My Musical Journey

For those of you that wonder how I find new music, or are just looking for some new bands, I've decided to do a "live blog" of one of my youtube journeys. This is where I'm watching a music video for a band I like and I just start clicking on the related videos until I get into uncharted territory. Sometimes I find some great bands hidden away behind all the links and other times I fall into metalcore territory or just a bunch of boring bands. Luckily, this time turned out pretty successful.

This journey all started from this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnrGCp-N7Bo

I don't remember how I got there, I just had it written down from another day. The only other Taiwanese band I've listened to is Cthonic, and Anthelion has a similar musical style (especially the vocals). This vocal style and the fact that it's in Mandarin just sounds so much different from anything else. It's a breath of fresh air, especially in black metal where too many bands sound too similar. These guys are just a quality, groovy and catchy black metal band. You may also notice in the related videos that Massakren shows up. As you may or may not remember, that's the band that now goes by the name of Starkill and is awesome.

Here's Anthelion's metal-archives page. Turns out there's another band under the same name from Italy, but they've since split up. It's kind of crazy that these guys have put out so little in the band's lifetime. The band is over 10 years old and has only released one album. Though that's the way some bands are I guess. Still, I'll be sure to check out this album a bit more in depth.

Just looking at all the related videos gives a great reminiscent feeling. There's some Powerwolf, Dimmu Borgir, and a band that I haven't listened to in far too long: Anorexia Nervosa. Be sure to check out that song (Sister September), it's a good one. I think I'll check out Satanized next, they have a cool name.

Though it turns out that despite having a cool name, the actual band's music is pretty boring and uninspired. They sound like a poor man's Hate, which is a band that comes up in the related videos for this song anyway. Just check out Hate instead, there's some good Polish blackened death metal (also, RIP Mortifer).

I seem to have gotten into the bands-from-interesting-places part of youtube.. There's bands from Taiwan, Iran, Spain.. Not something I'm used to seeing. I got scared and clicked on a band called Immortal Souls.

Now this is good melodeath. Plus they have corpse paint on. No band wearing corpse paint has ever steered me in the wrong directions, so I will definitely be checking these guys out. They're also Finnish. This band just keeps getting better and better!

From reading the comments, it seems that this band is christian, or at least partially. From what I can tell, they seems to talk a lot about winter and coldness (like one of my favouritest bands ever, Wintersun), but I always enjoy bands that break out of the typical "metal" mould, such as the Christian Unblack Metal band Antestor.

After I few more clicks I stumbled upon Torture Squad. These guys are from Brazil, another place without that many metal bands. This is some really good quality thrash. I don't normally like thrash so I always have an eye open for thrash bands that I actually enjoy. It's just my desire to have as much musical diversity in my library as possible. I'm actually really happy I found these guys, this is really good and catchy music.

I blacked out and woke up on this video. The band is Ekho, a folk/black metal band from freakin' Israel! I already like them.

I'll end this escapade with a band I'm not quite sure of yet: Purgatory. They've got a cool name and all, but I'm not too sure about the music. It's some really solid death metal, but it's one of those bands that I'll either really like after a while or just never listen to again. I'll check them out later... much later.

Well that's it for this journey. I also accidentally stumbled upon a few metalcore bands that I didn't mention above, but I quickly navigated to another page when I realized what had happened. They started doing the weird metalcore thing of throwing their whole body up and down during a breakdown. It just looks silly and the opposite of brutal. Oh well, not the topic to get into right now. So I'd say I found a nice bit a of bands to check out. From here, I usually look up some more songs from each artist and decide if I do actually like them or not. This happens anywhere from the next day to the next month, depending on how interested I am in the band and how busy my schedule is. There's so many gems hidden away on youtube, you just have to know where to click.

-Zombie Viking

New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, It's a Thing

Have you ever been strolling down the street and just gotten unreasonably depressed because "classic" rock and metal musicians are now in their 70s? Just kidding, no rock star lives that long. Now who's depressed? Well younger musicians are apparently, because quite a few bands have been popping up recently that are attempting to bring back the sound and style of 80s metal. This movement is so new that there isn't even a Wikipedia entry on it yet. I'm so topical.

