Skoll - Of Misty Fire We Are

Artist: Skoll
Release Title: Of Misty Fire We Are
Year: 2016
Label: Fallen-Angel Productions
Genre: Viking/Pagan Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. La luna del lupo
2. Into the Misty Forest I Go
3. Teutoburgo
4. Exercitus Antiquus
5. Misty Mountains
6. La tempesta degli elementi
7. Eternal Path

Once more part of their long-standing fascination with nature, Italian viking/pagan black metallers Skoll have continued to weave their influences together into a rather impressive and enjoyable whole. Now that long-time session member Mayhem has become the full-time permanent drummer in the group, they prepare to release their fourth full-length effort February 20, 2016 on Fallen-Angel Productions.

Much like their previous works, this one here manages to evoke quite a bit of mysticism and nature involved in their work where it’s all based on that form of atmospherics. The swirling, majestic tremolo patterns and sprawling tempos makes for a rather strong base upon which the band interjects the sort of pagan instrumentation here in the form of wooden clanging and keyboard work that really maintains a solid interjection of the bands’ paganistic themes while still holding true to the black metal labeling. That gets carried out here with the simplistic tempos filled with galloping rhythms that are given plenty of chances to work through select patterns where it really just lets loose with the frenetic drumming and tighter tremolo riffing which gives these sections a more traditional black metal aesthetic mixed alongside the rather enjoyable pagan attributes. This whole affair is given quite a lively sense of grandeur with the symphonic keyboards blaring over the top of everything and really help to sell the atmospherics of the situation and adding a melodic touch to the whole album, though that does tend to bring up the one minor flaw present here. This one is quite a light album overall with the riffing kept to a rather light tone that adds immensely to the melodic vibe but really fails to make much of an impression once it goes back to the tighter black metal sections due to still maintaining that melodic tone. It’s pretty apparent as the album continues how this works with the somewhat weaker second half really utilizing this to it’s fullest, yet there’s still plenty to like about this one overall regardless.

With plenty of enjoyable elements to be found throughout here and not really much of a flaw present, the group continues to spill out enjoyable and somewhat engaging entries in the genre that really should make them more impactful in the genre and leaves this for fans of the bands’ past work or the particular genre.

Score: 86/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://fallangels.cafe24.com/product/detail.html?product_no=2756&cate_no=1&display_group=2

Antiquus Scriptum/Krigere Wolf/Waldschrat/Notre Amertume - The Beginning of the End split album

Artist: Antiquus Scriptum/Krigere Wolf/Waldschrat/Notre Amertume
Release Title: The Beginning of the End split album
Year: 2015
Label: Fallen-Angel Productions
Genre: Viking/Pagan Black Metal; Black/Death Metal; Black/Folk Metal; Atmospheric Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Krigere Wolf - War's Ancestral Prophecies
2. Krigere Wolf - Come to Die with Us
3. Krigere Wolf - Supreme Energy of the Universe
4. Waldschrat - Wer Wind sät..
5. Waldschrat - Die Ruhe vor dem Sturm
6. Waldschrat - ...wird Sturm ernten
7. Notre Amertume - Cella Serpentibus
8. Notre Amertume - Tartaros
9. Notre Amertume - Le Sand d'Ouranos
10. Antiquus Scriptum - Primordium / The Skeptic Beholder

Gathering four bands together, this new split effort containing Italian black/death upstarts Krigere Wolf, Austrian black/folk metal newcomers Waldschrat, internationally-based atmospheric black metal group Notre Amertume and a lone track from Portuguese black/Viking metallers Antiquus Scriptum for a wholly enjoyable mixture and variety present. Released January 11, 2015 on Fallen-Angel Productions, this here is as fine a sampler pack ever unleashed for each of these bands and presents most of them in great fashion.

Starting with Krigere Wolf, their pummeling mixture of frantic tremolo-picked black metal with the dexterous tempo-changes and rather pounding rhythms here makes this quite a ferocious beast, making their swirling tremolo patterns at the forefront to create a dynamic and wholly-enjoyable up-tempo assault that rattles along at consistent speeds for maximum impact and devastation while still managing to successfully incorporate the sprawling majestic melodies in the appropriate manners for the perfect augmentation to the ferocity presented elsewhere. This is easily the best band on the split and really has a lot to like with their three blistering tracks.

With Waldschrat, again the omnipresent use of swirling tremolo patterns is at the forefront though instead there’s a far more pronounced blend of folk-influenced arrangements for the riffing. This still carries itself along quite well with plenty of strong and truly ferocious rhythms presented here, but the blasting tendencies are cut in favor of melodic swirling patterns and rather looser-fitting arrangements that are given a raw edge to the overall work with some great harmonic lines throughout which helps this out infinitely more to give another dynamic impact to the music. Some of the longer sprawling sections seem to go on far longer than they really should but overall there’s a lot to like here.

