What will 2010 Bring? Part 2: Some more upcoming albums I am looking forward to.

In part one, I mentioned a few upcoming releases that have really aroused my interest, and in some cases my curiosity. Well, it may be predictable, but now it’s time for a handful (er, 3) more. These albums are due for release between March and May, but we all know how dates can be put back without warning. For now, however these are just a few of the albums I will be looking forward to buying over the coming months.

Starting with one that is sure to be of interest to any fans of Folk/Pagan/Viking metal out there (Yes, Rob...that means you). It’s the new one, “Mulmets Viser”, from Denmark’s Svartsot, who, in my ever so humble opinion, released one of the last decade’s best folk metal albums, and one of the best metal albums in general, in their debut “Ravnenes Saga”. It had everything that a folk metal fan could possibly want from an album: Death metal vocals, heavy riffs, melodic guitars, annoyingly catchy songs and lots of (admittedly, sometimes, slightly twee) folk melodies. That album is highly recommended for fans of Amon Amarth (lazy comparison out of the way), or the mighty Thyrfing (first 4 albums), to whom they have most in common. If you want a good starting point of reference, you should search on YouTube for either, “Nidvisen” or “Jotunheimsfærden”. Those songs pretty much sum up what the band is about. I have absolutely no idea what the new album will sound like, but I am hoping for more of the same, as the old adage goes “If it ain’t broke...” and all that. This is one of the most anticipated albums for me this year as “Ravnenes Saga” was such a revelation, and totally restored my faith in what was, and indeed still is, becoming an increasingly watered-down, vapid, and cheesy genre. I doubt that this is what Martin Walkyier envisioned all those years ago when he, and his band at the time, Skyclad (he quit the band in 2001) created what would become known as folk metal. I’m not going to rant about this now...I’ll save that for a future blog, but to say I have high expectations for this one would be a massive understatement. I’m waiting with bated breath for the release date (29^th March), and a review will no doubt follow.

Next up is “Korn III: Remember Who You Are”. Good advice. I just hope the band have chosen this title for a reason. This is of particular interest to me, as a long time fan of Korn, as it is being produced by Ross Robinson ...the man who handled production duties on the band’s self-titled debut album. Let’s not beat around the bush here (hmm...more clichés)...Korn appear to have completely lost their direction in the last decade, and have seemingly been drifting along on auto-pilot for far too long. Can Robinson bring them back to where they belong and give them some much needed focus? I, for one, think that he can...and not only that, but I think he will help the band to find their purpose again and will, perhaps, propel them to new creative heights. I am expecting big things from this album, and to be honest, if they don’t deliver, then I think I will lose interest in them for good. Last chance saloon, boys. Let’s hope that this will be a real “return to form” for this once innovative and important band.

Last (for now) is “Kurbads” from everyone’s (well, mine anyway) favourite Latvian riflemen, Skyforger. This has been a long time coming, and is the band’s first album of new material in 7 years! The band released two albums in 2003, an album of traditional Latvian folk songs, "Sword Song" and a metal album "Thuderforge". Either of these would be a good starting point for anyone who is new to this great band. First of all, I should probably explain what the band sound like, for those new to them. Imagine, if you will (can) early Skyclad, but with Latvian lyrics and a slightly harder, pagan black metal edge. This band are one of the leading lights in the “real” folk/pagan metal scene (along with the likes of Obtest, Metsatöll, Thyrfing, etc), but are sadly often misunderstood by the ignorant masses. The reason for this? The band’s logo featured the Latvian thunder cross. I say featured as they have now decided to remove it as it was frequently misinterpreted as being (similar to) a swastika, despite the band stating on many occasions that they are NOT politically motivated or racist, merely proud. There is nothing wrong with national pride, people. Unfortunately it is all too often seen (wrongly) as being racist. Many bands adopt a similar stance of being proud without being hateful, such as England’s own Forefather and Norway’s Glittertind, and I wholeheartedly encourage this. We should never lose touch with who we are and where we come from, especially not for fear of upsetting people from other cultures or backgrounds. We have a long, rich and varied cultural history here in Europe and we need to keep it that way. Thankfully, metal is doing just that...flying the flags of our heritage, be it with the use of traditional music and/or instruments, or in the lyrics...telling stories of times gone by , describing the beauty of the landscape, or of great historical battles (among many other themes). Skyforger do all this with class and great musicianship, and I recommend them to anyone who is interested in paganism, or indeed, just likes their metal with that bit of a “folky” edge. I think I need to continue with this idea of national pride in metal, but will save that for a future blog.