Fejd - Härjaren Video

Having only discovered Fejd recently, I'm quite excited about their upcoming album titled "Trolldom" which will be released toward the end of May. Leaning a bit more towards the folk side, with the perfect amount of metal mixed in, it promises to be good for those of us who enjoy folk metal. 

A video for one of the tracks, Härjaren, was recently unleashed upon the world:

Review: Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

Track Listing:

1.  First Kill

 2. Wanderer

 3. On A Sea Of Blood

 4. One Against All

 5. Raise Your Horns

 6. The Way Of Vikings

 7. At Dawn’s First Light

 8. One Thousand Burning Arrows

 9. Vengeance Is My Name

 10. A Dream That Cannot Be 

 11. Back On Northern Shores

‘Jomsviking’, Amon Amarth’s latest offering, is based on a screenplay written by vocalist Johan Hegg. Which then, coincidentally, became a full-fledged concept album. While viking themes are nothing new for Amon Amarth, a concept album is new territory for the revered Swedes. After the departure of long-time drummer, Fredrik Andersson, drummer Tobias Gustafsson (of Vomitory fame) was recruited for the recording of ‘Jomsviking’. 

‘Jomsviking’ is perhaps Amon Amarth’s most melodic offering to date, venturing far from their early, death metal roots. More epic than brutal, this album is a further progression of the direction that Amon Amarth has taken on their last few releases. The first few tracks set the scene for the epic story that follows. “Raise Your Horns” offers delightfully awkward verses, followed by an incredibly catchy chorus. It might actually be the most anthemic song of the entire album. ‘One Thousand Burning Arrows’ is reminiscent of a few earlier, very memorable Amon Amarth songs. At least in theme, if not in sound. It also seems to represent a turning point in the story woven throughout ‘Jomsviking’. “A Dream That Cannot Be” is a wickedly brutal song when listening to the lyrics. It proves to be the ultimate kick to the teeth in the game of pursuing an unrequited love. Which feels somewhat strange to be coming from a band that doesn’t typically sing about such a theme, but it’s woven nicely into the idea of a concept album. Having Doro Pesch singing vocals throughout the song doesn’t hurt either. 

Containing some spoken elements, this aspect of ‘Jomsviking’ might be a first for Amon Amarth. It is certainly something that further differentiates this album from previous efforts. It’s difficult to pick a song that has potential to become a live favorite, unlike other albums where this proved an easy task. ‘Jomsviking’ seems to lack the element of an epic live song. It also seems to lack the thundering, relentless, in-your-face feel of some of the band’s previous material. If you vastly prefer earlier Amon Amarth, this probably isn’t the album for you. However, if you enjoy an epic story with sentiment, and don’t mind some more mellow elements, this will be a good listen. 

Best Tracks: First Kill, On A Sea Of Blood, One Thousand Burning Arrows

From The Vault: Finnish Metal Tour Review (2011)

I stumbled across this review I wrote way back in 2011 for the Finnish Metal Tour featuring Finntroll, Ensiferum, Rotten Sound and Barren Earth. It was originally done for a blog for the university's heavy metal student club. I still feel just as uncomfortable writing decent reviews as I did then. 

Finnish Metal Tour: A Personal Review

February 15th, 2011

The night appeared doomed to a slow start, with only a handful of people in line when doors were opened at eight. The frigid weather, made worse by a biting wind, may have factored into this but it seemed strangely appropriate for a night when four bands from Finland were slated to play. A quick stop at the merchandise table made me wish I was able to afford the price wanted for the hand drawn artwork of Finntroll guitarist, Skrymer. 

            There was an abysmal lack of concert goers in the Starlite Room as Barren Earth took the stage. Although the music of Barren Earth was not particularly appealing to me, they performed a solid set, sounding somewhat like Opeth at times. By the time Rotten Sound made their appearance on stage, more fans had trickled in. The fast and heavy stylings of Rotten Sound served to energize the crowd, creating an atmosphere more appropriate to a small venue filled with loud music. All of those at the front were quickly caught up in the headbanging and those back a little further created an impressive pit considering the number of people participating. Rotten Sound knew exactly what to do to pump up the crowd, encouraging moshing that was equally as hard and fast as their music. Even those who were unfamiliar with the band seemed to thoroughly enjoy the set. 

            Unfortunately the people behind me during Ensiferum made the set slightly less enjoyable but Ensiferum seemed to be the highlight of the night for many fans. (Perhaps because english lyrics are much more accessible than the Swedish language lyrics of Finntroll.) A friend commented that this was possibly the best set he had heard Ensiferum play on their numerous stops in Edmonton. Long time fans of the band were delighted to hear Token of Time, from the band’s self titled debut album. From Afar, Deathbringer From the Sky and Ahti were favorites with the audience, with many shouting out the words along with vocalist Petri Lindroos. Victory Song was another huge hit with the crowd, as well as the final tune, Iron. The beer was flowing and the crowd was rowdy and excited throughout the twelve song set. In the final minutes of the set, guitarist Markus Toivonen impressed the crowd by playing a solo behind his back. Ensiferum, with their trademark kilts and black war paint, were solid and crowd pleasing. 

            As Finntroll took the stage, many people seemed content to sit back, drink a beer and watch the show. After using the song Blodmarsch as the introduction, Finntroll burst into a thundering rendition of Solsagen. Throughout the set, a handful of fans were screaming for Ett Norrskensdåd and Eliytres and left satisfied as both songs were included in the set. Although Finntroll’s drummer was apparently quite ill and other band members were recovering from being sick, one never would have guessed from the energetic set. Vocalist Mathias ‘Vreth’ Lillmåns demonstrated an impressive lung capacity, screaming and growling throughout the set. Although Finntroll are known for occasionally drinking too much before going on stage, it didn’t happen in Edmonton. Vreth didn’t hesitate to get down and scream right into the faces of those in the front row,  and touring keyboardist Aleksi Virta could be seen grinning throughout the show, which seemed a little uncharacteristic for a band with darker music, but it suggested that he was enjoying the show as much as the fans. As the end of the set approached, Lillmåns announced that there would be no encore due to the drummer being ill, but the ensuing antics of Maktens Spira made up for it. Drunken members of Rotten Sound ran out on stage, complete with oversized, glittery top hats, huge novelty sunglasses, and various funny masks; joining in on some of the vocals and making their own party on stage. Members of the other bands apparently found it as hilarious as I did, as Petri Lindroos could be seen laughing and snapping pictures from the side of the stage. Members of Turisas were apparently in the crowd as well, having played earlier in the night in Edmonton. Finntroll, and every other band on this tour, certainly didn’t disappoint and my only regret is that I was only able to catch one show. Overall, the show was excellent. 

Dark Funeral: "Where Shadows Forever Reign" Title Track

While I don't listen to much black metal, Dark Funeral is one of the bands that I have found myself indulging in. Unless it's coming from a select few bands, I rarely get excited over a black metal release but the upcoming offering from Dark Funeral is one that will likely get added to the collection.

They're set to release a new album, 'Where Shadows Forever Reign' on June 3rd. Being a sucker for dark, eerie album art, I love the cover of this album. Created by the same artist that did the cover artwork for 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' (amongst some other greats), I truly hope that the atmosphere conveyed by that album art is the same found in the music. If the title track is any indication, this should prove to be correct.

Listen to "Where Shadows Forever Reign":