Swords in the wind

I don't know how many other U.S. news sources covered it, but when NPR host Melissa Block had to report on Finnish "monster metal" goofs Lordi winning the Eurovision song contest last year, you could hear her eyebrows raising over the radio. With a predictable "oh, brother, get a load of this" tone, Block certainly lived up to the stereotype of how mass media sources are supposed to regard heavy metal. But let me tell you, if anyone in the media elite removed their nose from the cocaine for a minute and got a good look at things, they would understand that today, metal is truly a global institution. (I'm not saying Melissa Block is a cokehead, but she needs to lay off the smooth jazz.)

One week from now, I hoist the sail and set course for the verdant shores of St. Paul, MN, where eighteen international bands will gather to display their unique visions of heavy metal for the stinky melting pot of America. None are huge stars, even in the metal world. I was already MySpace friends with two of them before I even saw the lineup. Eight are flying from other continents. Ten have never played in the United States before. Seriously, this is my jam.


If you were reading this blog last year, you know that the Heathen Crusade began as a one-day, ten-band gig in January 2006. Three well-regarded European metal bands with pronounced cultural elements headlined, while the rest of the bill featured North American acts playing black, doom, gothic neo-folk and warrior-themed melodic death, i.e. other stuff that conjures images of snow-shrouded forests and battling ancient ancestors. I was shocked that so many people showed up... this type of stuff isn't ultra-obscure if you follow metal, but you never see people wearing the t-shirts. Everyone's heard Bathory's Viking records, but the scores of metal bands that strive to work native melodies, rhythms, instruments, languages and myths into their music are largely just cult acts in the United States.

That's too bad, because what I like to call the "ethnic metal" movement is the most exciting thing to happen to heavy metal in a long time. It's certainly kept me involved in these commercially-booming but creatively-challenged days. Despite the "Viking" tag often assigned to pagan bands with swords on their album covers, it's not just happening in Scandinavia. Heathen Crusade II does have representatives from Norway and Sweden, but others hail from Latvia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Ireland, Lithuania, Portugal and Canada. And this is just the tip of the fjord.

In honor of the festival, its organizers, its performers and every drop of blood ever spilled during an effort to decimate native cultures in the name of "progress," I dedicate the current playlist. The first four bands are playing this year's Heathen Crusade, the following three were last year's headliners. Consider the rest a crash course in ethnic metal past and present, with preference given to personal favorites.

1. Skyforger: "Kauja Garozas Silâ. 1287." (Kauja Pie Saules, Mascot, 1998, Latvia) - I've already told the tale of how I became acquainted with these dudes on my MySpace blog, but since then I've delved deeper into the catalog. Skyforger's debut, the title of which translates to "The Battle of Saule," is the most "black metal" of the bunch, and it's packed with cool riffs tremolo-picked to resemble buzzing Balkan folk tunes. Whereas many of today's revered pagan metal acts from the former Eastern Bloc are merely using the genre as a vehicle to promote esoteric racism, Skyforger keeps it real, sticking with Latvian history and legends in lieu of ulterior motives. Setting the mood perfectly for an event called the Heathen Crusade, the lyrics of this song describe the bloody final victory of the pagan Semigallians over German crusaders in the Garoza Forest (translation available here). It's got the loping rhythm typically associated with Viking metal, but so much more as well. I love the flute melody at the beginning... listen through to the end to hear it done black metal style.

2. Månegarm: "Det Sargade Landet" (Ur Nattvindar, self-released, 1997, Sweden) - Way back in the '90s, Månegarm was one of the first folk/black metal bands I ever heard. To this day, I believe their debut, Nordstjärnans Tidsålder, remains one of the finest examples of the genre. Despite its thin recording, the songs are well-paced and memorable, with piano and fiddle lending extra layers of deciduous melody. This song is the only one to make it from 1997's Ur Nattvindar demo to the debut, and thanks to the remastered compilation Vargaresa - The Beginning, the demo recording sounds even better than the album version. The title translates to "The Lacerated Country," and the words are your basic "this used to be a land of natural beauty and warrior pride" deal. Like Skyforger, Månegarm has gone for a more '80s heavy metal vibe in recent years, cooling the blasting and recording an acoustic EP. They're still pretty cool, but the early shit is absolutely riveting. I mean, dig that thunder sound effect at the start!