Metal! (circa 2010)

My guess is that with all the classic bands on the verge of putting down their instruments for good and descending to play sweet solos with Satan, these younger bands are looking to fill in the void. Luckily, they're starting now so there won't actually be a void needing filling. They're thinking ahead. And it may be a while before these guys are needed, what with Black Sabbath and Accept reforming and Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Manowar, etc. having never stopped making music. This is good though since it means the NWOTHM bands will have a few albums under their belt and maybe even some fresher talent that they've inspired by that time.

I just found out about this movement a month ago and have only gotten around to checking out White Wizzard and Holy Grail, but I really like what I hear. These guys aren't just rehashing old songs, they're updating the sound to the 21st century while keeping all the attitude that made it famous. Holy Grail especially throws in some elements of thrash and power here and there. Just listen to a song by either of these bands and tell me you don't like it. Hint: you can't. (The actual song starts at 40 seconds in)



That fricking song came out in 2010! It's a time machine in there. Some other bands of the genre include Enforcer, Cauldron, Steelwing and Hellhound. Let me know if they're any good since I honestly haven't listened to any of them yet.

Another great thing about this movement is that a big chunk of the bands are American. The biggest plus is that it really increases my chances of seeing them live in concert. It also sure as hell beats what America has been putting out the last few years in terms of "metal".

So br00tal bro!!!!11!!1!!111

So New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal. It's a thing. A thing that should really consider sticking around for the years to come. What it needs now is more attention. The only "official" page I've been able to find about it on the internet is this Last.fm page. So listen to it. Tell your friends. Tell your friends to tell their friends. This is a good thing we've got going here and we have to do everything we can to prevent it from dying.

-Zombie Viking

Amon Amarth Debuts New Track, Announces Tour Dates

First of all, go here and listen to the new Amon Amarth track from Deceiver of the Gods. Just let it play in the background while you read this post. It's another quality song from what is continuing to look like a better and better album.

The actual album will be released on June 25th, after which the band will go on a crazy North American tour. That's right, this is shaping up to be an amazing summer with two of the best bands I've ever seen in concert (Amon Amarth and Wintersun) coming back for more. Amon Amarth will be coming to Toronto July 10th to play at the freaking Molson Amphitheatre. For those who don't know, the Amphitheatre is one of the largest concert destinations in the area and I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I would see a band perform there. It's usually reserved for the likes of Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers but these vikings are about to tear it up. They're going on a grand tour across the continent. No other band can do it like them.

yep

I'll be adding Amon Amarth to my growing list of concerts I'll be attending this summer and buying a ticket the moment they go on sale.

-Zombie Viking

Metal on the Side Mondays: Wolfchant

It's no secret that I love me some folk metal. But sometimes I'm in the mood for something a little heavier while still keeping all the pagan themes I know and love. Sometimes I'm in the mood for an awesome band known as Wolfchant.

Wolfchant is a pagan metal band from Germany and they make great music. I don't know what happens over there, but there seems to be a constant stream of amazing bands coming from that country. Must be something in their milk. Wolfchant is also a huge band, with 7 current members. For comparison, that's as many as Eluveitie. So what's Wolfchant's deal? Do they also have someone playing the hurdy-gurdy? Well, no not really. See, Wolfchant is more focused on the pagan and black metal side of their music and slightly less on the folk. The band consists of two guitarists, a drummer, bassist, keyboardist, vocalist and.. a second vocalist?

Observant readers may remember that I hate bands with two vocalists with all of my blackened heart, but these guys are different. First of all, both vocalists are damn awesome. Lokhi takes care of the harsh vocals, snarling every word like a rabid wolf. He also previously played bass in addition to taking on vocal duties before the band got a full time bassist, so the band is already forgiven in my book. Playing an instrument as well as doing vocals immediately takes them off my list. However, the band didn't even have a second vocalist at the time. Nortwin didn't appear until the Determined Damnation album and didn't join the band until the year after it was released. He sings the deep clean vocals, giving the songs a more epic feel and allowing me to sing along when no one is around. Huge props to the band for mixing up their sound and keeping things fresh. As if that wasn't enough, Nortwin is also the lead vocalist of another great band by the name of Rebellion. Check them out, seriously, they're great. While two vocalists would be a detractor from any other band, Wolfchant rocks it like it's nobody's business.



