20 Under-rated Folk Metal Bands

Folk Metal might not be the biggest Metal sub-genre, especially on British shores, but it does have a huge following all over the world and there really are a staggering number of bands out there. Sadly, with so many bands, it is inevitable that most are them are terrible and this is especially true of Folk Metal, where there are a lot of chancers who just whack a fiddle over a Metal riff or a violin over some Eastern European warbler and think it’s acceptable. I have, therefore, decided to do you all a public service by listening to every band I could find and separating the good / great from the inept / terrible.

In any genre there are the bands that all fans of the genre know and which bother the Metal “mainstream” on occasion and in the case of Folk Metal you have the likes of Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Finntroll and Skyclad to name but a few. However, bubbling under the surface you often have a whole wealth of quality acts which don’t get the recognition they deserve. Obviously, it is impossible to be genuinely impartial, so the bands listed are all bands that I personally rate highly. They may not be the best bands in the scene (although some will make an appearance in the best bands / best albums lists to come later), but they are bands I think deserve a listen.

For each band I’ve also recommended an album and given examples of similar artists so you know which bands might be to your taste as Folk Metal can again be divided into a massive number of sub-sub-genres. So, here goes with the first post in this vein:  20 Underrated Folk Metal bands (in alphabetical order).

Anabioz (Russia)

Recommended album: There the Sun Falls

Similar artists: Arkona, Korpiklaani, Svartsot, Eluveitie, Amon Amarth

Bran Barr (France)

Recommended album: Sidh

Similar artists: Heol Telwen, Aes Dana, Svartsot, Eluveitie

Cadacross (Finland)

Recommended album: Corona Borealis

Similar artists: Finntroll, Children of Bodom, Kalmah, Black Messiah, Dimmu Borgir

Dalriada (Hungary)

Recommended album: Ígéret

Similar artists: Arkona, Niburta

Drakum (Spain)

Recommended album: Torches Will Rise Again

Similar artists: Korpiklaani, Finntroll, Eluveitie, Skyclad

Eldiarn (Russia)

Recommended album: Кабаньей тропой

Similar artists: Arkona, Korn, Dalriada

Ereb Altor Sweden)

Rcommended album: Ulfven

Similar artists: Thyrfing, Månegarm, Vintersorg, Bathory

Equilibrium (Germany)

Recommended album:

Similar artists: Arafel, Ensiferum, Turisas

Fimbultyr (Sweden)

Recommended album: Gryende Tidevarv

Similar artists: Thyrfing, Windir, Månegarm

Frosttide (Finland)

Recommended album:

Similar artists: Ensiferum, Aether Realm, Månegarm

Heorot (Finland)

Recommended album: Ragnarok

Similar artists: Svartsot, Vanir

Irminsul (Sweden) (Trad Folk Metal)

Recommended album: Irminsul

Similar artists: Thyrfing, Månegarm

Kromlek

Recommended album: Strange Rumours, Distant Tremors

Similar artists: Equilibrium, Finntroll, Amon Amarth

Last Wail (Russia)

Recommended album: The Tale of Endless Night

Similar artists: Svartsot, Bran Barr, Equilibrium, Arkona, Ensiferum

Nightcreepers (France)

Recommended album: Svingeheim

Similar artists: Frosttide, Ensiferum

Nine Treasures (China)

Recommended album: Nine Treasures

Similar artists: Korpiklaani, Tengger Cavalry

Obtest (Lithuania)

Recommended album: Gyvybes Medis

Similar artists: Skyforger, Metsatöll

Skyforger (Latvia)

Recommended album: Latvian Riflemen

Similar artists: Metsatöll, Skyclad, Thyrfing, Obtest, Dalriada

Vanir (Denmark)

Recommended album: Onwards Into Battle

Similar artists: Svartsot, Bifröst, Amon Amarth, Huldre

Waylander (Ireland)

Recommended album: Kindred Spirits

Similar artists: Cruachan, Eluveitie, Aes Dana, Bran Barr)

Bloodstock 2017

I was going to write a long post about this, but I realised that so few people really read these post, even fewer are actually going to Bloodstock and those that are already know who they are going to be watching...so here are the bands that I'll be watching. Maybe I'll see some of you at the left hand side of the stage.