Up next is Notre Amertume and the international project is the clear weak-link in this offering. The simplistic, sluggish nature of their tracks is hardly impressive next to the other works, and their cliched use of celestial-influenced arrangements, plodding drumming and lethargic doom-like sprawling sections predominant in their music isn’t that enjoyable with numerous other bands attempting those elements at far more pronounced and enjoyable mixtures. The main impetus holding them back is the lethargic, lifeless doom-like paces that don’t really give them much room to really express their atmospheric patterns and in the end their three contributions are on the whole eminently skippable. 

Finally, Antiquus Scriptum contributes just a lone track, which is a highly enjoyable one even with all the different elements thrown into it. There’s symphonic keyboards, medieval-sounding horn-blasts, swirling tremolo riffing and more in the near-twenty-minute effort, and it does seem like overkill given the track has no need to go that long and really could’ve been trimmed down into a more digest form. Still, the generally up-tempo pace and convergence of influences makes for an overall fun time here and overall there’s a lot of rather enjoyable work here as there’s at least one or two sections present to appeal to most fans.

Though one of these groups is a clear weak-link and doesn't really leave much of a lasting impression, the fact that the remainder of the bands provide not only incredibly fun and exciting work that this ends up being an undeniably effective introduction to these groups as well as those longing for more bands in each of these styles.

Score: 80/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://fallangels.cafe24.com/product/detail.html?product_no=1617&cate_no=33&display_group=1

Skoll - Grisera

Artist: Skoll
Release Title: Grisera
Year: 2013 (Original Ewiges Eis Records version)/2014 (Fallen-Angel Productions reissue)
Label: Ewiges Eis Records (original version)/Fallen-Angel Productions (reissue)
Genre: Pagan Black Metal
Tracklisting:
Original Version-
1. Grush
2. Grisera
3. Hrothaharijaz
4. Wolves in the Mist

Reissue Version-
1. Grush
2. Grisera
3. Hrothaharijaz
4. Wolves in the Mist
5. The Bard

The second full black metal album from Italian pagan black metallers Skoll features a rather decent and enjoyable take on the style which gives this some rather enjoyable times here. Based rather fervently on the notion of the swirling tremolo picked rhythms that are wrapped together in sprawling, majestic patterns dosed with plenty of sporty woodlands-flavored arrangements and interludes that give it a naturalistic touch like the best of the pagan style albums here. The nature sounds here coming from the riff-work is further augmented by the use of spacious, sprawling keyboards that pop up throughout here which manages to get an even more overt pagan sound in combination of that kind of swirling rhythms and it’s a patently dynamic example of this style. However, this style inadvertently becomes it’s own worst enemy when it tends to become all the more obvious here that this riffing style is repeated ad nauseum to the point of becoming one-dimensional for the most part. The epic length of the tracks simply causes this one to keep the songs going around in pretty repetitive patterns keeps this one tuned into that ability as well, featuring the kind of arrangements to get to that sort of style of extended style, and does tend to lower this one somewhat slightly.

The first half here gives this a stylish look at what’s on display. The opening epic ‘Grush’ offers light melancholic acoustic guitar riffing alongside ambient nature sounds turns into raging simplistic tremolo riffing featuring plenty of clattering drum-work over the majestic airy keyboards that leave the extended atmospheric instrumental interlude with a return to the raging riffing and extended rhythms throughout the overlong final half which starts this off in grandiose, epic fashion. The title track uses winding rhythms and plenty of springy bass-lines with melodic buzzing tremolo rhythms throughout as the folk-like ambiance continues swirling throughout as the up-tempo riffing gives way to melancholic acoustics and howling winds limping along through the finale for a still enjoyable effort. ‘Hrothaharijaz’ takes stylish mid-tempo riffing and grandiose keyboards alongside clattering drumming though a stylish mid-tempo pace with occasional bursts of thumping, galloping drumming alongside the swirling riff-work and pagan-styled keyboards leading through the final half for the album’s overall highlight effort.

The second half isn’t all that bad and has some solid moments. ‘Wolves in the Mist’ uses light acoustic guitars before turning into a steady mid-tempo series of swirling tremolo riffing through the simplistic patterns accompanied with simple charging drumming and frosty pagan keyboards swirling around the sprawling, plodding tempos full of melodic rhythms throughout the final half for a decent enough effort here. Lastly, bonus track ‘The Bard’ features stylish mid-tempo riffing and rumbling rhythms through a plodding, mid-tempo pace with churning riff-work throughout as the stylish keyboards continually buzzing along into the lighter tempos bring about the plodding paces with the churning rhythms continuing through the finale for a well-deserved skippable bonus that ends this rather weakly.

While it tends to meander around a bit too much for it’s own good, there’s enough to really like here with this decidedly one-note pagan black metal experience that it really shouldn’t be that much of a challenge to those interested in the experience or find this kind of minimalist black metal appealing.

Score: 80/100

Does it sound good? Order from here:
http://fallangels.cafe24.com/product/detail.html?product_no=1088&cate_no=33&display_group=1