new twist, you should definitely give these guys are try.

http://www.thepirateshipquintet.com/

Les Discrets

Ariettes oubliées...

Preview: Ariettes Oubliées

Image yourself sitting in Paris (actually Lyon as this is where the band originates) sipping your precious red wine with baguette in some small cafeteria where the pale brick-walls accompany your quiet moment and the subtle autumn wind tickles your chin. That's pretty close how I feel when I put Les Discrets on. There are hints of shoegaze / post-rock but the sound is very fragile, light and airy. They are masters in painting a world where the atmosphere is soothing and dreamy.

The mastermind Fursy Teyssier is a very artistic person and a talented painter. He has e.g. created Alcest's Écailles de Lune album cover and has also played bass in Alcest's live in 2010. You can find some of his other works from this location. Ariettes Oubliées features astonishing sounds and extraordinary artwork (ordered myself the art book version presenting Teyssier's fabulous paintings). It is a gentle journey towards the night where you gaze at the sky as the last rays of sunlight fade out and disappear in the horizon.

http://www.lesdiscrets.com/

Anathema

Weather Systems

Preview: Untouchable Part 1

Anathema like Katatonia changed it's style a long time ago from death doom to atmospheric/depressive rock. They blew me away with their previous album, We're Here Because We're Here, and I thought he couldn't top that...well, I was wrong. Weather Systems would be in my TOP5 releases if I would combine the metal and not-so metal albums together, but as it is a really tough job I decided to keep the genres apart from each other. Maybe next year I can blend them all in one single list and cover 50 to 60 albums. 

Weather Systems is the finest non-metal Anathema album to date. The opening duet, Untouchable Part 1 & 2 are the finest songs Danny Cavanagh has created and in my books two of the finest songs created last year. However, I firmly believe they can only get better. Weather Systems has received a lot of praise in the media and these guys really deserve it. Anathema is now in top form with Cavanagh brothers on fire and the beautiful voice of Lee Douglas. I cannot wait to see what they come up with next. It's like what Vincent Cavanagh, Danny's brother, said at the end their last concert in Tampere: "Go and check our merchandise over there at the end of the concert. There is so much we have done already, but there will be so much more we will do in the future. Thanks."

Killing Joke

Preview: In Cythera

I had no idea who Killing Joke was when I accidentally found myself in their gig in Ilosaarirock a few years back. At that time they didn't connect with me totally, but there was something about them that stuck with me. In 2010 their previous album Absolute Dissent received a lot of praise and it also ended on my album rotation. Especially The Great Cull, In Excelsis, European Super State and the last song, Ghosts Of Ladbroke Grove, with its reggae kind of sound was great. 

MMXII is their 15th studio album to date featuring ten post-punkish tracks. They follow the same sound created in Absolute Dissent, which is a good thing if you ask me. To some extend the synthesizer melodies are dark and doomy, the guitar is a bit down-toned and the overall vibe is industrial. Coleman's vocals are top notch and the production is great. Most memorable songs for me are Pole Shift, Rapture and In Cythera.

One funny thing I have to comment here. As these guys have been around from 1978, they have stripped down all unnecessary tricks from their live act and the guitarist Geordie Walker with his ridiculous hat looks like he's in a wrong concert. The live act pretty much relies on singer Jaz Coleman's charisma and energy. I've seen them now three times and so far they have delivered every time. I'd say they are pretty much respected as they have been in many festivals together with the nastiest black metal acts. If you happen to spot Killing Joke on a rooster, be sure to check them out, you might be surprised.

http://www.killingjoke.com/

AtomA

Skylight

Preview: Bermuda Riviera

AtomA was created from the ashes of Slumber a few years ago. Slumber had only one album in 2004, Fallout, but I am sure all death doom lovers remember it quite well. It is one of the finest albums in the genre and I strongly recommend to check it out!

AtomA is a totally different chapter and the sound is atmospheric and electric. The hardcore metal heads probably stay away from this record for that reason, but give it a chance. I have been spinning Skylight close to 20 times now and I like it very much. The title song is the only one featuring harsh vocals and fast drumming, the others are more synthesizer driven with clean vocals. The genre label could be post-rock or space/atmospheric rock I would say. Why do I care about the genres so much? Actually I don't, but if you are reading this I am trying to save you some time by trying to describe what you are about to experience. 

