Folk metal is something of a mine field these days.  There are plenty of good bands to be found, but to find them you have to fight through hordes of plastic-sword wielding pirates, and ale soaked accordion players.  Ireland’s Darkest Era is the type of band that makes running that frustrating gauntlet worthwhile for me.  With The Last Caress of Light, they remind us that folk metal is a genre that can be taken seriously, and they do it primarily by keeping things simple. 

Musically, Darkest Era have a very strong folk influence, but this influence is translated though the guitar, as opposed to grafting traditional folk instruments or keyboards on to standard metal songs.  The result is a subtle, but very consistent folk vibe that runs the course of the album.  In a way, Darkest Era remind me of their countrymen Primordial, but where Primordial’s sound is rooted in extreme metal, Darkest Era’s foundation has more in common with traditional heavy metal.  The similarities between the two bands are most apparent in their softer sections, where the metal that both bands draw influence from is not a factor.   Despite the similarities, Darkest Era is far from a clone, and the Primordial comparison is actually a pretty loose one, outside of a few spots.  

The Last Caress of Light is a well constructed album, with a unified sound, but enough variation within that sound to keep things interesting.  Album opener “The Morrigan” mixes mid-tempo metal riffing with folk inspired melodies, providing good indication of the overall direction of the album.  The contrast between the almost uplifting “Visions of The Dawn“, and the doom tinged “Beneath The Frozen Sky” demonstrate the diversity within Darkest Era‘s sound.  A point further driven home by “Path of the Gael” - an interesting and very traditional sounding acoustic song that provides a bit of a diversion near the end of the album.  “Heathen Burial” is the album’s true gem, mixing big guitar hooks with a powerful vocal performance.  Vocalist Krum does a good job in general, and manages to convey a lot of emotion with his midrange croon.  Krum has a sturdy, everyman sort of voice that fits the music and subject matter like a glove.

Darkest Era immediately stand out from many of their peers, by actually melding the folk and metal elements into a unified sound. The folk inspired guitar work of Sarah Wieghell and Ade Mulgrew is woven so tightly with the traditional metal elements that they become one.  What you have here is sort of like really heavy folk music played on guitar. Overall, The Last Caress of Light a good album with a few great moments.  More importantly, there isn’t anything that stands out as being out of place or excessive, one of the major pitfalls that other folk metal bands often struggle to avoid.   The Last Caress of Light offers a darker, more brooding experience than most similar albums, and I enjoyed it front to back.  Folk tales set to metallic folk music, with none of the self indulgence that folk metal bands tend to wallow in.  A solid release, recommended to fans of Primordial, Waylander and Skyclad.

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*Comments:

1.  The Morrigan
2.  An Ancient Fire Burns
3.  Beneath the Frozen Sky
4.  Heathen Burial
5.  Visions of the Dawn
6.  To Face the Black Tide
7.  Poem to the Gael
8.  The Last Caress of Light
      Before the Dark

Total playing time:  58:22

Release Date: Febuary 11th, 2011
Label:  Metal Blade Records

Darkest Era - The Last Caress of Light

Reviewer: Garett

April 9, 2011