Falconer | Armod
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
It was truly a tragedy when, after only three albums, folk metal kings [of the distant forest] Mithotyn decided to pack up their cloaks and chain mail and call it a day. Luckily, however, guitarist Stefan Weinerhall took what he had developed in his former band, replaced the black metal screams with clean vocals, and created his second masterpiece, Falconer. 12 years later, the band is still going strong, and has just released its newest bad-ass slice of folky metal, Armod.
Though the band seems to generally be referred to as power metal, they are far from a traditional power metal band. Honestly, with the lower-register vocals, folk melodies and instrumentation, and overall song variety, they fit more into the progressive folk metal category [assuming that’s a real thing] than power metal. It is this variety, in fact, that makes Armod such an excellent record. While many folk metal (and power metal) albums are rife with sameness, Armod avoids becoming monotonous or boring, which is a feat in and of itself.
Without a tedious afternoon spent with Google translate, it’s hard to comment on the lyrical concepts, as the songs this round are sung entirely in Swedish. It seems pretty safe to assume that they stick to standard folk metal themes that dominate the genre. It’s funny how the foreign tongue gives them a higher level of credibility though… for some reason, “Dimmornas Drottning” sounds cooler than “Misty Queen,” regardless of the actual content.
While a large portion of opener “Svarta Änkan” isn’t too far derived from an Immortal-linked Demonaz or I song, the clean vocals, in addition to female vocals and an acoustic break, keep it sounding fresh and interesting. The aforementioned “Dimmornas Drottning” has a bit more of a classic beer-chugging-in-a-medieval-tavern feel, while “Herr Peder Och Hans Syster” wouldn’t be out of place on an Otyg album (yet another sorely missed folk band from the good ol’ days).
“Griftefrid” boasts one of the album’s few blast beats, and is perhaps the most reminiscent of Mithotyn. It will undoubtedly render fans of Weinerhall’s former band unable to resist the urge to play In the Sign of the Raven or Gathered Around the Oaken Table. Of course, it would be easier to pine for a Mithotyn reunion if Falconer hadn’t become such an epic metal monster. Only closing track “Gammal Fäbodpsalm,” with its Fire and Ice-era Yngwie Malmsteen sound, leaves anything to be desired, as it feels like a bit of a leftover, perhaps better suited as a Euro/Japanese/digipak bonus track. But hey, nobody’s perfect.
In addition to a slew of great tracks, Armod boasts spectacular musicianship, most notably in the twin guitar team of Weinerhall and more recent addition Jimmy Hedlund. The leads generally dive straight into shredder territory, and the numerous twin solos are as catchy and melodic as anything Gamma Ray has ever done. “Fru Silfver” even features a layered guitar part that would have fit perfectly on Queen II. This is certainly not standard power-chord folk metal.
While Falconer may never shake the Mithotyn bonds to which they’ve been bound, they have, without question, become a powerful force in folk metal. Armod is a great illustration of a band that only gets better with time, even if the lyrics are [likely] buried in the past.
Genre: Folk Power Metal
Band:
Mathias Blad (v,k)
Stefan Weinerhall (g,k)
Jimmy Hedlund (g)
Magnus Linhardt (b)
Karsten Larsson (d)
Track Listing:
1. Svarta Änkan
2. Dimmornas Drottning
3. Griftefrid
4. O, Tysta Ensamhet
5. Vid rosornas grav
6. Grimborg
7. Herr Peder Och Hans Syster
8. Eklundapolskan
9. Grimasch Om Morgonen
10. Fru Silfver
11. Gammal Fäbodpsalm
Label: Metal Blade Records
Website: falconermusic.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 9.4/10