3. Rudra: "The Pathless Path to the Knowable Unknown" (Brahmavidya: Primordial I, Demonzend, 2005, Singapore) - Now, here's something interesting: a band from Singapore devoted to "Vedic metal." To me, they sound like an amalgam of Nile and Melechesh, meaning black/death/thrash with Middle Eastern elements. Not your typical anti-Christian lyricists, they instead focus on pre-Hindu/pre-Buddhist philosophy. This is one of the most impressive tunes from their most recent album, where you can really hear the blend of Indian classical ideas with extreme metal, a raging raga which at its midpoint becomes a heavily percussive attack worthy of Absu. Rudra seems like a smart bunch of guys, but having recently heard them for the first time, I'm not really able to give you a ton of insight. I can tell you this much: the album that got them noticed internationally was called The Aryan Crusade, and it has nothing to do with white people. I hope some ignorant Nazi fucker gave them money for it by accident.

4. The Lord Weird Slough Feg: "Warrior's Dawn" (Down Among the Deadmen, Dragonheart, 2000, United States) - Not your average "folk metal" band, these guys have been a cult favorite among the denim-n-leather '80s nostalgia crowd for some time. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Scalzi allegedly named the band after a villain from a British comic book inspired by Celtic mythology. Ever since Phil Lynott dazzled teen heshers in the '70s, guitar riffs inspired by Celtic melodies have been a metal staple, and Slough Feg frequently revels in the Thin Lizzy influence. But more overwhelmingly, they combine the scrappy NWOBHM energy of Iron Maiden's pub days with the manic-depressive, theatrical weirdness of Brocas Helm, fellow San Franciscans to whom they are frequently compared. Finally, there's a bit of Manowar in their bare-chested atavism, although Slough Feg celebrates myths and battles and other manly things with the sharp wit of Bay Area intellectuals. "Warrior's Dawn" is not only a good example of what they do, it's one of very few metal songs I can think of that is performed by Americans and contains lyrics evoking long-ago America (albeit from the perspective of Native Americans). That makes it as good an example of American folk metal as any.

5. Moonsorrow: "Kylän Päässä" (Voimasta Ja Kunniasta, Spikefarm, 2001, Finland) - Last year's Heathen Crusade concluded with Moonsorrow, an appropriate choice for headliner as these dudes are one of the most respected folk metal bands on the planet. They're not as accessible as their more famous sister band Finntroll, in which Moonsorrow keyboardist Henri Sorvali also plays. Both utilize traditional Finnish melodies and employ an amplified version of humppa, which is what the Finns call the jaunty dance music you might know as polka, oom-pah or banda. But whereas Finntroll frequently goes for a goofy beerhall punk sound, Moonsorrow often lives up to their moniker by painting a more nocturnal, melancholy portrait. "Kylän Päässä" ("A Village Away") is not as somber, refined or cinematic as the more recent Moonsorrow material, but it's one of my favorites. This earlier number, a folk tale about warring brothers and losing sight of your roots from their second LP, went down particularly well live due to its strong opening march rhythm, the wicked hoedown that begins about 3:20 in and its blasting black metal coup de grâce, culminating in handclaps and gang shouts and drunken revelry all around. Here's hoping some kindly Heathen Crusade vendor has a copy of Viides Luku - Hävitetty waiting for me.

6. Primordial: "Sons of the Morrigan" (Storm Before Calm, Hammerheart, 2002, Ireland) - Like I said before, Celtic influences are rampant in metal at large, yet strangely there aren't a ton of bands from Ireland using them. Primordial is perhaps the oldest and certainly the best, and I would go so far as to say they're the best metal band from Ireland I know. Grafting the downtrodden sprechgesang of My Dying Bride and the expansive flow of Opeth to a cultural identity that oozes from every fuzzy crevice of their sound, the result is an emotionally and intellectually powerful ride that directly challenges modern attitudes about heritage and tradition. One of their most Irish-sounding numbers, "Sons of the Morrigan" thrives on A.A. Nemtheanga's typically strong lyrics about a warrior consigning his spirit to the Gods and his legend to the memory of all, as well as Simon O'Laoghaire's percolating rhythms. These guys were the highlight of the last Heathen Crusade for me, and I'm looking forward to their countrymates Mael Mórdha this year - "Gaelic doom metal" sounds cool to me.