I can't just post one song so here's another:



Wolfchant's songs are about typical paganism, being awesome, wars and drinking. Each album sounds quite different with the band trying new things each time. As I mentioned previously, both vocalists are awesome and the songs are epic and catchy. They currently have 5 albums under their belt so you have plenty to choose from. Though I suggest listening to their most recent, Embraced by Fire, and working your way backwards. The most recent two albums are their best in my opinion, but everything is worth listening to at least once if you've got the time.


Out of the bands I listen to with a wolf theme, Wolfchant seems to embrace it the least. Powerwolf centers their entire image around wolves and Varg makes sure to include a few on each album cover. What Wolfchant does have though, is that their logo sort of looks like a wolf a bit, but even that's been changed with their most recent album.

Before

After

They do have a couple songs about wolves such as Stormwolves, Under the Wolves' Banner and Die Nacht der Wölfe (I assume since I can't speak German), and the album cover for A Pagan Storm does in fact have a wolf on it, so I guess they're aware of their name at least. But wolves are awesome and this band is awesome so it's surprising that they don't embrace it more. Get it, that's a word from the album title. I'm so funny.

Normally I'd put in some criticism somewhere in a post about a band, but I can't really think of any. My only real complaint is that Determined Damnation was a bit weaker than their other albums, but to fix that situation I just listen to their other albums instead. And you should too, because Wolfchant is a great band that deserves your attention. My other complaint would be about their lack of youtube channel or label's youtube channel. Come on guys, it's like you're relying on people like me to spread your wonderful music. Oh well, I guess it's my duty then to give you the following links.

You can find Wolfchant at the following places:
metal-archives
Facebook
Myspace
http://www.wolfchant-metal.com/

-Zombie Viking

Good Workout Metal #2 Eluveitie

Folk metal, you ask, isn't that just weird Finnish people prancing around in fields of daisies? Yes, I answer, there is quite a bit of that, but if you look just past the surface a whole new world opens up. Finntroll and Eluveitie are perhaps two of the heaviest folk metal bands you'll find in this so-called "new world". They also happen to be two of the most popular. Odd how that works out. While we're on the topic of working out though, let me tell you about Eluveitie. I'm sure Finntroll works too, but it's slightly harder due to their bridges and sometimes odd song structure.

Pictured: Daises. Dammit guys, get out of there!

There really is no feeling like pumping iron and hearing a flute in one ear and a freaking hurdy-gurdy in the other while some grizzled dreadlocks guy screams over everything at the top of his lungs. Then they throw in some grandpa's guitars for no reason. Hey Chrigel, you're not Swedish, you're no Skwisgar. You want to know how I know that? Name a popular folk metal band from Sweden. It's like those guys aren't trying hard enough. They've got the whole viking mythology thing down pat, just look at Amon Amarth. It seems to be combining that with classic folk instruments that they stop dead in their tracks. Sweden should learn a thing or two from Finland in that regard. Though I'm sure Finland could learn some things from Sweden as well. Either way, they both make some pretty awesome metal. Where is Eluveitie from again? Oh, right, Switzerland...

Now for this sound in your ear that I was previously talking about. The words are in a mysterious and extinct language, unless you're listening to an album other than Spirit in which case it's pretty much all English. There's at least 40 different instruments playing at any given time except for the "metal" sections, which are pretty much 50% of the song and consist solely of guitars and drums. It seems that the only thing Eluveitie is consistent with is their inconsistency. Honestly, I would strongly recommend that you listen to Helvetios if you plan on working out with certain songs from Slania and Spirit thrown in because the other two albums are way too slow and folky to work out with. Only certain songs from their first two albums though, since the band does get pretty in touch with Mother Earth at some parts. Those hippies.



