Greetings warriors!
From the Netherlands hails Ilmarinen, an Epic Folk Metal band who aim to tell old folk tales, legends,
and myths through their music and an eccentric stage show.
The songs are a blend of metal and folk music. Loud grunts and distorted guitars that are well known
in the world of metal, combined with danceable folk instruments like the violin and whistles. The
keyboards add an orchestral layer, putting the “Epic” in Folk Metal.
Ilmarinen will unite the audience into an army and take you on an adventure to learn the ways of
war, with the ultimate goal of dethroning the king. So gather your (inflatable) swords, and charge
into battle with us!
Solarcycles have been working on their music for a while, but I didn’t notice them till they released Raven’s Call earlier this year. The band previously released the EP ‘Ethereal Storms’ in 2017 but now they’re back with a full length album, Lunar, and some video’s to go along with that. We’ve previously mentioned tracks from this upcoming album in our MetalFromNL Tiplijst and on our socials as well, and we’re thrilled that they’ve finally released their album. Let’s see what Lunar has to offer us!
About Solarcycles
Solarcycles started out in 2015. They play a doomy, melancholic version of (melodic) folk metal. The band has a strong connection to nature, and their music calls for emotional acceptance and unity with the world around us. If you look at their website, their communication online, and their videos, it’s clear that this connection with nature and the mystical, Celtic vibe isn’t just for show. Musically, the band seems to draw inspiration from melodic bands like Before the Dawn, Nightwish, and Celtic music.
A good vocalist can make or break a band. With Solarcycles, while all the musicians are more than capable, Sacha’s vocals are the thing that will carry this band to great heights. I’m also gonna give a special mention for the violin parts by …. The combination of the haunting violin melodies and the unique sound of Sacha’s voice is what makes Solarcycles stand out. All too often, the Dutch accent is prominent in the vocals. With SolarCycles I had to do a double take the first time I heard them to make sure they were actually from the Netherlands. Also, Sacha’s voice reminded me a lot of the Cranberries. They have a very distinct Celtic tone, which even without the rest of the band would take their music into the folk realm.
The album
Lunar is heavy on the emotional side. The combination of the vocals and the choice of chord progressions and tempo really invoke a sense of melancholy, and on some tracks, hope. Since the whole album is about nature and our place in it, that makes sense to me.
The album starts with the track Nature’s Blessing, a track that reminds me of old Nightwish tracks, or maybe Evanescence. The violin melody and the vocals alternate nicely and the whole is supported by guitars that aren’t too in your face and a nice orchestration. The instrumental break halfway through the song is a nice change of pace.
From Nature’s Blessing, we dive into Raven’s Call, a track that has been previously released. Even after hearing the rest of the album, this track might still be my favorite by this band. The whole track has that Scandinavian sound that made me wonder where this band was from in the first place. It has that gloomy melancholy vibe that is more common in the north, and I’m curious to see how this album will be received in those regions. The part that really makes this track for me though, is the chorus. The unique qualities of Sacha’s voice and vocal melodies are really prominent in this track. If you only listen to one track from this album; pick Ravens Call.
Ode to the Forest starts off on a quieter note, with nature sounds in the background and a mellow, 3/4th beat. This is the first track where we hear some grunts from I presume one of the guitarists as well. Again in this track an instrumental break to showcase the rest of the band.
Immeasurable Fog was already previously released as well, and it’s again a slower, more moody/gloomy track. I didn’t quite like it when it was first released, and it’s still not my favorite. I think my problem with the track is that it’s a bit too monotone. Also, I’m just not a big fan of ballads, which this track clearly is even though it has a guitar solo at the end.
Luckily for me, with Moonlit Fields Solarcycles picks up the pace again. The piano on the track reminds me of Nightwish again, however, the main riff is clearly folk-metal inspired.
After Moonlit Fields, however, the rest of the album became a bit blurry to me. It might be because the tracks all start to sound a bit the same at some point. Rivers of Light feels more hopeful and less gloomy than some of the other tracks. This track also features the grunts again. On a positive note, Moonblind starts off on piano and sounds like the intro could be from Ludovico Einaudi. This might very well be my second favorite track. Especially when the track kicks into gear after the first verse.
Wrath of the Sea is the heaviest track on the album, also because the guitars are more prominent on it. It feels nautical right off the bat with the chord progressions. Bind the Circle starts off in the same way most tracks have. What sets this track apart though is the heavier break in the middle of the track. Grows then Dies is the final track of the album. A final track to showcase the vocals, piano, and of course some guitar solos
Final Verdict
Solarcylces truly is a unique sound in the Dutch metal community. It’s also nice to see some (well done) symphonic/melodic folk metal to balance the heavier stuff that gets released nowadays. It brings back memories of the times when Nightwish, Evanescence, Within Temptation and folk bands like Omnia were still reigning. However, to be completely honest, after a few tracks, it doesn’t excite me as much as it did when I first heard Raven’s Call. It might be because the tracks might sound a little too much the same. It might also be because the violin has more interesting melodies than the guitars. However, highlights of the album for me are Raven’s Call, Moonblind, and maybe Moonlit Fields. If you only listen to one track from this album, I’d say listen to Raven’s Call.
