Folk Metal – Page 2 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

Vintersorg – Vattenkrafternas Spel

Metalcatto

I guess it’s time for us to get really folky! Vintersorg is back, and there aren’t many bands in the Black/Folk/Prog world that have managed to keep such a unique blend alive without turning into a parody of themselves. Vattenkrafternas Spel has the complex task of continuing the almost perfect run the band has maintained for so long. Also, I couldn’t find confirmation in the promo material, but wouldn’t this be the end of the elemental tetralogy? I mean, water was the only one missing, so it would make sense! I’ll admit it—I’m a sucker for long and high-risk conceptual endeavors.

Panopticon -Laurentian Blue

Metalcatto

It was a mental struggle, a deep existential debate, to review Laurentian Blue by Panopticon. You see, its previous album had been my album of the year in 2023, so there was no way this one was going to top that. And yet, Panopticon is risking it all by basically stepping away from Metal and going full American Folk—or, as we non-Americans might call it, hillbilly Rock. It’s going to be an ordeal for me to make jokes about this without straight-up insulting the trailer park community, but I’ll do my best!

Alestorm – The Thunderfist Chronicles

Vicky

You’ve probably heard about Alestorm before. As a long-time fan of these pirate Metal titans, I had to listen the moment I heard they were about to release a new album. Your average Alestorm listener knows the band has evolved from a Running Wild-esque Heavy/Power Metal act with lyrics about pirates, alcohol, and battles to a more Power Metal-oriented sound—while keeping the same lyrical themes. Over time, the band has embraced humor too (who can forget the deluxe edition of 2017’s No Grave But the Sea, which included “dog versions” of all the songs?). That’s why one wouldn’t be too wrong in saying Alestorm is to Running Wild what NanowaR of Steel is to Rhapsody of Fire: initially a parody that eventually gained worldwide recognition and became a cult favorite.

Impureza – Alcázares

Metalcatto

It’s hard to keep a gimmick going for long, but if there’s one band that’s taken it to the next level, it’s Impureza. The French-Spanish band sings in Spanish about the fall of the Aztec Empire on La Caída de Tonatiuh (this has to be the musical equivalent of an Asian fusion restaurant). This time, though, it’s leaning even harder into its flamenco roots, and with Alcázares, the project seems determined to win over those who found Tonatiuh a bit too weird. But hey, this is Death Metal—how strange can it really get?

Aexylium – Myth of Mankind

Vicky

Folk Metal is a genre that most people consider to be limited strictly to Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Arkona, Feuerschwanz, and a few other titans. But that’s not really the case. There are also numerous underground groups that certainly deserve your attention. One of them is the Italian Folk Metal act Aexylium. And it’s not trying to mimic any of the praised bands I have mentioned earlier, but it walks on its own path. So far, this means combining traditional Folk Metal instruments with enchanting symphonies and feeling – one that you have probably encountered before in Power Metal. At times, they even incorporate Technical Death Metal elements into their work (especially on the track “In Sorrow”). You may also find things specific to Brutal Death Metal on the title track.

Eluveitie- Ànv

Metalcatto

Those who’ve been following this blog know that pure Folk Metal usually makes me want to puke my lunch into a see-through bucket. However, I’m a professional, and when I got Eluveitie‘s Ànv on short notice, I decided to suck it up and see if the band could finally click with me. Full disclosure: I still think Slania is not only the album to beat in this discography but also a high point for Folk Metal as a genre. With that unfair bar set ridiculously high, it’s time to jump into this journey to the ancients—devoid of toilet paper, of course.

Vermillia – Karsikko

Stargazer Scholar

The world was a different place seven years ago. At least when it comes to its currently troubled corner that I happen to inhabit. No joys of pestilence, no thrills of societal cataclysms, just life in all its glorious bleakness and naive hopefulness. It was a genuinely decent time. I’ve seen worse. And it was in that relatively peaceful summer of 2018 that I stumbled upon an album premiere video by a certain one-woman Pagan Black Metal project from Finland. The artist’s name was Vermilia, the record was entitled Kätkyt, and it took me about a song and a half to fall in love, pause the stream, relocate to her Bandcamp page, and click “order”. That’s how I became a fan. Years rolled by, and here we are in 2025, with Vermilia’s third LP fresh from the metaphorical oven and waiting to be discovered.

Havukruunu – Tavastland

Yes, I decided to be early with this one. Those who know the game understand that Havukruunu has become one of the hidden gems of the Black/Folk Metal scene. It’s the less dramatic but more aggressive Moonsorrow style that, for many, was exactly what Folk Metal needed to stop being a gimmicky parody of the genre, where all those bagpipes and accordions in choruses were getting a bit old. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Tavastland, but does it deliver? Let’s find out.

Saor – Amidst the Ruins

Well, I guess this is what the people voted for on Instagram, and since I still believe in democracy (when it suits me), here we are. Honestly, I’ve been procrastinating on this review for a while. I’ve been into Saor since Aura, back when the project was limited by the constraints of being a one-person endeavor. Since then, I’ve enjoyed everything it’s released, even though Origins felt a bit predictable to me. That said, I’m willing to believe that Amidst the Ruins is exactly what Saor needs to continue its evolution. How much more Scottish can these guys get? Like, haggis Scottish? It seems impossible!

Patriarkh – ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ

I’ll spare you all the now-old drama surrounding the creation of Patriarkh (such a feminist name!). My job is to focus on the music; it’s yours to eat up the gossip. Anyway, in ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ, Patriarkh continues its quest to craft the most blasphemous mockery of Slavic Orthodox traditions. Full disclosure: yours truly might speak many tongues but has no clue what’s being said in this album from start to finish. Still, I assume it’s something evil and unholy, but, you’re not reading this for the lyrics. Let’s go!