Skylight is a great album from start to finish. The message here is sinister: the world is about to end due to humanity's greed, deceiving and loathing. We need to find a shelter for the survivors and fight for our existence. My personal favorites are Skylight, Highway, Bermuda Riviera and Cloud Nine. This a great disc to have in your car. I urge you to put it on when the first rays of spring are about to blind you. As the atmosphere surrounds you, within minutes you'll find yourself tapping the steering wheel and painting landscapes in your head. If you find yourself speeding due to the music, do not blame me! Drive carefully.

http://atomaweb.com/ 

Best metal albums 2012 - Album Of The Year

Portal Of I

Preview: Xenoflux

When I first stumbled across to And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope about a year ago, I thought my head exploded. It was a song I had never heard before: it started with flamenco theme, then changed to progressive death metal, then the most impressive violin I've heard in metal took over again and it finished with progressive black metal. I googled these guys immediately and what do you know: Melbourne, Australia strikes again! I became so obsessed with Ne Obliviscaris that it didn't take long until I had their debut album, Portal Of I, in my hands. NeO had released their self-released demo in 2007 where Tapestry of the Starless Abstract, Forget Not and As Icicles Fall were present already, but they have been rearranged and recomposed for Portal Of I along with four completely new songs. The overall running time is more than 71 minutes and the shortest clocks just under six minutes

Portal Of I features some of the most imaginative, talented, epic and complex songwriting I have heard in a long, long time. What strikes me the most is that the violin is as important as the guitar, bass or drums which is extraordinary to me. It hasn't just been mixed in, on the contrary the arrangements have been built around the violin. It is quite clear that this album is not for everyone cause it requires your full attention to understand all the hooks, breaks, interludes and transitions. There are five songs which are over 10 minutes long, so these guys don't let you go easy. For me that is the beauty of this album: you will always find new perspectives and angles and I can guarantee it is not monotonous, simple or boring. Lineup consists of six young lads with two vocalists, Xenoyr responsible for harsh vocals and the brilliant violinist Tim Charles doing the clean vocals. NeO manages to exploit this duality extremely well and the contrast works very well. On emotional level I feel the vocals are better than on technical. That is only a minor flaw and as these dudes are only in their late 20's and can only improve over the years.

This was my album of the year in the fall 2012, but there were a couple of others I was waiting to be released before my final judgement. I thought it was a wise choice to linger with my final verdict and with songs like Xenoflux, And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope and Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise, Portal Of I is my Album Of The Year with flying colors. The creativity, songwriting and musicianship really blows me away and I have to give credit where it is due. Sometimes I still cannot believe this is only their debut album. On the other hand, if I would have missed out these guys I would have been super pissed. The album in its entirety is so strong, ambitious and different that looking back now it feels like I never really had a choice. 

Now if only I could witness Ne Obliviscaris and Be'lakor together...that doesn't even have to be a dream, it has already happened in Australia. Hot damn, I have to start saving money again for my Tour Australia & New Zealand.

NeO Facebook

http://auralmusic.bandcamp.com/

Best metal albums 2012 - 2nd Position

Of Breath And Bone

Preview: Abeyance

I have been a huge fan of these guys from 2007 since their debut album, The Frail Tide, was released. There was just something fresh, vibrant and immediate headbanging likability about this band. Be'lakor (a demon from the tabletop game Warhammer) hails from Melbourne, Australia and plays melodic death metal in the vein of Insomnium and Dark Tranquillity, but they have a developed their own unique, progressive sound and it sets them apart from the mass if you ask me. When I first heard about them, I was pretty sure they come from Europe. I was pleasantly surprised learning they come from Australia, cause really didn't know Australian metal scene that well. Later I have hooked up with a couple of Aussies via music network only to find out that the metal scene there is vast, intriguing and of high quality.

Of Breath and Bone consists of eight songs and duration of the album is 56:15. The songs are long, melodic, epic and versatile with many tempo changes, hooks and highlights. I don't know the story why this cover art was chosen, but I know some people don't even listen to the music cause it doesn't have skulls, crosses upside down, blood, black forest or other things usually expected in metal album cover. Don't let that fool you. The music is still what matter at the end of the day. What they master the best is the epic songwriting combined with stellar musicianship, memorable riffs and melodic flow of the songs. My favorite songs are Abeyance, Remnants, Fraught, In Parting and The Dream And The Waking. I could easily name all songs, cause there are no fillers on this album. There is not really much to complain about this album and I have been going back and forth whether this should hold the number 1 position or not. However, I still believe that these guys are capable of creating even better albums, so that is my only excuse to rate this on second position. Then again if you ask me tomorrow, I could have another opinion.

