Anthesis

EDIT: 90 -> 82 Oops 90 was too high…

A really beautiful album. The blend of folk and black metal is done better than most bands that try and merge these two genres. The flow of the album is really good. Emily Highfield’s voice sounds absolutely marvelous on here. The strings sections feel so alive and the metal is truly pummeling. I’ll have to give this a few more listens to decide if 90 is too low. Wonderful.

A great integration of folk and black metal. Most of the songs begin with a purely folk passage that ultimately leads to a blast beat filled black metal assault. The focus is clearly more into the folk side, but it suffers due to production. The folk guitars especially don't feel as authentic. Especially when comparing to my favourites: Agalloch, Wilderun or Moonsorrow. Folk is approached more in a atmospheric and serene style, rather than authentic and acoustic. The album is great, but I ... read more