Now I don’t want to bash an entire metal genre, because there truly is a lot of good Folk Metal around, but I’m happy this isn’t the millionth typical ‘happy flute, bagpipe and way too loud violin band’. I already soon found out that the Folk elements on this album are mainly lyrical, and I must say that I find this a relief. V is the fifth full length album being brought into this world by Colorado based band The Flight Of Sleipnir and the first to be released on Napalm Records. But when I read that they were a mixture of Stoner Rock, Doom and Folk Metal I got interested because this is a rather unusual combination of metal genres. Whether you’re here for the metal, prog, folk or anything in between, it’s an effort that you’ll be happy to get lost in.When I received the promo of this album, I was totally unfamiliar with The Flight of Sleipnir. It is another fine example of an album that welds multiple influences to achieve a greater sense of purpose. I’m not sure where Skadi can be ranked in The Flight of Sleipnir’s overall outstanding discography but it’ll definitely be a top contender as far as 2017 releases go. Elsewhere, the second track “Tenebrous Haze” may be the most unique track thanks to it riding the doomiest set of riffs. While “Awaken” and “Falcon White” do a splendid job of bookending the album with the opener in particular showing off the most black metal, the folk flourish that gives the album its character stands out the most on “Earthen Shroud” and “Voices” with the former featuring some smooth organ as it builds. Seeing how every track on here is of a similarly high quality, the highlights will likely depend on the listener’s personal taste. The production job also has a more distant sound than their other recent outings, giving everything a hazy sheen not unlike Burzum at their most nostalgic. The tempo rarely goes above a trance-inducing crawl despite the prominent extreme metal influence instead, the tracks’ development is based more on using the dynamic to build atmosphere. With the exception of “Voices” serving as a mellow instrumental, each song gradually oozes through its movements like some kind of blackened doom Opeth.įortunately, the band stays consistent enough to avoid dragging redundancy. The guitar ranges from acoustic strums to hazy tremolo picking and occasional doom chords, the drums deliver a mix of tribal beats, slow motion blasts and waltz tempos, and the vocals are largely delivered with a drowned out shriek with occasional layer chanting. While there are a couple more musicians performing this time around, each instrument still bends over backward to accommodate every style shift on display. But at its core, Skadi sees the Denver group continuing to deliver their perfected fusion of folk, doom, prog, and black metal. The album also features fewer songs than any other aside from their 2009 debut, leading one to wonder its scope will compare to their past efforts. While their studio lineup previously revolved around Clayton Cushman and David Csicsely performing various instruments, Skadi sees bassist Dave Borrusch and guitarist Justin Siegler joining the duo. Things seem to be a little different than usual on The Flight of Sleipnir’s sixth full-length studio album. Review Summary: Whether you’re here for the metal, prog, folk or anything in between, it’s an effort that you’ll be happy to get lost in.
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