I could go on and on how frustrated I am not seeing them live yet, but then again bringing these guys from all the way from down under to Finland requires much more than a few enthusiastic bloggers. Luckily they are rapidly becoming more popular (however on a metal music scale) among metal community and they have been playing in Middle European Metal festivals in summer 2011 and 2012. I hope to catch them live soon and until that happens I keep spinning their discography, so should you!

http://www.belakorband.com/

Best metal albums 2012 - 3rd Position

Utilitarian

Preview: Analysis Paralysis

Napalm Death has been around from the beginning of 80's. At that time they were labeled as hardcore punk, which later became the famous grindcore act we know. As I was doing my homework, I was surprised to see Lee Dorrian (Cathedral) doing the vocals on the first two full lengths. Mark Greenway or "Barney" as we know him, took over the vocals duties in 1989 and appears in the third album Harmony Corruption for the first time. I am writing this mostly to myself in order to learn my history, I know there are many of you who know this much, much better.

I really recognized them in the mid 2000's as The Code Is Red...Long Live The Code was released in 2005. Their signature trademark is still the same: short, ferocious songs filled with raw energy and attitude accompanied with Barney's angry vocals. For me the most difficult thing was to get used to the idea that the songs do not build up slowly reaching over ten minutes, they are straightforward, in-your-face and simplified. For some reason I've thought the guys to be much older being around more than 25 years, but Shane is now 45, Danny 43, Mitch 43 and Barney 43 so they are not relics by any means. In fact Utilitarian only proves that these guys are on top of their game and while they have refined their sound like adding saxophone and clean vocals, they are still very much the Napalm Death you fell in love with.

Utilitarian grew on me little by little like a malignant tumor and finally took over my entire body. What I really like about the album is that sound is sharp, clear and heavy. There are 16 songs altogether, but they don't wear you out. The energy and power are very dominant and carry the album beautifully from start to finish. One thing that I have to also mention here is that  Barney is really on fire! Judging by his performance in Tuska Open Air 2012 he delivers with ease without any studio reproduction. His stage present is like a school teacher: no tattoos (none that I know of), short & decent haircut and a shaved face. However once the intro is over, it is like a beast or unholy spirit possesses him and he starts jumping around the stage, shivering and delivering the angry message. He seems to be enjoying it anyway and remembers to thank the audience between the songs. One thing I learnt in the summer too was that Napalm Death do not use roadies, they do that themselves. I don't know why, but it makes me respect them ever more.

So without further ado Napalm Death is here to stay and I hope they remain healthy and motivated, I am ready for another assault!!

http://www.napalmdeath.org/

http://www.centurymedia.com/

Best metal albums 2012 # 7-4

7.

Saturn In Ascension

(Death Doom, Denmark)

Preview: Forest Of Insomnia


This was one of my most anticipated albums and as it was only released at the end of November 2012, the waiting seemed to be almost intolerable. When I finally had the record in my hands, I was afraid to push play: what if it fails me? What if they simply do not deliver this time? All my prejudices were put aside by the time the second song, Wind Torn, started. I span the album vigorously through the first two weeks in December and I was sure that my number one has been set. If my list was released on 1st of January, this would have been the winner.

However, I allowed myself to linger and took the time to jump back to my back catalogue before posting the final verdict on my blog. I came to the conclusion that while the record is still pretty much badass and awesome, I felt like my fan boy enthusiasm got the best of me and it was in the beginning so damn good as the waiting had been six long years. Later I felt I needed to downgrade it for a few positions based on my emotions while not listening to the album for about two or three weeks.

The compositions follow the doom laden, slow, atmospheric path where the vocals vary from mellow whispers to clean and deep growls. The contrast is really overwhelming and Saturnus sends you from the beautiful, soul crushing emotions of A Lonely Passage to the sad, depressive and haunting Forest Of Insomnia. If you are a fan of death doom metal, don't hesitate to pick up this album!

http://www.myspace.com/saturnus
http://www.metal-recycler.de/html/shop.php?lang=English

6.

Time I

(Symphonic Power Metal, Finland)

Preview: Time


Here is another album that took almost forever to be released. I first heard about Time about two or three years ago and things were moved forward for Mr. Jari Mäenpää (ex-Ensiferum). He had signed a record deal with the mighty Nuclear Blast and things were looking really bright. Then the troubles began: the demo tapes were lost, they were stolen, his PC for the orchestrations broke down etc. Luckily with Nuclear Blast donating Jari a new Mac to fulfil his dream, things were on a roll again. What I have learnt about Mr. Mäenpää is that he is a work alcoholic and a perfectionist and doesn't stop until he has his way. Doesn't sound like an easy way to live, but he stated at some point "If my music is the only thing for people to remember me by when I'm gone, I am going to make it count and don't settle for anything mediocre. This is my music and I want them to have only the best I can offer!".

