Folk Metal...Sorting the wheat from the crap!

As we all know, Folk/Pagan/Viking (Battle, Pirate or whatever daft tag you want to add) Metal briefly became flavour of the weak (sorry, Martin) in the late 2000's. Thankfully the fad has for the most part dropped off and the plastic sword waving bellends have disappeared back in to the shadows - the fans back to their Power Metal record collections and the bands back to the obscurity in which they belong.

However, the Folk metal scene is the real deal, has great depth and variety and has been around for at least 20 years, depending on who you think "invented" Folk metal or even what counts as Folk metal. Any how, I digress. Fear not, sons and daughters of Odin (ahem), I am here to help. Over the the next few weeks I will presenting a number of blogs giving a fairly detailed overview of the scene along with the various sub-genres that come under the frankly pretty vague term "Folk Metal", along with recommendations of the bands within this splintered and often maligned scene, that are worth your time and I may even give you a few names to avoid...although that probably isn't necessary.

I'm be talking about the bands who have been plugging away since the beginning of time (late 80's/early 90's to be fair) and who didn't get a slice of the pie when the scene exploded - Skyclad, Thyrfing, Windir etc, the more recent but often under-appreciated - Svartsot, Kromlek, Månegarm, etc (the list goes on and on), the oddballs such as Rakoth and Solefald, the "big" names such as Finntroll, Eluveitie, Bathory, Amon Amarth and so forth as well as the real underground/new blood - Bifröst, Bran Barr, Drakum, Thrawsunblat, etc.

I'm hoping it will be an informative, insightful and useful look at a scene which has a real special significance for me and which I have always felt was deserving of  far more respect and attention than it has ever received.

Well, that's it for now. Part one will be up during the week at some point.

Toodle pipski!