Helivetios is definitely the best album to throw on your iPod if you're heading to the gym. It, more than any other Eluveitie album, is just a constant barrage of melodeath. I've said this in the past but this is not a bad thing, it just gets a bit tiring listening to the whole thing in one sitting. That being said, if you're going to work out, you're going to be tired anyway so a full sitting of Helvetios is just what the doctor ordered. It's great music to pump you up. The guitars are heavy and Chrigel's voice is like a shot of pure adrenaline. The folk instruments just serve to make the songs more catchy and to give everything some variety. It's all good.

Eluveitie is not just great folk metal, it's also good workout metal and for that they get a cool post on my blog. Keep it heavy brothers and sisters.

-Zombie Viking

Like This Blog on Facebook

Oops, I think I just created a Facebook page. Over there I'll be reposting links to all my blog posts and maybe some additional music videos and such because why not? It'll also make it a whole lot easier to share with your friends, so do that too.

Be sure to click the new "like" button over on the right or find this blog on Facebook by searching "Metal on the Side". 

Or just click here: www.facebook.com/metalontheside

Thank you.

-Zombie Viking

Amon Amarth vs. Parkway Drive

A friend of mine asked me a bit ago to check out Parkway Drive. Despite them being a metalcore band, and therefore unable to ever earn my full respect, I said I'd check them out. And I meant it, damn it! It just took me a bit to get around to it. But the metal gods have given me a grand opportunity to check out this almost-metal band in an environment that I feel completely comfortable in: a battle to the death.

Loudwire is doing some band vs. band poll battle thing over on their website (vote here) and the current battle is Amon Amarth vs. Parkway Drive. It seems that sites like this are doing these types of things all the time. Whatever generates traffic I guess.

Here's the two songs that they posted:





By the way, if I haven't already said it, Deceiver of the Gods is an awesome song and it really sounds like the album is going to be another great from Amon Amarth. But I said this post would be about Parkway Drive.

Let's get all the good things out of the way first. Wild Eyes starts out surprisingly good. The chanting crowd at the beginning is pretty catchy... after you get past the damn 40 second sound clip. I can imagine this would be pretty sweet at a concert. Skipping ahead a bit, the band has a pretty talented vocalist. I'm proud to report that there are no whiny clean vocals or anything approaching them in the entire song. The drummer is also good, mixing up his beats a lot throughout the song and pulling off some admirable blast beats. The guitars, while much less talented, have some pretty good melodeath parts here and there.

Now for the bad. After the great beginning with the chanting, the song goes right into a damn breakdown. And then it seems every 30 seconds another breakdown comes along. They also have the terrible metalcore cliché of going from one breakdown into another. These guys don't even know how unappealing this is, having absolutely no musical integrity for an extended period of time. Breakdowns, when done right, can really help a song. I don't understand why no core band can ever do it right though. Besides that, the song just isn't very interesting (save for a few parts). It's kind of a shame, since the band shows promise at multiple points throughout the song before falling into yet another dreaded breakdown. 

Help, I'm falling into a pit of breakdowns!

And don't get me started on the damn music video. One of their guitarists has a stupid baseball cap on, the vocalist takes a stupid stage dive right before his next line and the whole stupid set is just dirty. They should have really had a shower before filming this, yeesh. Also, why are there girls in the audience? This is not like any concert I've ever been to...

It's pretty obvious that Amon Amarth is going to win this battle. At the time of writing this they have a 75% lead. All the core kids in the comments are pretty mad. It's pretty funny. You should definitely vote if you haven't already, and if you have time check out the comments section. Also be sure to check out Deceiver of the Gods when it's released June 25th.

-Zombie Viking

Metal on the Side Mondays: Dragonland Extravaganza

Dragonland is a great and underrated power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. I think their music speaks for itself, so here's my pick of the songs easily available on Youtube. And yes, Astronomy is probably their best album, though every album from these guys is pure genius.

-Zombie Viking





 

Reanimate Todd

I don't normally throw money at things, I'm a very frugal person. But this is for a good cause. This is for Todd and the Book of Pure Evil. If you haven't heard of the show, first read my post about it and then go watch all of the episodes. All of them. It's a small quirky show that was ended before its time.