Thursday:

Sophie Stage: Gurt

Friday:

Sophie Stage: Dendera, Black Moth, Inquisition.

Ronnie Stage: Devilment, Soilwork, Decapitated, Testament, Amon Amarth.

Saturday: 

Hobgoblin Stage: Ba'al

Sophie Stage: Kroh, Red Rum, Xentrix

Ronnie Stage: Fallujah, Winterfylleth, Annihilator, Municipal Waste, Hatebreed, Kreator, Ghost.

Sunday:

Sophie Stage: GraVil, Wretched Soul, Wolfheart, Wintersun

Ronnie Stage: Broken Teeth, Possessed, Obituary, Brujeria, Hell, Skindred, Arch Enemy, Megadeth.

New Release Highlights: 4th August 2017

Band: Accept
Album: The Rise of Chaos
Genre: Trad Metal

German veterans, Accept have actually managed to pull of the (almost) impossible by reforming in 2009 without vocalist Udo Dirkschneider who had been in the band since 1976 and doing so successfully. Actually, the band are more successful now than they have ever been, with the three albums released since the reformation actually being their best selling albums to date. That brings us neatly to new album, The Rise of Chaos. Don't expect any new tricks from these old dogs, however. This is still very much the balls to the wall Metal that Accept are so damn good at. That a band can still be releasing albums this good after over 40 years is astonishing. Another solid Accept release.

Track: The Rise of Chaos

Band: Shade Empire
Album: Poetry of the Ill-minded
Genre: Symphonic Melodic Death / Black

Inevitable comparisons have been made to Greek Symphonic Death Metal masters, Septic Flesh, but although there are definitely similarities, Shade Empire bring a little Finnish flair to the party, along with a horn section (a la Sear Bliss), which lends the album a lot of atmosphere. There is some blinding musicianship to be found here, with the band really utilising some beautiful keyboards, subtle soft guitars and spoken word samples to offset the thundering brutality of the rhythm section and the harsh vocals. If you're a fan of the genre then chances are that you are already familiar with Shade Empire, but if not, Poetry of the Ill-minded isn't a bad place to start.

Track: Anti Life Saviour

Band: Thor
Album: Beyond the Pain Barrier
Genre: Heavy Metal

Ok, so this isn't exactly a highlight, but it deserves a place on this list for being so ludicrous! Beyond the Pain Barrier is, unbelievably, the 18th album from Canadian buffoon, (Jon) Thor, a former body builder who has been recording terrible Heavy Metal since 1977, which is actually an achievement in itself. If you want an idea of the how the band sounds, imagine an even more ridiculous Manowar, just without the musical or vocal talent. To be fair, there are some half decent song ideas on here, but unfortunately that's all they are as the pedestrian playing, sub-par singing and dated production scupper any chance of them being fully realised. Despite it being on this blog post, this is actually probably best avoided.

Track: The Calling

New Release Highlights: 28th July 2017

Band: Prong
Album: Zero Days
Genre: Groove / Hardcore / Crossover)

Prong are one of the most infuriatingly inconsistent bands in the Metal world. There have always been sparks of greatness and we all know Tommy Victor has it in him to pen a belter when he really wants to. Sadly though, the band's career has been mired by average albums and only the very occasional gem. Probably best known for mid-90s, Beavis & Butt-head endorsed Industrial stomper, Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck, Prong struggled to find their place as the years rolled by. On Zero Days however, they have come as close to filling their obvious potential as they ever have. With a crushing Groove Metal / Thrash crossover sound bolstered by Victor's Punk-like vocal delivery, chugging Hardcore riffing and some catchy-as-herpes choruses. The best album Prong have put their name too? Very possibly.

Track: Divide and Conquer

Band: Byzantine
Album: The Cicada Tree
Genre: Groove Metal
  
Byzantine have had a tempestuous career, having split and reformed on more than one occasion. Maybe this is the reason that they haven't really made a real mark on the scene. Either way, they are back again with album number 6, The Cicada Tree, and while it isn't likely to ever be deemed essential, it is a decent Groove Metal album. Recommended for fans of Chimera, Lamb of God, Soilwork and The Kandidate.