Tracklisting
Nature’s Blessing
Raven’s Call
Ode to the Forest
Immeasurable Fog
Moonlit Fields
Rivers of Light
Moonblind
Wrath of the Sea
Bind the Circle
Grows then Dies
Where to find Solarcylces
You can find Solarcycles on their own website (it’s beautiful, check it out!), on Facebook, or in our database.
The Color of Rain is a new player in the Dutch Black Metal scene. Their debut album ‘Oceans Above’ is getting a lot of positive feedback, even before the official release on November 7th. MetalFromNL asked the band some questions about their origin, their inspiration, and the influence of the pandemic on their music. Check this interview to get a glimpse of what to expect from the band’s debut album!
Durden heeft een remix uitgebracht van hun track Pro Hater. De hardcore/metalcore band was al keihard, maar deze mix maakt deze track nog harder. De nieuwe mix klinkt alsof deze track altijd zo bedoeld was. Door de synths en samples trekt de track wel nog meer richting HipHop. Wat vinden jullie daarvan?
Durden has released a remix of their track Pro Hater. The hardcore/metalcore band was already loud, but this track goes through the roof. The new mix sounds like the song was meant to be played this way. However, the synths and use of samples makes this track even more HipHop now. That’s not a bad thing, right?
Op 17 november speelt ENMA een speciale accoustische set. Even genoeg harde gitaren en schreeuwende vocalen gehoord? Dan is deze accoustische set van deze Brabantse progband een mooie afwisseling. Ze spelen overigens ook een normale set. Beide sets worden live opgenomen.
On the 17th of November, ENMA will be playing a special acoustic live set. If you’ve had enough of loud guitars and screaming vocals, this acoustic set by the progband might be a nice change of pace. They are playing a normal set on the same day as well by the way, and both sets will be recorded.
Naast Within Temptation is Diggeth ook een goed exportproduct. Ze zijn net terug van hun tour in de USA en touren nu met ACDCUK voor de rest van het jaar. Knap voor een trio uit zo’n klein landje!
After Within Temptation, Diggeth is also a very good export product. They just got back from their tour in the USA. Now they’re touring with ACDCUK for the rest of the year. Pretty great for a trio from a small country!
Herrie Metalfest heeft nieuwe merch! Een nieuw shirt met krijsende zombie schapen en een shirt met de toepasselijke tekst ‘wat een herrie’. Te koop via hun webshop of op te halen tijdens Herrie Metal Fest op 11 november in Alkmaar.
Herrie Metalfest has new merch! They’ve made a new shirt with screaming zombie sheep and a shirt with the text: ‘What a noise’. You can buy the shirts through their webshop, or pick them up during Herrie Metal Fest on the 11th of November.
Afgelopen weekend (20 oktober) zou Tsjuster samen met Engorge optreden in Willemeen als onderdeel van een tour. Engorge is echter gecancelled en heeft Tsjuster de vervanging gevonden in Deadspeak voor hun optreden in Berlijn. Engorge zegt niets met de beschuldigingen te maken te hebben maar Tsjuster wil zich ver houden van alle aanteigingen dus hebben ze besloten voor de andere optredens met Engorge een andere oplossing te zoeken. Wat vind jij ervan dat Tsjuster zich zo duidelijk uitspreekt?
Last weekend (October 20th) Tsjuster was set to perform with Engorge in Willemeen as part of a tour. Engorge was cancelled, however. Tsjuster found a replacement in Deadspeak for their performance in Berlin. Engorge says they have nothing to do with the alligations, but Tsjuster doesn’t want to be tied to those alligations in any way. They’ve decided to replace Engorge for all their other tour dates as well. What do you think of that?
Krater is nu available op Vinyl. Het album uit 2016 is opnieuw uitgebracht op Vinyl. Tegelijkertijd heeft Asgrauw ook nieuwe muziek, te horen op Verloren Vertellingen, de Split EP met Hellevaerder, Schavot en Duindwaler. De review van Verloren Vertellingen volgt deze week. Welke tracks spreken jou meer aan?
Krater is now available on vinyl as well. The album from 2016 has been re-released on vinyl. At the same time, Asgrauw released new music. You can hear two new tracks on Verloren Vertellingen, the Split Ep together with Hellevaerder, Schavot, and Duindwaler. Which track do you like best? Stay tuned for the Verloren Vertellingen review!
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