7. Thyrfing: "Digerdöden" (Vansinnesvisor, Hammerheart, 2002, Sweden) - Probably the most emblematic Viking metal band working today, Thyrfing is also one of the most forward-thinking veteran groups to carry that banner. They haven't avoided the trappings of the genre as the mighty Enslaved has, but rather embraced and explored them. Vansinnesvisor ("Songs of Madness") marked a definitive change for the band, who suddenly eschewed the often-jolly keyboards that fancified their first three albums and went for a darker, grittier, meatier sound. In turn, the songwriting became far more expansive and unique from track to track. About a minute and a half into "Digerdöden" ("The Black Death"), they switch from a midpaced seafaring tempo to a prototypically bouncy Viking metal trudge, the downtuned chug evoking the effort of swinging a battle axe crusted with mud and bloody skull fragments. When the choir begins, it's almost a mail-clad work song. Thyrfing was excellent live at last year's Heathen Crusade. I would love to see them at one of those huge Euro festivals; the crowd would probably be going apeshit pounding fists and steins.

8. Amorphis: "My Kantele" (Elegy, Relapse, 1996, Finland) - Amorphis was the first metal band with folk influences that I ever got heavily into, and the Elegy record was a big part of that. It's among my personal top ten albums of all time, actually. It's the very definition of what I call a "transition album," one where a band changing its sound retains the core elements of its early work while mapping out what would follow. Elegy was the apex, the point where midpaced melodic death metal, Finnish traditions, progressive clean vocals, bong-rock synthesizers and sweeping orchestration congealed into a brilliantly engaging and memorable whole. Guitarist Tomi Koivusaari is still doing his whispery death growl from the earlier albums, but they also have Pasi Koskinen doing clean singing. (Koskinen became Amorphis' only singer after Elegy, yet had side projects where he did nothing but growl... it was weird.) Released as a single in an acoustic version, "My Kantele" is about the Finnish instrument called the kantele, sort of like a zither and not actually heard in either version of the song. The lyrics are inspired by the national epic the Kanteletar, as was the entirely of Elegy. After gradually turning into a weird combination of alternative hard rock and '70s prog worship, Amorphis snapped back into metal shape in 2006 with the obviously Elegy-style Eclipse, which doesn't reach the heights of the earlier triumph but is still an addictive listen. Remember my brief review?

9. Falconer: "We Sold Our Homesteads" (Chapters From a Vale Forlorn, Metal Blade, 2002, Sweden) - Recent years have seen national identity crossing into power metal alongside the more extreme subgenres, and naturally most of my favorite newer power metal bands have some sort of ethnic influence. Aside from an awesome name, Falconer's got a lot going for them, first and foremost guitarist and songwriter Stefan Weinerhall, who made his name with sorely-missed Viking black metallers Mithotyn. This dude writes melodic riffs that shred and dance all over the place, although that is not in evidence on this lament about immigration, an adapation of a traditional Swedish folk song. The translation was done by vocalist Mathias Blad, Falconer's other trump card. Blad's a musical theater actor, not a metal guy, and thus he sounds nothing like any other metal singer on the planet. His clear and emotive voice gives Falconer an unforced aristocratic edge, which juxtaposes nicely with the band's tales of despotic castle intrigue and underclass woe, genuinely addressing current concerns through a historical lens. Falconer doesn't get enough credit for their social conscience, which is less murky than that of many other pagan metal bands. Blad left Falconer once the band started touring due to his theatrical commitments, but he got back on board for 2006's spectacular Northwind. Oh, I do hope they tour here now.