The show is Canadian, which is already a cool thing. It also has a nice dosage of metal coursing through its veins. The show itself is a gory journey about highschool kids (sometimes) attempting to rid the world of the mysterious Book of Pure Evil, or just to find out its secrets. And it's hilarious. What's not to like?

I love you guys!

If you actually clicked that link and read my previous post about the show, you'll notice that I mentioned the third season was in TV purgatory. Well, things haven't improved much since then. The team has cancelled plans to do a third season but is instead raising money to make an animated feature-length to wrap up the story. The campaign is over on indiegogo. Consider giving them a buck or two if you like what you see. I know I did. Be sure to spread that link around too, time is running out. At the time of this post, there's only 21 days left in the campaign. Get these guys as much money as you can!

If you're still not convinced, see what the cast has to say about the whole thing. They explain everything better than I ever could. Click here. Or just watch this video, you lazy person.


-Zombie Viking

100 Posts!

Please, please, hold your applause. When I started this blog just under a year ago, I thought I would make it this far at least, and now I have. This is truly a momentous occasion. I shall celebrate with Wintersun! So basically it's just a normal day. Feel free to go back and read some of the 99 other posts I've written, I promise you they're at least decent.

-Zombie Viking

Good Workout Metal #1 Varg

I thought I'd try this new thing because I've recently started working out and I listen to metal when I work out and stuff. There's undoubtedly some better bands to listen to while pumping iron compared to others. Bands that get you pumped up or are just plain heavy. This of course isn't just for people who work out, you can listen to these great bands any time, it's just that they're also great to listen to in the gym. Let's get this started.

The first band is Varg. These guys have been built from the ground up as good gym metal. Just starting with their name, it's the Norse word for wolf, the animal most associated with ripped Spartans. Or maybe it's just that one scene from 300... Either way, Gerard Butler is a hell of a man.

Wolves!

The actual music is pagan metal - a mix of melodic death and black metal with a touch of folk. I'm not sure what they're actually about since the lyrics are in German, but I think they have something to do with wolves and battles and apocalypses and having a good time, typical pagan and German stuff. By the way, the German lyrics just add to the whole muscley-man strong hard music deal. Listening to German just makes you feel stronger, even if you have no idea what they're saying. Their official website is so metal it doesn't even have an option for English. Nein!

The riffs are strong and the vocals heavy. The faster songs give a good constant beat to work out to. Normally, I'd skip over slower songs, but Varg really knows how to play crushing riffs, especially at a slower tempo. You can tear through an entire album during your workout since every song is just well crafted to what you're doing. I could not think of a better band to start off this series with.

You there, start working out.

If you're going for a workout and don't know what to throw on your iPod, check out Varg. They're heavy, catchy, German and have a good mix of fast and heavy slow songs to keep you going. They've also got sick face-and-body-paint. These guys are so extreme that people bring dumbbells to their concerts and just lift weights in the mosh pits. Trust me.

You can find Varg at:
metal-archives
Facebook
Youtube 
http://www.varg.de/

-Zombie Viking

Metal On The Side Mondays: Xe-NONE

Xe-NONE is a Russian band from Kirov formed in 2004. The two founding members were Lexy Dance (a very manly masculine name) and Newman (an equally manly name). The band combines metal and electronic in a very interesting way, dubbing their music "dance metal". It's a bit different from anything you've probably heard before. Here's a little taste.



Xe-NONE is terrible, there's no two ways about it. Everything from their questionable name choice (no aliens?) to the actual music fails to demonstrate any type of talent. The metal and electronic elements are barely mixed at all. Most songs you can't even hear electronic except for certain sections. The metal itself is unimaginative and usually consists of playing the same few cords over and over. The vocalists are both terrible, there's nothing more that really needs to be said about that. The only reason Lexy (the guy, let me remind you) is actually listenable is because of the doctoring done on his "screams" between recording and actually putting them on the album. This can clearly be heard when seeing them live, where any semblance of music just gets thrown out the window.