Track: Vile Maxim

Band: Dvne
Album: Asheran
Genre: Prog Sludge / Stoner
  
Sci-Fi themed Progressive Stoner / Sludge anyone? This is actually a blinder of a debut album. It's always nice to hear a new band and to have no pre-concieved ideas or expectations as it gives you chance to listen to new music with a completely open mind. Scotland's Dvne (pronounced Dune, apparently) are a rather interesting band, taking the bog standard Sludge / Stoner / Doom sound and then then mixing things up with some nice Psych / Prog Rock influences.

Track: Thirst

                      

New Release Highlights: 21st July 2017

Band: Shattered Sun 
Album: The Evolution of Anger
Genre: American Melodic Death Metal

Shattered Sun's first album, 2015's Hope Within Hatred was a more than respectable debut offering, but the Texan sextet have really found their feet on their sophomore release, The Evolution of Anger. With a sound based firmly in the American Melodic Death Metal camp and which is reminiscent of bands like Shadow's Fall, All That Remains, Trivium, Wovenwar and God Forbid, Shattered Sun have the potential to reach a substantial audience and luckily for them, they have the songs to match. I recommended these guys strongly a couple of years ago and I am doing the same again now. If you are a fan of any of the bands mentioned above, this album is an essential addition to your collection. One of the highlights of the year for me. It's hard to pick a song to recommend, but I'll go with Out For Justice.
    
Track: Out For Justice

Band: Tau Cross
Album: Pillar of Fire
Genre: Thrash / Crossover / Crust / Punk / Metal

Another sophomore album, this time in the form of Pillars of Fire by the criminally underrated Tau Cross. Featuring members and ex-members of Amebix and Voivod, you already know that this is going to deliver. Although their sound has its roots in the Crust Punk of Amebix, there are also elements of Goth Rock, Thrash Crossover and even the primitive Heavy Metal of Motörhead. Raw, stripped down and fucking brilliant! Tau Cross have done it again.

Track: Killing The King

Band: Wintersun
Album: The Forest Seasons
Genre: Symphonic Melodic Death Metal

The much-maligned and ridiculed Wintersun, the vehicle for Finnish multi-instrumentalist, Jari Mäenpää (formerly of Ensiferum), have finally released their third album after 5 years of public spats with record labels, almost comical displays of arrogance by Jari and finally a ludicrous (yet ultimately successful) crowd-funding campaign. For those of you who still care about Wintersun, a band which has spent 13 years squandering the success and praise earmed for its 2004 debut, the questions I'm sure you want answered are, is it worth the wait and does it live up the hype? Well, yes. Yes it does! This is multi-layered and complex. In other words, exactly what you want from Wintersun. All is (almost) forgiven.

Track: Awaken From the Dark Slumber

Folk Metal: Introduction

Like all genres of music, Folk Metal falls afoul of the dreaded over-saturation issue. There are so many half-arsed Metal bands out there who think sticking a flute, violin or – heaven forbid – a synthesizer over their poorly played, badly written songs will hide their flaws and make them Folk Metal as opposed to just another forgettable pub band. In my estimation I’d say that for every good band, there are 8 or 9 bad ones, which can be daunting for fans of the sub-genre looking for new music to listen to. Luckily for those people, and I think there a few in this group, I have made the somewhat stupid decision to take on the monumental  challenge of trawling through every single band I can find (so far it sits at well over 1000, but I know there are more out there waiting to be discovered) to compile a top 40 album list, a best bands list, a best songs list and underrated bands list, much as I did with Grunge, although that being as it is, a pretty much dead 25 year old genre, was relatively easy, yet it still took me around two months to do. 

What complicates things a little more is where to draw the line of what is considered to be Folk Metal. Is it the use of traditional folk instruments, is it the lyrical themes, is it using “Folk” melodies or is it something more difficult to put your finger on, like an idea or an attitude. Can bands without an overtly Folk sound be considered to be Folk Metal if they themselves identify with the scene? 

