Various Artists: One and All, Together, For Home

I recently reviewed an album by Protokult entitled No Beer in Heaven. I liked the album for the most part, largely because it mixed its folk influences with more than one metal style. As I listened to that album, though, I was reminded that folk metal is not always a very precise label. What exactly do we mean when we use it? Do we have a fixed expectation as to what it should sound like before we even give it a chance? I don't have any simple answers; what I do know, however, is that some bands draw on folk elements in order to do things with extreme music they might not otherwise have considered. As we all know, the results are mixed, largely because some bands just don't do it for us and our subjective tastes.

This release complicates things even more by offering a compilation of folk songs from eight different countries (played by eight different bands). All songs are played, more or less, with indigenous instruments rather than a large amount of heavy metal gear. I'm not going to walk through each track. I have no interest in picking apart, even criticize, folk songs from around the world. It's better, I think, to simply say that some of these songs stuck with me while others did not. The album is nearly 90 minutes long and is not easy to take in all in one sitting. My favorite tracks were the mellowest ones, those with acoustic guitars and very little singing. The tracks by Mondvollen were especially good. One of them, "Montferland II," was even a little chilling. Check out the whispered passage about half way through that song.

The best track, for me anyway, was Ava Inferi's version of "Ao Tue Lado." I've never heard of Ava Inferi before, but I know now that one of its members is none other than Blasphemer from Mayhem. The reason to listen to this band, though, is because of vocalist Carmen Susana Simoes's beautiful voice. I'm going to check out Ava Inferi for sure.

On the whole, this is a strong release. It's probably best suited for listeners who want to hear some of their favorite folk metal bands play traditional songs, but I think that fans of folk music may enjoy it as well.

Track Listing:
CD1
1. Primordial—Dark Horse in the Wind
2. Drudkh—Dovbush
3. Haive—Ei Kuule Emo Minua
4. Kampfar—En Hymne Til Urd
5. Winterfylleth—Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
6. Winterfylleth—John Barleycorn
7. Mondvolland—Montferland I (with Folkcom)
8. Mondvolland—Montferland II
9. Himinbjorg—Esprit De Brave
CD2
1. Winterfylleth—The Three Ravens
2. Kampfar—Badnsull
3. Drudkh—Forgotten Lullaby
4. Mondvolland—Montferland III
5. Ava Inferi—Ao Teu Lado
6. Haive—Ukon On Tulinen Turkki
7. Haive—Onpa Tietty Tietyssäni
8. Primordial—The Foggy Dew

Added: August 16th 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Label Page
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Language: english

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