Fjordhammer Friday (23rd October 2020)

Venturing Out On A Dragon's Back With Beer In Hand

Some of you may have noticed that my output has slowed this week, I'm having a little break as I felt the burnout creeping in, but that won't stop Fjordhammer Friday! After listening to my Hobbit audiobook, narrated by the wonderful Rob Inglis, it has put me in a folk mood, so this week's focus is Folk Metal! That's right, grab your mead horns, down your ale and get ready to sing heartily about tales of yonder year and the current raids you have participated on! There is something merry about folk metal, I've always been drawn to traditional styles of music, most notable Scottish and Irish folk, so when it is blended with metal to create these awesome atmospheres whilst bringing to life some epic stories, it's a win win for me. I understand that it can be considered a bit of a nerdy genre, but you have to admit that any band that can arrange a song with a hurdy gurdy, accordion and penny whistle alongside blasting drums and riffs, has a strong and astute compositional skill to turn the ideas into soaring melodies and galloping rhythms. I will say, that I class Viking metal as its own thing, despite there being a fair bit of crossover lyrically, but for this I will be looking at the more folk metal elements, apologies Viking metal fans I'll do a Viking specific one soon! What always draws me back to this sub genre is my trips to Hard Rock Hell Vikings, even though it is Viking centred they've had some awesome Celtic influenced bands their too. The best thing about folk metal is it is ridiculously global, with so many cultures orchestrated through traditional instruments to the region/country alongside metal, which leads to some fascinating results. So, with beer in hand, I bring you my top picks this week!

Kernunna (🇧🇷)

Location: Varginha, Minas Gerais
Record Label(s): Metalodic Records

Focusing on a mix of Brazilian and Celtic folklore, there is certainly an interesting sound to this Brazilian outfit! With a blend of progressive riffs and weaving folk melodies it is not what you'd usually expect from a folk metal band.

Bandcamp
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Spotlight On - The Seim Anew

Mysterian (🇨🇳) 

Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Record Label(s): Independent

It's not often we hear metal bands from China, so I had to include Mysterian! Blending traditional Chinese alongside a slightly more symphonic backdrop, but with phenomenal ornate, complex melodies it puts you right in the heart of China. 

Bandcamp

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Spotlight On - Fall of the Song Dynasty

Stormtide (🇦🇺)

Location: Melbourne, Victoria

Record Label(s): Metal Hell Records

Epic fantasy springs to mind when listening to Stormtide. Venturing through ancient and magical lands on a dragon's back, an adventure for the ages. With chugging riffs accompanied by soaring melodies and chants, you're in for one hell of a ride!

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Spotlight On - She Who Would Name the Stars

Svaskalver (🇷🇺) 

Location: St. Petersburg

Record Label(s): Independent

Hailing from the might Russia, Svaskalver pack a punch with Russian lyrics belted out of huge riffs and pounding rhythms, accompanied with folk instruments underneath. The band stated that their songs are about "dark fairy tales based on both romantic northern mythology and the harsh realities of human nature." which is a win for me!

Bandcamp

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Spotlight On - Гром (Grom)

🔊THIS WEEK'S HEADLINER 🔊

Darrowdelf (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)

Location: Southampton

Record Label(s): Northern Silence Productions

Epic Tolkien inspired metal from the south coast of England. Darrowdelf is a one man studio project venturing into the depths of Middle Earth and bringing to light highly atmospheric, folk/synth infused metal in an Elvish fashion. 

Bandcamp

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Spotlight On - Evenstar

That wraps it up for another Fjordhammer Friday! So, revel in tales of magic and darkness with a beer in hand! See you next week! 🤘🍻