10. Skyclad: "On With Their Heads!" (Vintage Whine, Massacre, 1999, United Kingdom) - When speaking of folk metal with a social conscience, one cannot neglect to mention Skyclad. Formed by former members of NWOBHM culties Satan and pagan thrashers Sabbat, Skyclad perfected the fiddle-mosh in the early '90s and never looked back. Unfortunately, during their golden years they were signed to such labels as Noise and Massacre, who were (and are) shit as far as U.S. distribution goes, and thus Skyclad remained hidden to all but those of us nerds who used mail order to get the good stuff. A relatively late-career record, Vintage Whine is an overlooked gem that contains all the band's hallmarks: shout-along jigs, pensive ballads, catchy pub rock and dozens of clever puns and turns of phrase by charismatic ideologue Martin Walkyier. Coincidentally, it's a pretty good break-up album, too, as Martin wrote an atypical load of bitter lyrics about busted relationships for this one. Equally vehement, the track at hand has him barking out a list of all the exploitative fuckers he wants to destroy over a galloping tune more energetic than you'd expect from a bunch of geezers. Skyclad has carried on without Walkyier for a few years (he left in 2001), but it's just not the same.

11. Týr: "Ólavur Riddararós" (Eric the Red, Tutl, 2003, Faroe Islands) - Yes, a metal band from the fucking FAROE ISLANDS. Yes, I had to look up where that is - an autonomous region of Denmark about halfway between Iceland and Norway. Týr plays a sort of progressive traditional metal that isn't completely bizarre, but also doesn't sound like anything else out there. According to the band, Faroese music is naturally played in an aggressive manner in odd time signatures, which translates well to what they do. Of course, the occasional adapation of traditional Faroese songs such as "Ólavur Riddararós" doesn't hurt their originality, either. The lyrics of this one tell of a warrior who informs his elven mistress that he must leave her and is subsequently poisoned. From the stout choir to the surprisingly wild guitar soloing, this is a Viking metal tune that satisfies the need for rocking heft while exploring previously uncharted territory. Last year, Napalm Records picked up Eric the Red for reissue, and then put out Týr's very well-received new record Ragnarok a few months later. These guys have a long career ahead of them, and they would be a great choice for next year's Heathen Crusade.

12. Ensiferum: "Into Battle" (Iron, Spinefarm, 2004, Finland) - Here's a band that shows the influence of Viking metal more than embodying it. Ensiferum is essentally a power metal band with keyboards and occasional extreme vocals, not a million miles away from the style of countrymates like Kalmah or early Children of Bodom. The main difference is that a lot of their riffs are folky, their lyrics are generic Northern warrior stuff and they dress like Vikings. The result is a more superficial spin on popular tropes that is pretty damned enjoyable in its own right, while giving evidence that Viking metal is a definable style that can have its hallmarks adapted for the masses (for more evidence, see ex-Ensiferum frontman Jari Mäenpää's even more culturally vague current project Wintersun). The title of the rousing "Into Battle," from the band's second album, really says all that needs to be said. I should point out that the lyrics say the narrating warriors are sending their enemies "straight to Hell," which suggests a stronger influence from Manowar than from, say, Scandinavian pagan history. I should also point out that their keyboardist, Meiju Enho, once replaced Henri Sorvali on tour with Finntroll, and may possibly be the most beautiful woman in all of heavy metal today.

13. Himinbjorg: "The Eternal" (Haunted Shores, Red Stream, 2002, France) - I've written about this French pagan band named after Heimdall's hall before, but that was their earlier Viking black metal stuff. While very enjoyable, Himinbjorg was more derivative at its inception. Later, the dudes decided to follow Enslaved and, well, no one else down the heathen path of psychedelia. This track is my favorite from the much-bashed Haunted Shores LP, the point at which the mushrooms really kicked in and the headbanging hordes found themselves confused about this hazy, moody, mushy record. It often evokes Pink Floyd, Isis and mid-period Tiamat, along with the previously mentioned Enslaved at their most blissful and bonged-out. Shores would have gone over better had it been marketed to the "indie metal" crowd rather than the Satan-loving underground heshers who actually had awareness of it. "The Eternal" builds such a capable aura of elemental Norman gloom that when it starts thrashing and blasting at the end, it's like a looming cloud has ripped open and rained down a maelstrom of chants and screams and buzzsaw guitars. Plus, you can never go wrong with the robot voice. You can now buy Haunted Shores on one CD with Himinbjorg's immediately-prior Third EP, encapsulating the band's two most experimental releases. I think it's a good deal.