That video was posted on the band's official channel which means that they're actually proud of the steaming pile of crap. Lexy's vocals just devolve into a shouting contest with himself. He also throws in some "yeah"s and "oh"s and "hey"s to mix things up. EvilAnn (the girl) actually seems to be trying, which is commendable considering how everything around her is falling apart. The quality is too bad to actually make out any of the other members, though you can hear Newman's synth every so often. Good for him. The only reason anyone should even consider seeing this band live is for Lexy's impeccable dancing ability. And his impeccable biceps.

Xe-NONE have released two original albums: 2008's Dance Metal [Rave]olution and 2011's Dancefloration along with Dance Inferno Resurrection in 2009 which featured metal covers of popular old Eurodance songs. Their cover album didn't really do anything for me because I don't recognize any of the original songs, not that the band did them justice anyway. I did quite enjoy this cover though. I'm not quite sure why, but it may just be how darn catchy the song is. Their original albums are pretty much more of the stuff that can be found in the two videos posted above. Some songs are louder and some songs are slower, but everything basically melds into a giant sound wall of mediocrity.

Look at how many bros there are in this band!

I'm not even quite sure what genre the band falls under. They're one of the very few bands I've found that actually has a Wikipedia page and doesn't have anything on Metal Archives. They sure don't fall under Electronic due to all the non-electronic elements they shove into their songs. What does that leave? Rock? Country? I guess dance metal is the only tag that this band actually falls under, despite not being able to dance or headbang to any of their music.

Xe-NONE is a band that anyone with a penchant for cheese should check out. They're truly so bad that they're good, in every sense of the word. I've been listening to them for a few years now and can't wait to hear some new material when they're ready to take a break from playing a concert a month. They're such a unique band that I just can't avoid giving a recommendation. You can find Xe-NONE at:

Wikipedia
Youtube
Facebook
Myspace
http://www.xe-none.com/

Check them out!
-Zombie Viking

I Have Decided

I will be going to both the Wintersun and Finntroll concerts this coming August. While a festival would be pretty cool, it's just too much money and too much effort. Plus I'd only want to see about 4 of the bands playing at Heavy MTL. Not worth it.

I'll see you soon Jari!

-Zombie Viking

Wintersun is Coming Back to Toronto!

Yes, you read that right. Yesterday the band confirmed the concert via Facebook. That's right, one of the best bands I've ever seen in concert is coming back, and it's at a convenient time for me! It's not in the middle of exams. Heck, it's not even on a weekday.

Come back to me!

There is one small decision I have to make though. This concert on August 11th is the day before Finntroll comes to play at the exact same venue. Should I skip the Finntroll concert? (Skipping Wintersun is out of the question) Should I just sleep at the Opera House? There's also the possibility of going to Heavy MTL that same weekend, which both of the bands (plus Amon Amarth and some other cool guys) are playing at. Though those tickets are pretty darn expensive at $135 and I'd have to endure some of the not-so-metal bands. Decisions decisions... All things considered though, the Heavy MTL lineup is pretty damn awesome compared to previous years. There's actually quite a few big name metal bands and no Slipknot. It's probably the closest I'll ever get to a true European metal festival. Until I go to Europe of course. Maybe one day...

Meh

Well, I'll definitely be posting here which concerts I do end up buying tickets for. And afterwards, you can expect to see my full impressions, right here on this great blog.

-Zombie Viking

Finntroll - Häxbrygd

Who says trolls can't build sweet cars? Not many people, probably. I don't think the subject comes up much. Well here to prove the naysayers wrong, Finntroll. This sweet song is taken from their latest Blodsvept which as you may I remember I wrote a nice review for here. The band also takes this opportunity to show off their new steampunk troll outfits. Hope they'll bring these sweet drags on tour!

-Zombie Viking

My One Paragraph Review: Tales From the Kingdom of Fife

The day has finally arrived, Gloryhammer released their debut album Tales From the Kingdom of Fife! You may remember Gloryhammer as the band who brought tons of visitors to my blog a week after its creation. The least I can do as repayment is write a short review for the album. They'd probably also appreciate it if I went out and actually bought the album, but these things take time and effort. And as you can see by the slightly shorter review, I am dedicating very little of either. On to the review!

