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REVIEWS
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Jesse  •  M.J.  •  J.A. Burt  •  Peter    
Rottenbucher  •  Chris  •  Phil Wickstrand
Roswell47  •  Garett  •  Greg
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STAFF TOP TEN PICKS
The “Maniac” cover aside, this is another solid effort in power metal from Gus G. and crew.  Songs such as “Mercenary Man” and “Head up High” are destined to be metal anthems for the foreseeable future.
Firewind - The Premonition
10
BAND'S WEBSITE
MYSPACE
Dornenreich - In Luft Geritzt
9
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Dornenreich takes a little detour to make some of the most haunting music of the year.  Ghostly vocals and masterful violin playing create an atmosphere that would be perfect for a night out in the bitter cold.
Ayat - Six Years of Dormant Hatred
8
Most people only know of this band because they are from Lebanon, a country that sees as much strife and war as some of its Middle Eastern neighbors.  With this album, they make sure that people remember them by the extraordinary amount of hatred towards the country’s values combined with some excellent punk tinged black metal and raw vocals.
Velnias - Sovereign Nocturnal
7
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Organic in every sense of the word, this Illinois trio creates some mind-controlling doom/folk metal that is bound to grab hold of you and never let go.  Some people may say they take after Wolves in the Throne Room.  Not a bad place to start, but Velnias is its own band and its music stands on its own.
Eluveitie - Slania
6
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Folk metal with some melodic death metal elements, this was one of the bands that were signed to Nuclear Blast in an effort to capitalize on the folk metal uprising.  Consider this exhibit A on just how right the label is, as both elements work well together while maintaining a sense of the traditional with some fine instrumentals.  The vocals also add a new dimension to the sound, as well.
Daylight Dies - Lost to the Living
5
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Criminally underrated year after year, all Daylight Dies ever does is release solid doom metal albums when they get the chance.  Lost to the Living is no exception, as the guitars provide a sense of doom and sorrow while keeping the head moving at all times.  The vocals add versatility to the mix and there is never a dull moment on the nine tracks.
Thayer Cabin - Thayer Cabin
2
MYSPACE
Guitar driven folk music that could just as easily be the music to a backwoods journey.  It helps that the great guitar work is accented by sounds of chainsaws, the creaking of doors opening, and what appears to sound like a jug band somewhere in the proceedings.
Darkestrah - The Great Silk Road
4
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
If Epos was your first exposure to Darkestrah, then The Great Silk Road takes that experience a step further.  Black metal with folk elements from their native land of Kazakhstan and strong black metal vocals from a female, this is one of the surprise releases of the year and there is much on the album that suggests the band will only get better.
Falconer - Among Beggars and Thieves
3
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Epic folk metal done right.  Falconer continues to rehab its image after an awful 2005 release of Grime vs. Grandeur and does so with vocals that are reminiscent of a storyteller and music that adds a soundtrack for those who fantasize about being the hero in a legendary saga.
Heidevolk - Walhalla Wacht
1
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Dutch folk metal that can not only cause heads to move back and forth in a sometimes violent fashion, but also get the feet moving.  Music that is characteristic of the band’s origins, this album comes up with one of the more catchy songs in “Saksenland” and may even cause the listener to investigate further the band’s ancestry.
Please check out my full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
Please check out my full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
While it would be fair to include either the new Iced Earth or Cryptopsy as the biggest disappointment, Iced Earth manages to avoid the worst by having a great live set at Chicago Powerfest while I was smart enough to not even bother with the new Cryptopsy.  So that leaves the new Into Eternity.  So much in the way of expectations combined with a rarely failing approach to music based on their previous albums, The Incurable Tragedy just abandons what got them there and goes for a rather paint by numbers approach.  Vocals patterns that are predictable combined with a music approach that is just void of anything memorable.  The music ability is still there, but I just couldn’t remember anything they did off of the album.
2008 wasn’t necessarily filled with albums that could claim to be monumental.  However, there were many solid efforts that can make putting together a top ten list difficult.  So, imagine the daunting task that was ahead of me when it came time to come up with ten of the best albums from 2008.  Among the bands that came out with new albums were Metallica, Testament, Iced Earth, Opeth, and AC/DC.  Based on name recognition, one would figure that 2008 would be a great year for music.  However, some bands either fell short of expectations (Iced Earth) or ended up making an album that to  some people, including myself, came too little, too late (Guns ‘N Roses, Metallica).  2008 also saw the further ascension of the folk metal genre and as evidenced by my top ten list for 2008; the folk metal genre isn’t going to go away any time soon.
2008
2008
2008
Peter
Interviewer, Reporter, Music and Movie Reviewer
YEAR END REVIEW
Into Eternity - The Incurable Tragedy
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Arkona will be the biggest name in the folk metal scene.  2008 was the band’s introduction to the world at large.  Signing with Napalm Records earlier in the year, they put out Ot Serdca k Nebu, an album that many more people finally got to hear what the few who had access to their earlier works already knew.  2009 promises to be even bigger, with a possible new album and DVD in the works.
2009 FORECAST
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STAFF TOP 10 LISTS
Jesse - 2008 2009 2010 2011
M. J. - 2008 2009 2010 2011
J. A. Burt - 2008 2009 2010 2011
Peter - 2008 2009 2010 2011
Rottenbucher - 2008 2009 2010
                          2011
Chris - 2009 2010 2011
Roswell47 - 2010 2011
Phil A. Wickstrand - 2010 2011
Garett - 2010 2011
Greg -  2010 2011
Lynora - 2009 2010
The Stream - 2009 2010
Deathstalker -  2009
Ilmarinen -  2008
Matt -  2008  2009
Kesh -  2009
Dinah -  2009
Phil A. -  2009