It took eight long and winding years for the world to hear Time I. So is it any good? I have to admit that at first it didn't floor me. I was in awe of his talent and it sounded like a symphonic power metal album (with harsh vocals) that would have sent me flying backwards if I were still in my 20's. Now do not get me wrong people: what I am trying to tell here and my taste has changed a bit from my hardcore power metal days when I was 20 something, but I still do listen it (and my theory is that almost every metalhead does, but they don't want to admit that) and power metal suits my mood best in the summer. Time I was released in October, so in my books the season and the genre didn't quite meet but it did have a profound impact on me and it still does. Let's take e.g. the song Sons Of Winter And Stars. This song is the epitome of epic: clocking over 13 minutes, orchestrations and choirs to die for, a chorus that will stick in your head immediately, stellar musicianship and song writing.

What I really adore in this album is that all the song go well together, the atmosphere stays strong and when it ends, you just know that it is left unfinished. I can understand from the selling point of view that splitting the album into two parts gives the record company more money and 80 minutes (if that is the final duration of Time I + Time II) of music could be too much for some people to digest in a single blow. Take it or leave it, you either love Wintersun or consider the waiting too hyped and move on. My suggestion is: give it a shot, be open-minded and make up your mind after a couple of spins.

http://www.wintersun.fi/
http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/index.html

5.

RiiTiiR

(Progressive Metal, Norway)

Preview: Thoughts Like Hammers

Enslaved blew my mind with their previous album, Axioma Ethica Odini. It was my choice for the AOTY in 2010 and just slightly beat Agalloch's superb Marrow Of The Spirit. Before I started to contemplate my TOP40 list, I could have sworn makes my top 5 with flying colours. I have to admit that it was "only" in the TOP10 a couple of weeks ago, but made its way finally towards the top positions.

RiiTiiR is Enslaved's longest, most versatile, progressive and in my eyes most ambitious album to date. The album has been generally well received among metal community, but has had its fair share of complaints as well. This album has only a few self-explanatory black metal parts (blast beats and riffs), but I wouldn't label it purely black/Viking metal album. The mastermind duet Ivar Bjornson and Grutle Kjellson have increasingly and wisely added Herbrand Larsen's clean vocals since he joined the band in 2004 and there are clean vocals in every song on this album. I think the use of layered vocals has made them more contemporary and strengthened their sound, but I have a feeling that the best moments are yet to come. It doesn't strike odd to me that the growling is diminished, but I doubt they would completely abandon it.

On the average, the songs are pretty long with the title song, RiiTiiR, being the shortest clocking just under five and a half minutes. It is clear that Nuclear Blast have given them free hands to fulfil their artistic creativity and I feel they use this power wisely. My favourite moments include Death In The Eyes Of Dawn, Roots Of The Mountain, RiiTiiR and Forsaken but there are no weak songs in this album. This is one thing I have about Enslaved, the songs are all killer and no filler. I hate skipping mediocre songs and that is why I am always doing playlists, luckily with RiiTiir you can just push play and enjoy the ride from start to finish.

Enslaved rank is well deserved and they have become one of favourite bands nowadays and I cannot wait to see them live again!

4.

Rastlos

(Folk Metal, Germany)

Preview: Nicht Als Asche

I am a huge fan of Folk Metal. There is just something very primordial, masculine and patriotic combining folkish interludes or melodies / chants to metal. Moonsorrow and Primordial are among my top five bands currently and I was kind of sad neither of them released anything new in 2012. Enter Finsterforst, a relatively new Folk / Pagan Metal band from Germany. Their sound is just perfect for my liking as the songs are extremely well written, epic, versatile and long. Another element I have to mention here is the accordion. The bloody accordion, which I have kind of hated in the past, but not anymore. Accordion in metal? Works beautifully and only adds another level to music. Some may find whistles, pipes, hurdy gurdys, bagpipes, fiddles, flutes, accordions, banjos, trumpets or saxophones or whatever instrument I forgot to mention unsuitable for metal, but that is not me. It's not that only when the non-metal instruments are added I am intrigued, its the whole package. In this case the accordion fits beautifully and I can already see myself head banging to it on a hot summer's day in metal festival.

Rastlos consists of seven compositions, two of which are only short interludes. The total running time is over 75 minutes, so you get a very good run for your money! My favourites are Fremd, Ein Lichtschein and the epic closing track Flammenraush which is close to the duration of an entire grindcore album (and don't get me wrong people: I love my grindcore!!) The lyrics are in German, but even if you wouldn't know it, don't let that bring you down. They songs flow very effortlessly and they have a great way to giving enough air for the songs to breathe. Once again the artistic freedom works nicely here and the songs can build up slowly and majestically. Rastlos is best served in a wooden cabin somewhere in the woods, where you warm by the flaming fire sipping your whiskey and looking at the moonlit frostbitten sky and the cold winter wind howling in the corners.

http://www.finsterforst.de/
http://www.napalmrecords.com/product_info.php?products_id=15456&osCsid=ba034cece2bfed33edc7129a6dd362e6