Title: The eternal beauty of the trees
Artiste: Uaral
Genre: Folk Metal
Taken from: Sounds of Pain, 2005
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: mythsofmetal
Expectations: I like a lot of Folk Metal, and the title sounds like it might be a sort of ambient thing, so expectations are in fact quite high.
Nice dark sort of piano to start with, very ethereal, then the guitar bursts through and it's dramatic and stirring. The vocal comes like a wolf or some sort of monster jumping out from behind the trees, spattering the pristine snow with the blood of an unwary traveller, while a sort of moaning chorus carries on behind it. The voice is growling now like a dark echoey demon; not the foggiest what he's saying, but a big wounded roar and he fades out, to be replaced by organ on its own, slow and morose, which takes us to about the midway point of the song. Guitar then kicks back in, powerful and melodic, with what could be flute or maybe some ethnic instrument (this is a two-piece, and again one of them is credited with “all instruments”, so I have no idea how many are used, or what they are). Back comes the snarly vocal, second round as he hunts down his prey and the guitar gets more urgent and insistent, then breaks off into a perhaps mandolin with that softer chanting vocal. Back to the soft piano now to finish as we began, with some nice keyboard work there too.
Conclusion: Yeah, really enjoyed that. As usual, could do without the growled vocal but it kind of added to the sense of being alone in the wilderness and pursued by something horrible that I got, which contrasted nicely with most of the music.
So, Love or Hate? This would be a
Love.
Possibility of looking into the album: 75%
Title: Zold zivitar
Artiste: Gire
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
Taken from: Gire, 2007
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: mythsofmetal
Expectations: Not sure; avant-garde is a very sweeping generalisation and can cover a whole lot of different music, both good and bad in my eyes. However I'm going to trust myths and assume he's picked something he knows or believes I should like.
A whole lot different, with a fast, guitar-driven melody and another scowling vocal, very rapid-fire in the delivery. I suppose the keys are what make it seem more than just straightforward metal; they add a kind of almost new-wave feel to the music. Sort of like if Steve Strange or Phil Oakey suddenly decided to explore metal. Can't say I love it but I don't actually hate it. Yet. It's another six-minuter, so plenty of time for changes as it's only getting into the second minute as yet. Nice keyboard solo. Hate the vocals of course, but when it just goes instrumental it's not half bad. Hitting into a kind of faster, boogie rhythm now, the vocal lower and more understandable, though I'm sure he's singing in his native language so I'd have no chance of making out any words. Four minutes in now. Something like a sitar solo (!) and some nice peppy guitar with what sounds very like violin and we're into minute five. Sort of a celtic flavour coming into it now.
Conclusion: Not really my sort of thing, but I could certainly see some merit in it.
So, Love or Hate? I'd cautiously give this a
Love too.
Possibility of looking into the album: 10%
Title: Sovereigns unknown
Artiste: Augury
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Taken from: Fragmentary Evidence, 2009
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: mythsofmetal
Expectations: The progressive part sounds fine, but I've heard some progressive death metal and it has never chimed with me. I think I'm expecting not to like this.
Starts with a rolling drum and guitar intro, turns into something of a march, then I'm glad to at least hear vocals I can not only make out but that are in English. There are some death vocals, but they seem to be only incidental, at least in this song. The basic melody is very good, and for some reason reminds me of the likes of Alestorm. I'm sure this isn't pirate metal but it seems to have a few elements of it within its structure. Great work on the guitar. Pretty good song.
Conclusion: Yeah that was okay. Quite good actually.
So, Love or Hate? That makes it three for three
Loves.
Possibility of looking into the album: 20%