Here are two more recent songs I heard over the weekend. They seemed like a fitting pair, and (as you’ll discover) not only because the band” names both begin with F.
FALKENBACH
Falkenbach is the German one-man project of Vratyas Vakyas. Since 1996 he has released five albums on an irregular and unpredictable schedule, the last being 2011’s Tiurida. Apparently, a new one named Asa is now in the works, and about 10 days ago Falkenbach released a lyric video for the first single from the album, a song named “Eweroun”. It has hypnotized me in short order.
From the beginning introductory passage, which features acoustic strumming and a somber folk melody voiced in a clean baritone, straight through the balance of the song, with heavier instrumentation joining the acoustic guitar and the vocals rising in range, it’s extremely memorable. It makes a virtue of simplicity, though it’s far from simplistic. If that makes any sense. Which it probably doesn’t.
Asa will be released by Prophecy Productions later this year, and some vinyl copies of “Eweroun” are still left at the Prophecy site.
By the way, I think it’s awesome that the video displays stylized lyrics that you won’t understand unless you happen to read Icelandic. At least I assume that’s what the words are; I’ve read that Falkenbach also writes some of his lyrics in Norræna (old Icelandic). But really, I have no idea . . . except I like what I see, and the photographic imagery suits the song as well.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Falkenbach/57711760808
FROSTSEELE
FrostSeele is a German musician who early last year released a debut album named PrækΩsmium and is now planning for the release of its follow-up, Saat Der Sterne. I was unfamiliar with FrostSeele until I saw that the new album’s opening track, “(Gebär)Mutter Erde” had appeared for streaming on Bandcamp, and curiosity got the best of me.
The music begins with the building of layers: first, slow acoustic guitar chords; then thumping hand drums; then dissonant, distorted, electric guitar, and finally, a lead electric guitar melody. And once this folk-influenced edifice (which reminds me of Burzum) has been built, the song changes, with a wash of tremolo’d guitar, blast-beat drumming, and the strangled, harsh cries of the vocalist.
It’s a long song, and still more variation comes before the end, with more acoustic guitar (performing what sounds to me like a Spanish-style melody) as well as some infectious riffing, and a rising melody that’s easy to embrace. I’ve listened to the song a half-dozen times, and I’m still entranced by it.
Saat Der Sterne is set for release on June 1. It will be made available digitally on Bandcamp, and physical copies can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp as well; the link is below. Here’s that opening song, plus links:
https://www.facebook.com/frostseele
http://frostseele.bandcamp.com
13 Responses to “FALKENBACH AND FROSTSEELE”
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love the epic feel of Eweroun, and the video’s imagery is gorgeous
I completely agree — the song is so powerful, and those small reappearing moments of acoustic picking are just ridiculously memorable, as is the melody as a whole. And the vocals . . . amazing.
That new Falkenbach song is just gorgeous… goddamn
I’m feeling even more like an ignorant dick than usual, never having listened to more of Falkenbach than a song here or there in the past. This is one album I won’t miss when it comes.
Second that.. so mellow – bring on the album!
FrostSteele Is pretty good too. Looking forward to both, they make me want to run through untamed wilderness and mountain path!
With a sword in hand . . .
That new Falkenbach song is fantastic.
Wow! I haven’t seen a comment from you in ages. Welcome back!
Thank you 🙂 I’m happy you even remembered me at all, since I didn’t contribute much in the first place.
I still read some posts occasionally, but I honestly haven’t been listening to much metal at all. I kind of had/have a “hiatus” from metal, so I hadn’t been keeping up hardly for the past year and a half or so. There were just some aspects of metal music and metal culture that began to seem unappealing to me, and I just haven’t been as passionate about it. I almost feel like the way I did before I liked metal, like I just don’t understand it at all. I don’t know how this “regression” started, but that’s the way it is. Of course, like I’ve said in the past, I like the writing of this blog regardless of whether I care about the subject matter, I just always laugh when I read the posts here.
I do remember your comments, which were always welcome, as well as your icon. 🙂 And I’m glad you still get something out of the posts, even if most of the music isn’t currently appealing to you. I hope, every now and then, I’ll find something that strikes a chord with you. This Falkenbach song seems to have done that with many people. I like it more and more, the more I listen to it.
Not sure how I managed to remain ignorant so long of an Icelandic act that features a somber baritone and folk melody, but takk fyrir for fixing that.
You’re most welcome. I’m kind of amazed I found an Icelandic band whose music you didn’t already know intimately, so I’m happy!