14. Orphaned Land: "The Kiss of Babylon (The Sins)" (Mabool: The Story of Three Sons of Seven, Century Media, 2004, Israel) - Orphaned Land's third LP came out seven years after their second. They had been signed to Century Media for more than half a decade before it was ready. Not that orchestrating its stunning array of instruments, voices, languages, emotions and approaches wouldn't be a chore, but, damn. Luckily for them, it is the most impressive metal album that has yet to spring from the Middle East, and it earned enough deserved praise that the band attracted modern prog superstar Steven Wilson to produce its upcoming record. Here, Orphaned Land spread their signature mix of gothic doom/death (a la Paradise Lost) and Middle Eastern music onto a bright prog rock palette. The concept of Mabool is based on the Deluge, a story found in all of today's popular religious texts, including the Bible, the Qu'ran and the Torah. But even more, it's about the convergence of cultures and philosophies. This song, lamenting the evils that would bring on the Great Flood, is one of the most "metal" on the disc. It rocks in a boisterous and catchy manner alongside beautifully tranquil moments provided by stringman Yossi Sassi and guest vocalist Shalomit Levi - she's singing an actual Yemenese chant at the end. This band could be huge over here with the right promotion; they need to get on a hit movie soundtrack or something.

15. Einherjer: "Far Far North" (Far Far North, Century Media, 1997, Norway) - If any metal band has ever been more quintessentially "Viking" than Thyrfing, it was the defunct Norwegian mob Einherjer, named after the souls of slain warriors who will be called to fight alongside Odin at Ragnarok. They were really the first Viking metal band I ever heard, on a great compilation promoting stuff Century Media had licensed under their now-defunct Century Black imprint. All of Einherjer's releases sound a bit different from each other, but the chugging guitar style, thick bass, folk melodies, keyboard pomp and manly Viking choirs were in place for most of them. True to the genre, they recounted tales of battle and Norse mythology. "Far, Far North" is about Hel, who as queen of the underworld is naturally a bit of a celebrity in Odinist metal. It was the title track of an excellent EP, and is the only song on it with English lyrics. I'm proud to say I got to see Einherjer live twice before they disbanded and turned into the decent thrash act Battered. Both times, they were covered with blood and dirt, as was Thyrfing when I saw them. That is fucking VIKING.

16. TrollfesT: "EssenFest" (Brakebein, Omvina, 2006, Norway) - So famous are those Finntroll guys, they have spawned actual clone bands. Norway's TrollfesT is probably the best (and best-known) of these. After two full-lengths, they really have the formula down, from the screechy vocals and punk rock rhythms to the jolly combination of guitars and accordions. As prescribed, "troll metal" champions the troublemaking creatures of Scandinavian folklore rather than the heroes, and is primarily concerned with excessive drinking and fucking up unsuspecting Christians. TrollfesT's recent Brakebein is one of the most lighthearted concept albums I can think of: the titular troll leads a quest for a legendary beer, which leads Brakebein and his companions to tangle with pirates, priests and a sea monster before realizing the beer they sought was actually back at their forest home. If you think the ska-tinged "EssenFest" sounds like a party tune, you're right. The title means "eating party," and it's the part of the story where the trolls gorge themselves on plundered ale and the meat of the vanquished sea monster. Man, I wish my parties sounded like this. I could never have a bad day if I woke up to this song every morning. Skål!

17. Elvenking: "The Wanderer" (The Winter Wake, AFM, 2006, Italy) - Okay, so Elvenking doesn't really sound very "Italian." Himinbjorg doesn't sound very "French," either, but both bands have a strong cultural angle in their work. I would love to hear Italian folk done metal style, but Elvenking's interest in folk music probably came from listening to Skyclad. Therefore, you primarily get English and Celtic fiddle melodies built into traditional Helloween-influenced power metal, which is fine with me. Whereas most power metal has a Christian tinge to it, these guys are pagan to the core. Furthermore, they follow Skyclad's peaceful Wiccan lyrical slant, so they're not always singing about slaughtering their enemies and whatnot. Elves, fairies and other kind forest folk are frequently found in their songs. That's not to say that Elvenking are sissies. I've been following them since their demo. I can say that all of their records are prodigiously busy and rock pretty hard, even implementing the occasional death metal grunt, while remaining unique due to the relatively untapped power/folk blend. 2006's The Winter Wake, their third, welcomed original vocalist Damnagoras back to the fold, this after a record with another singer and no discernable drop in songwriting quality. In fact, these dudes are only getting better with experience, as the rousing daydreamers' anthem "The Wanderer" attests.

