Vintersorg: Orkan

I've listened to a lot of Viking / Folk metal lately. It was only a few weeks ago that I attended Korpiklaani's headlining tour with Moonsorrow, Tyr, and Metsatöll. Generally, I'm fond of this style of metal even though I never really considered myself to be a fan of the style. The kinds of metal I grew up listening to--mostly NWOBH bands and plenty of thrash--simply weren't invested in establishing themselves based on their ability to weave folk musical and storytelling techniques into their songwriting. Now that lots of bands are doing it, though, the style has become more established and even has a growing number of fans.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard of Vintersorg until this year. That's too bad. They have released nine albums and have been going strong since the mid 1990s. I would have enjoyed listening to them before this style became so common, back when it was actually pushing against the dominant style of Black metal. For readers new to Vintersorg, their music is a rather curious blend of folk melodies (including instruments like the flute), symphonic passages, clean and harsh vocals, and the kind of choruses that audiences typically sing along with.

I thought this was a very good album, but I've heard Viking / Folk metal that I like better. I think that fans of Vintersorg will enjoy this album; listeners looking for something new in the genre will probably also like it. Fans of more extreme metal may enjoy the way Vintersorg incorporates passages with dirty vocals, tremolo picking, and aggressive drumming, but I suspect they will likewise be disappointed with the melodic turn it takes in the end.

Track Listing:
1. Istid
2. Ur stjärnstoft är vi komna
3. Polarnatten
4. Myren
5. Orkan
6. Havets nåd
7. Norrskenssyner
8. Urvädersfången

Added: October 2nd 2012
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Myspace Page
Hits: 2692
Language: english

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