Chiff and Fipple Forums

s1m0n wrote:As far as I'm concerned, the bombarde was metal before there was metal.

It was indeed. The most metal instrument ever in my book.

koktach wrote: ... never even got the wierd connection between the faschist ideas and so called "pagan" metal.

Wagner.

It's more about Vikings, I guess... "Pagan"-metal is very much about "Blood, Pride & Glory", so it quite often turns into the direction "Our nation/region/culture/religion/race is superior to any other" - that's where the NS-part starts. Also, very often these bands love to use the swastica ("Arkona" would be one example...), like the Nazis. I find it kinda strange, remembering what the Nazis did and how they thought in WW2 about the people of Eastern Europe...
Shows me, these NS-pagan-metall-people have no clue about history...

Yeah, I don't know. Don't know where to start. Nordic Roots or Celtic Hip Hop. Have a listen to the crap I play for orientation:

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?AID=639235&T=7974

http://www.myspace.com/blackroseroisindubh

You'll have to register at acidplanet.com to download but it's free and quality .mp3 files if you're interested.

Celtpastor wrote:It's more about Vikings, I guess... "Pagan"-metal is very much about "Blood, Pride & Glory", so it quite often turns into the direction "Our nation/region/culture/religion/race is superior to any other" - that's where the NS-part starts. Also, very often these bands love to use the swastica ("Arkona" would be one example...), like the Nazis. I find it kinda strange, remembering what the Nazis did and how they thought in WW2 about the people of Eastern Europe...
Shows me, these NS-pagan-metall-people have no clue about history...

That's quite widespread is eastern Europe when it comes to metal, the polish band Sunwheel used to be called Swastyka, and several others, like Nokturnal Mortum use/have used nazi-iconography and claimed to have such sympathies as well.

I guess this is more like folk-rock-electronic than folk metal, but here are a couple of my favorite bands:

Garmarna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LExEHAftbOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufnnr_q1 ... re=related

Valravn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3NZ-fXe ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojHQRmGJ ... re=related

No one mentioned Inextremo?! loads on you tube. 3 pipers, harpist and a heavy sound. Plenty of theatrics too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNUrJBvK ... re=related

Korpiklaani haven't received enough attention in this thread.

They're somewhat silly, but their music makes for great party stuff.

The Hunting Song - pretty unforgettable

Wooden Pints - starring a gorgeous fiddle solo

Beer Beer - yes, most of their songs are about drinking

Let's Drink - see above. Features some nice whistle playing.

Happy Little Boozer - somewhat more manic than their other songs

The thing about these guys (and most folk metal bands in general) that you have to keep in mind is that they're a heavy metal band first, and a folk group second. They play heavy metal and add the folk stuff on top. If you take out the folk instruments you'll still have some decent guitar-based music. They use a lot of folky chord progressions and modes, but ultimately they're a metal band and won't let you forget it.

Also hailing from Finland are Moonsorrow who I don't think have been mentioned at all (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Essentially, Moonsorrow are the reason I became interested in folk music. They're like the aforementioned Korpiklaani mixed with John Williams, giving a really epic, symphonic take on folk metal. The growling vocals might be too much for some people, and it doesn't help that unless you're a fluent speaker of Finnish, it's unlikely you'll understand what on earth they're singing about. It's still great stuff if you're okay with that sort of thing. Some of their material is utterly breathtaking.

To ease you in, here's a beautiful folk tune, no metal, entitled Kaiku that was the outro track on their album Verisäkeet.

Good stuff, huh?

Now onto their metal:
Sankarihauta is one of my favourite songs ever... majestic and epic in every way.

Sankaritarina is less folky and more epic, but you have to respect any metal band that can actually make a jaw harp sound cool. This sort of stuff has had a huge influence on my band. I think the lyrics have something to do about warriors going to heaven, or somesuch thing. In any case, the music says it all really.

And here's a pretty awesome cover they did of For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica, who as far as I know don't have any folk influences (although it has been rumoured that Lars Ulrich is, in fact, a leprechaun.)

And another band worth looking at are Alestorm. They're Scottish, and sing about pirates. To be fair, I think they're more about the gimmick of pirates and stuff, but they do have some lovely sounding melodies and progressions, plus you can't beat them for sheer fun.

Song titles include Keelhauled which actually includes the lyric 'Keelhaul that filthy landlubber, send him down to the depths below/ Make that basmati walk the plank with a bottle of rum and a Yo-Ho-Ho' as a chorus.

Wenches & Mead describes their agenda accurately enough.

And finally, here's them interpreting Flower of Scotland. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.


So there was NeonVomit's guide to Folk Metal. Not bad for a second post!