As it stands, Folk Metal can already be broken down into a number of recognisable sub (sub) genres including Celtic, Medieval, Viking, Pagan and so forth, so after considering this little quandary for a while, I decided to base my lists on how the bands sound. Simply put, if they “sound” like they are using Folk instruments and melodies, they are in. As always, there were a number of bands that were a little difficult to categorise, such as Moonsorrow, Vreid and Enslaved, so I will, time permitting, be compiling a separate Pagan Metal list at a later date which will include the aforementioned bands and their ilk as well as harsher Pagan Black Metal acts which may not have such an obvious Folk sound, but identify themselves as part of the wider scene. Some bands, including Thyrfing, will make both lists as their earlier material was definitely Folk / Viking Metal, but their recent releases are more Pagan Black Metal.

I hope this is something that is of interest to at least a few of you, but I suppose the bottom line is that it is something I am very interesting in doing for myself, so it's really a labour of love. If only a couple of you find it useful then I will be happy with that. 

I think I've rambled on quite long enough now, so I'll wrap it up by saying that this project may take a little time, but I will posting as and when I have something ready.

New Release Highlights: 7th July

Band: Ereb Altor
Album: Ulfven
Genre: Viking / Pagan / Folk Metal

With a sound akin to fellow countymen Bathory, Thyrfing, Månegarm, Vintersorg and occasionally Candlemass, Sweden's Ereb Altor follow a long line of quality Viking / Folk / Pagan Metal bands and are themselves, well established scene veterans. That said, they have always failed to make a real impression on me. Until now. The band's new (and 7th) album Ulfven is a superb release and has not only earned a defiinte spot on my year end list, but has also already become a firm favourite of mine in the Folk Metal sub-genre of which I am a huge fan. After 14 years Ereb Altor have finally made their mark.

Track: En Synd Svart Som Sot

Band: Decapitated
Album: Anticult
Genre: Death / Groove Metal

The Polish veterans are back and are continuing to evolve, with the old-school Vader-worshipping of old being stripped back more and more with each subsequent release, giving way to a modern and polished Groove Metal sound. I may in the minority, but in my opinion they are a better band for it.

Track: Kill The Cult

Band: Melvins
Album: A Walk With Love and Death
Genre: Alt-Rock

Ever-reliable Alt-Rock oddballs, Melvins are as prolific as ever, with AWWLAD being the band's third album in just over 12 months (and that's without taking side projects into account). They may well have been key in the formation of the Grunge scene of the late 80s / early 90s (as well as Stoner Metal), but their quirky style ensured that they never quite fit into any specific niche, which makes them all the more wonderful. Cherish them.

Track: What's Wrong With You

Band: River Black
Album: River Black
Genre: Modern Metal / Groove Metal

With a sound probably best described as Modern Metal (you already know if it's for you), River Black aren't breaking any new ground, but I've definitely heard far worse. There are some really good songs on here and it's a solid release, but I can't help feeling there is lost potential. There are tantalising tastes of the beast it could have been and while River Black falls a little short of the expectations I had for former members of Burnt By The Sun and Revocation it is still, a respectable debut. Here's hoping album number two knocks the world off its Axis!

Track: Low

New Release Highlights: 30th June 2017

This week was a bit thin on the decent new release front and the ones I have listened to are a mixed bag of styles. Nonetheless, these might well be worth your while.

Band: Cellar Darling
Album: This is the Sound
Genre: Rock

I had high hopes and expectations for Cellar Darling -  formed by a trio of ex-Eluveitie musicians - and I am very pleased to report that this album was definitely worth the wait. I suppose it would be classified as Folk Rock, but that doesn't really do this album justice. The unique sound of the Hurdy Gurdy looms over the entire album earning it originality points from the off and when you add Anna Murphy's sublime voice and some solid songs to the mix, This is the Sound is a solid debut offering from one of the genres more interesting bands. That said, the album is a little too long and sometimes seems to meander, but I can forgive that.