For quite a long time I have been questing to find a band or album that can be simply described as "epic". I've wanted to be able to dazzle curious acquaintances with the epicness stowed away in my library and to bring up an example with one simple click. I think Rhapsody of Fire has perhaps come the closest, but they have their off days. This being a review for a specific album though, I think you know what I'm about to say. Gloryhammer is a gloriously epic band. Sure, the music isn't entirely unique and influences such as the previously mentioned Rhapsody can be heard clearly, but damn do they combine it all well. I will admit that I was worried the first time I heard Angus McFife on the youtubes, but listening to the album as a whole gives an entirely different experience. On its own, you may think the music is generic power metal, but giving Tales From the Kingdom of Fife a play-through tells an overarching story of a wonderfully cheesy rendition of Scotland. Each song fits well and there's nothing that sticks out or ruins the experience. Even the slow songs. Even the ten-and-a-half-minute The Epic Rage of Furious Thunder. All in all, Tales From the Kingdom of Fife is a solid album. It wears its influences on its sleeve and doesn't do anything particularly groundbreaking, but everything is combined in such a great and epic way that you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

I hate giving numbers to things but here goes nothing...
7.5/10

-Zombie Viking

The Many Languages of Metal

One of the great things about listening to folk metal is that most bands have lyrics in their native tongue. It brings an extra element to the music that you won't find anywhere else. Just recently though, I noticed just how many languages I actually listen to and it's pretty crazy. Check this list out:

1. English (obviously)
2. Swedish (Finntroll)
3. Norwegian (Iskald)
4. Finnish (Korpiklaani)
5. German (Varg)
6. Russian (Arkona)
7. French (Benighted)
8. Italian (Rhapsody of Fire)
9. Danish (Svartsot)
10. Gaulish (Eluveitie)
11. Latin (Powerwolf)
12. Greek (Rotting Christ)

I only speak one of those languages and I'll let you guess which one.I just think it's great that someone who doesn't understand any of the lyrics apart from one or two words can listen to and enjoy a song. If you want to hear what songs sound like in any of the languages above, check out the bands. There's a reason I gave examples.

-Zombie Viking

Hammerfall - Bloodbound

Here's some great and classic power metal. I know the song isn't that old, it's still a classic to me! If you haven't heard of Hammerfall, you should definitely check them out. And if you have heard of them, good on you. If you don't like them, too bad, because here comes some Hammerfall.

-Zombie Viking

Finding New Music

Finding new music is always an interesting subject, no matter what type of music you listen to. There's no right or wrong way, but every method will get you slightly different results. You will always easily find the most popular bands in the genre but it's all the other bands that you don't know about.

When I was first getting in to metal, I found a lot of new music through Last.fm. I found a band I liked and looked for similar bands. Easy enough. But there gets a point where Last.fm gets kind of wonky. It constantly recommends bands that I don't like or are from a genre that I already listen to too much. If I wanted to listen to more power metal, I could easily find some power metal bands, I don't need some snotty website recommending 20 bands that sound the exact same! This is where Youtube comes in. It's great for finding similar-but different bands, if that makes sense. I have found some of the weirdest crap on Youtube. Smaller bands like The CNK, Ajattera, Le Grand Guignol, etc. are all strange bands that I somehow found from clicking related video after related video. I have no idea what video even led me to these bands, I just know that there's no way in hell I found have found out about them anyway. Especially since they're unlike anything else. Honestly, listen to this:



Too bad they've since split up. Really interesting music can be brought back from the bowels of Youtube. It's especially good for finding new genres of music, since you can just click until you find something you like. There's also some youtubers like InfidelAmsterdam that give great recommendations. I've also subscribed to a few record labels' accounts which helps every so often.

I don't have too many friends who listen to metal, and even less who like the same types of metal as me, so it's unfortunate that I don't get too many friend recommendations for bands. I'm sure it's pretty nice, since they can filter out the bad music for you. I'm usually the one giving out recommendations though. And I try to spread awesome music *cought*Wintersun*cough* as much as I can.

So currently, my favourite method of finding new music is through Youtube. I also like to expand out into new genres every so often since it gives my library a fresh coat of paint. I'm a firm believer that you can like any genre as long as you find some good bands in it and listen to them enough. Never stop searching.

-Zombie Viking