Tag Archives: Folk Metal

Ensiferum – Thalassic (2020) – Review

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RockmusicRaider - Ensiferum - Thalassic - Album Cover

Whenever I fired up Two Paths, Ensiferum‘s 2017 offering, my mind literally switched off after the third track. All about this album had this moldy taste of a run-of-the-mill, cheesily bombastic and epically challenged junk piece. Filled with stuff we already heard before, and which grew on ye after a few beers too many. Only to find out that this thing pretty much felt like the hangover you just experienced the next morning.

So, in a sense, Ensiferum became that universal bad example whenever the RMR deck crew needed one. Something filled with so … [...] Click to raid more!

Alestorm – Curse of the Crystal Coconut (2020) – Review

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RockmusicRaider - Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut - Album Cover

Aw, Njord have merci on my blackened cold metal soul. I just listened a few times to the Curse of the Crystal Coconut, Alestorm‘s latest bag of goodies. And now my head is spinning.

Well, our famous Scottish pirates are at it again, ever questing about the wide-open seas as swiftly as the fair winds allow. Albeit that a few signs of aging become all but too apparent throughout the record.

Now, Sunset on The Golden Age and No Grave but the Sea were true steam machines. They gorged with golden ideas and truly … [...] Click to raid more!

Who remembers Arven? A cool sound, gone forever?

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Arven in Concert - RockmusicRaider Music Reviews

When the RockmusicRaider blog was still kinda in search of itself, we stumbled across Arven. An almost girlie band, with Till Felden, the drummer. But it wasn’t tremendous female power that caught our attention, it was their style.

Arven boasted this eclectic mix of Gothic and symphonically tainted, folksy Melodic Metal. A contribution to the metal multiverse that did not quite fit the mold – at all. And this is why the crew over here started concentrate ever more on what this band was all about.

To render this all more interesting, Carina Hanselmann – their frontwoman – … [...] Click to raid more!

Gone in April – Shards of Light (2019) – Review

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RockmusicRaider - Gone in April - Shards of Light - Album Cover

Will the metal fan crowd still find Gothic Metal bands out there worth their salt? A difficult proposition at best. Because we have heard and seen it all.

Or have we?

And – more importantly – there is no such thing as typical Gothic Metal. The genre more describes a trend and serves as a recipient for a hodgepodge of different styles and variations. Much like other genres.

For example Pagan Metal, which is always driven by historical beliefs that go beyond the lore of the nailed god. And one that – for sure – … [...] Click to raid more!