Track: Avalanche

Band: Stone Sour
Album: Hydrograd
Genre: Rock / Modern Metal

Whatever your thoughts on Stone Sour it's hard to deny that the band can pen a damn fine tune. It's just a shame that they don't have better quality control as that one great album you just know they have in them remains tantalisingly out of reach. As with previous releases, Hydrograd has some great tracks, some decent tracks and a lot of filler. Fans of the band are unlikely to be disappointed, but for the rest of you, maybe wait for a best of.

Track:Song #3

Band: Vintersorg
Album: Till Fjälls del II
Genre: Folk / Prog Metal

Vintersorg have declared this album to be a return to their roots and have even called it Till Fjälls del II. Releasing a follow up to an established classic is fraught with risks, but Vintersorg have pulled it off with aplomb. Yes, their contemporary sound is probably more akin to Prog than the icy Black Metal of old, but Till Fjälls del II is a triumph and a benchmark album for the genre.

Track: Fjällets Mäktiga Mur

Band: Ye Banished Privateers
Album: First Night Back in Port
Genre: Pirate Folk / Punk

On first hearing Ye Banished Privateers, I  doubt that the Swedish city of Umeå would be the first place to spring to mind. This rather odd band play a Punk-tinged take on Irish Folk and pirate-themed shanties and while they are undoubtably a lot of fun, you probably won't make it past the first 3 or 4 songs. YBP are little more than a novelty act, but hey, in a small pub somewhere, with the ale and rum flowing, I can imagine that they would be just the ticket.

Track: I Dream of You

New Release Highlights: June 23rd 2017

Band: Goatwhore
Album: Vengeful Ascension
Genre:Death/Black/Thrash

US Extreme Metal veterans, Goatwhore continue their evolution as they tone down the Black Metal of early releases, in favour of a more groove-laden Thrash/Death Metal sound. If you're late to the party, don't worry, the night is still young.

Track: Mankind Will Have No Mercy

Band: Powerflo
Album: Powerflo
Genre: Nu-Metal / Hardcore

Do you yearn for a return to those heady days of Nu-Metal Dominance? No, neither do I and I'd say that this "Supergroup" featuring members and ex-members of Cypress Hill (Sen Dog), Fear Factory (Christian Olde Wolbers), Downset (Roy Lazano) and Biohazard (Billy Graziadei) is at least a decade out of date. That said, it isn't at all bad and actually gets better the more you listen. It's not likely to set the world on fire, but it's a decent, fun, throwback record.

Track:  Crushing That

Band: Mutation
Album: Dark Black
Genre: Noise

Mutation really couldn't be any further from the radio-friendly, mainstream-bothering Brit Rock of The Wildhearts, but Ginger shows, yet again, that there are many strings to his musical bow. The wonderfully dischordant racket will either be a hallelujah moment for you or you'll hate it. Forget the corpse-painted Black Metal fools, this is gleefully subversive, real extreme music.

Track: Hate

Band: Municipal Waste
Album: Slime and Punishment
Genre: Thrash / Punk / Hardcore

US Thrash throwbacks were doing the new generation "nostalgia" thing years before their contemporaries and that they are still here where most of the others have fallen by the wayside is testament, not just to their passion, but to their no-nonsense, no-frills take on 80s Thrash. They have the authenticity that other wannabes lack and deliver a potent mix of Thrash, Punk and Hardcore that makes you want to headbang and drink beer. At the same time.

Track: Amateur Sketch

February Overview

Here is my pick of the best albums you may have missed in February. I realised that for the January post, I neglected to include the genre for each band. I have now edited the post as I think this will make it easier for people to decide what is relevant for them. Also, from this post onwards, I will be writing a short overview for each album as opposed to an intro text. I think this works better, but of course I would prefer YOUR feedback.

Band: Hark
Album: Machinations
Genre: Stoner/Sludge Metal

Welsh Stoner Metal crew, Hark unleash their excellent sophomore album, Machinations and it is a groove-fuelled riff fest from the get go. If there was any justice in this world, then the name Hark would be on the lips of every single Metalhead out there.