18. Otyg: "Ulvskrede" (Älvefärd, Napalm, 1998, Sweden) - Although he's gone off on some cosmic sci-fi tangent in recent years, Swedish vocalist Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund has a long history in Sweden's Viking/folk/pagan metal scene. He currently mans the mic for Borknagar, which, like his long-running self-titled project, originated as a more folkloric black metal act than the proggy outfit they are today. More to the point was Otyg, the brilliant folk metal quintet he lead through three demos and two LPs before it was eclipsed by his gazillion other bands. Vintersorg didn't use his growly vocals in Otyg, and his voice is somewhat deeper here than it is today, but there's no mistaking those distinctive pipes. (No offense to Mr. Hedlund, but he kind of reminds me of the Swedish Chef on Älvefärd). The lyrics of this track confused the hell out of every online translation tool I tried, and I certainly don't speak Swedish. What I could make out were words like "darkness," "cold," "twilight," "wolf," "silence," "altitude" and "fire," and I think the title means something like "Wolf's Scream." Yeah, this is some dank forest shit.

19. Glittertind: "Se Norges Blomsterdal" (Evige Asatro, UT, 2003, Norway) - This is literally a one-man recording done by a Norwegian teenager named Torbjørn Sandvik. It's from a demo released as an album - not once, but twice. It reached the general public in 2004 thanks to the about-to-fold Karmageddon Media, but Evige Asatro, like Glittertind's previous demo, was first distributed the previous year by UT Records, which is owned by members of the Swedish band Ultima Thule. Now, read the Wikipedia entry about those guys. Notice how it shadily mentions "some music critics classify the band as White Power music," then goes on to list an obscene amount of ties to far, far right "action networks." It's not Torbjørn's fault if those dudes are Nazzies, and that is most certainly not his stance, as can be read here. No, its creator believes that Glittertind's unapologetically patriotic music is first Norwegian, then metal and punk. Some kids wear ski masks and throw trash cans through Starbuck's windows when politicians are in town, but this music is this kid's way of fighting back the encroaching forces of globalization. And here is the real root of this ethnic metal explosion, in my opinion and others'. The Euro may make international banking easier, and who doesn't love "South Park"? Yet as an American with no idea of his true cultural heritage, I sympathize with those who are seeing theirs sold out to a bland international standard largely dictated by my own homeland. From what the hilarious online translation tells me, "Se Norges Blomsterdal" ("See the Blooming Valley of Norway") is on the order of "America the Beautiful": our landscape is lovely, we rule, etc. Sharing a beerhall refrain with the German hunting march "Ein Jäger Aus Kurpfalz," its delivery is as joyous as metal gets.

20. Bathory: "Hammerheart" (Twilight of the Gods, Black Mark, 1991, Sweden) - Finally, we hail the fallen. Bathory, Ace "Quorthon" Forsberg's literal garage "band," had left quite a legacy by the time it passed away with him in 2004. Sure, Venom named it, but what we think of as black metal today really began with the first three Bathory albums, each one uglier, meaner and more focused than the last. But then came the amazing Blood Fire Death, my personal favorite of the bunch - why, yes, it's the "transition album." Suddenly, Quorthon was obsessed with being Swedish, and he started writing long, doomy, Manowarian epics about life in Ye Olde Sweden alongside his usual thrashin' Satan-and-war stuff. The following two records made up his "Viking phase" (he returned to it later, but we'll ignore that). It is the final song on the second of these, the ultra-Wagnerian Twilight of the Gods, that I have chosen to conclude this tour of ethnic metal. "Hammerheart" is not a metal song at all, but something that became a '90s Eurometal staple: a pseudo-classical "atmospheric" piece. My more cultured readers will recognize the melody as Gustav Holst's "Jupiter" theme, or maybe as "I Vow to Thee, My Country." Quorthon was no moron - I'm sure he meant to evoke both the pagan and the patriotic with this choice. Listening to it now, it's as if Quorthon was writing the song he wanted played as his own funeral. I've always thought "Hammerheart" was beautiful, one of Bathory's most impressive moments, actually, even though it's nothing like the rest. It is, however, as nostalgic, romantic, heroic and powerful as any Viking metal that followed.