Track: Fortune Favours the Insane

Band: Zeal & Ardor
Album: Devil is Fine
Genre: Black Metal (quite literally)

What happens when you take Black Metal and splice it with "slave music"? well, Zeal & Ardor have attempted to find out. Does it work or is it merely a pointless vanity project with no respect for either of the genres it blends together? I'm veering more to the latter personally as, although it might be something interesting and different, it lacks substance and often sounds contrived and forced. Either way, it has certainly become a talking point in the Black Metal scene Decide for yourself.

Track: Come On Down

Band: Crystal Fairy
Album: Crystal Fairy
Genre: Alternative

As always, I am very much loathe to describe such a band as a "supergroup" as it a term loaded with so many negative connotations and expectations. Crystal Fairy could have been hindered by the fact that its members have some serious musical pedigree, formed as it is of members of At The Drive-In / The Mars Volta, The Melvins and The Butcherettes. Of course, this hasn't happened and the band has managed to find that wonderfully rare middle ground between sounding somewhat familiar, while also managing to sound fresh and intriguing. This can be partly attributed to the near-perfect meeting of the hard driving guitar / drum combo of The Melvins, the dynamically twisted vocals of Teri Gender Bender and the mesmerising bass progressions of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. This is an album which rewards repeated listens.

Track: Chiseler

Band: Striker
Album: Striker
Genre: Trad / Power Metal

Let's be very clear about this, Striker are absolutely NOT reinventing the wheel. Influenced as much by Def Leppard and Van Halen as they are by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Manowar, this is pure, full-on Heavy Metal which has its songwriting (and playing) planted firmly in the "golden era" of the mid-late 80s, albeit with a dynamic and powerful modern production. That's not to say this is bad, in fact it is far from it. Striker is an invigorating album that will make you want to bang your head, sing out loud and even warm up your air guitar fingers.

Track: Former Glory

Band: Overkill
Album: The Grinding Wheel
Genre: Thrash Metal

I don't think anyone will disagree with me when I say that Overkill have released better albums than The Grinding Wheel. That said, it is still light years ahead of the competition and sounds remarkably fresh for a band which formed way back in 1980. Unlike most of their contemporaries, Overkill have rarely strayed far from their trademark sound and in my opinion, are a much stronger band for it. They know what they are doing and they do it bloody well. No, they are not breaking new ground, but when you have a sound as distinctive and instantly recognisable as Overkill, why the hell would you? The sound of a band clearly having a blast, The Grinding Wheel is, hands down, one of the best albums of 2017.

Track: Mean Green Killing Machine

New Release Highlights: June 16th 2017

This is the first of my weekly new releases updates, where I will be sharing what I consider to be the cream of the week's new (mainly) Metal releases. The main purpose of these posts isn't to recommend quality new releases, rather it is to keep you guys informed of notable releases week to week. What you do with this information is entirely up to you, but I will provide a link to a song from each album for you to listen to if you so desire.

To be honest, just about all of the featured albums will be ones I'm personally interested in, but there will be times when a big release deserves a mention, even if it isn't something I'm really into.

Ok, that's enough explaining. Now it's time to get to the actual point of the post. Here are this week's Metal highlights complete with a short overview text for each one.

Iced Earth - Incorruptible

US Trad Metal veterans Iced Earth were rejuvenated in 2011 with the addition of powerhouse vocalist Stu Block and are now on their third album with him at the helm. One of the most under-rated Metal bands to have formed in the 80s, Iced Earth have proven themselves by their longevity and the fact that they are still churning out quality albums, where many of their peers have long since split or vanished into obscurity.

CKY: The Phoenix

CKY are probably best known for their connection and involvement with the MTV show, Jackass and feature one Jess Margera (brother of Jackass member Bam) on drums. The band had moderate success in the early 00s with the  Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild and An Answer Can Be Found albums. Have they risen again liked the famed bird after which the new album is named? That remains to be seen.

Carach Angren - Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten

Spooky Dutch Symphonic Black Metallers Carach Angren have been underground mainstays for almost 15 years and on this, their 5th full length, could finally be set to establish themselves as major players in the scene. Their creepy and unique take on Black Metal makes them a far more interesting prospect than many of their peers as they take their listeners on a journey using in-depth storytelling and immersive, multi-layered soundcapes.

Igorrr - Savage Sinusoid

Igorrr has no regard or respect whatsoever for genre boundaries and he will gleefully bombard the listener with what is quite frequently a dischordant noise. Not one for the faint of heart or for those who prefer traditional ideas of song structure. This French madman has been known to fuse Death Metal, Electronica, Trip Hop, Baroque, Jazzm Breakcore and more into his music, occasionally on the same track.

Suffocation - ...of the Dark Light

US Death Metal legends, Suffocation should need no introduction, but for the uninitiated, the band play good old fashioned Brutal Technical Death Metal and, I'm pleased to say, show no signs of mellowing with age.

Wizard - Fallen Kings

I think I have already made it very clear in the past that Power Metal is certainly not my genre of choice and is not something that I am generally very clued up on, beyond the likes of Dream Evil, Firewind, Dragonforce, et al, who I tend to see as nothing more than an amusing and ironic guilty pleasure. Needless to say then, that despite them having been around for the best part of 3 decades, I had, until this point, not crossed paths with "The German Manowar" before, but to be honest, they are nothing more than a facsimile of the original "Kings of Metal" and are only recommended for hardcore Manowar fans desperate for a new fix of "True Metal".

Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark?

Last up this week are Brighton-based Garage / Stoner / Psychedelic noise duo, Royal Blood. The band may well take influences from many who have come before them, but they twist them into something fresh and forward looking, Jimmy Page himself has said that the band are "going to take Rock into a new realm" and if that isn't high enough praise, then I don't know what is.

January Overview

Hello and welcome to the first of my "catch-up" posts. As I said in my previous blog post, I will attempt to work through my rather ridiculous backlog of new releases of 2017 (currently at 63 without tomorrow's crop), but also share some of the great albums that I HAVE managed to listen to, but have not had chance to post about on my Facebook group as of late.

As is customary, I will start with January, which saw the year get off to a rather amazing start with the release of Sepultura's finest album in at least 20 years, the return of  Alt Punk Goths, AFI and a breakout release from US Hardcore Punks, Code Orange as well as a new album from ever-reliable German Thrashers, Kreator, a surprising comeback from Finnish Industrial Metallers, Diablerie, the debut EP by brilliant Grunge throwbacks, Static Tension and for those with heavier tastes, Black Anvil dropped their latest slab of Blackened Thrash nastiness.

This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list of releases, rather I have just focussed on mypersonal highlights. Enjoy and feel free to leave me a comment below.

Band: Sepultura
Album: Machine Messiah
Track: Phantom Self

Band: AFI
Album: AFI (The Blood Album)
Track: Above the Bridge

Band: Code Orange
Album: Forever

Track: Bleeding in the Blur

Band: Kreator
Album: Gods of Violence
Track: Fallen Brother

Band: Diablerie
Album: The Catalyst Vol. 1
Track: Grey

Band: Static Tension 
Album: Out of Reach (EP)
Track: Out of Reach (EP)

Band: Black Anvil 
Album: As Was
Track: May Her Wrath Be Just

A Tentative Return

I'm sure those of you that have taken the time to read or even follow this blog over the past few years have noticed that I've not been around for quite some time - the word eternity might be pushing it, but that's how it feels to me. The reasons for this are many and convoluted, but I won't be boring you with them as it has nothing to do with music, quite frankly.

Anyway, the bottom line is that even though my free time and desire for writing might have diminished recently, my passion for music and the need to shout from the (virtual) rooftops about great new albums / songs / bands has not. To this end, I have decided to make a tentative return to this writing malarky, mainly as a way of sharing as much music in one go as I can.

Going forward, I will be trying to post weekly updates about new albums on Saturdays (new albums are generally released on Fridays) and to deal with the existing backlog I will be cobbling together some quick posts by month from January to May to share my recommended albums of 2017 so far.

Like I say, this is a tentative return to the fray and a loose plan, but I really hope it works out, partly for my own sanity, but mainly as 2017 has  already been a cracking year for heavy music.
Watch this space!

Stu