Chinese folk metal band Nine Treasures is back with its second full length effort: an eponymously titled work that was released physically at the end of the year 2013 and digitally half a year later. The six young men from Inner Mongolia continue their harmonious mixture of Mongolian folk music combined with energizing and gripping metal riffs. A few things have changed since the band’s first album Arvan Ald Guulin Hunshoor, as the band is now sounds more inspired by heavy metal riffs than by thrash or even punk. The songwriting has also evolved, as the new tracks all sound slightly different and not as exchangeable as the songs from the first output. While the band has kept its joyous and liberating atmosphere, the new songs also include more longing and melancholic passages, adding new dimension to the sound. Nine Treasures includes nine original songs and reaches a length slightly above thirty-five minutes (which, compared to the debut, is a step in the right direction). All in all, the band’s sophomore effort sounds like an improved and more dynamic version of its first strike. If you enjoyed Arvan Ald Guulin Honshoor, you will adore the new record.

All tracks on this album are enjoyable and there’s no filler to be found. My first personal favorite is “Tes River’s Hymn”, which opens with vivid percussion, almost industrial-sounding guitar riffs, and a bass drive that pushes the track forward. The fast and raspy vocals are not far from the traditional throat singing that defines an important part of Mongolian folk music. The mixture of modern and traditional elements works very well in this track, which manages to sound unique and distinctive from similar bands like Tengger Cavalry. Fans of bands like Korpiklaani and Metsatöll should also feel right at home listening to this song.

“Sonsii” is more folk oriented and features many beautiful melodies, as well as a really catchy chorus. This song is the obvious single choice on the album, and you probably won’t forget its chorus anytime soon. Fans of The Samans or even Eluveitie should definitely dig this song, as the instrumental middle heads for extreme metal territory. The interesting thing is that the song always remains accessible and melodic.

“Fable Of Mangas” is one of the band’s most progressive songs. The galloping riffs lead from darker territories to joyous tones and back again. This song never gets boring and is more passionate than the other tracks. The vocals are cleaner than usual and experiment a bit here and there with almost spoken word verses. The chorus goes back to the band’s catchy throat singing, and ties the song coherently together. The middle part comes along with a beautiful electric guitar solo instead of the typical, folk-drive interlude. This track really proves how much the song writing of Nine Treasures has improved in only a year and a half between the two studio albums.

Another song that needs to be pointed out is the instrumental “The Dream About The Ancient City”. The song is relaxing and exotic, but also manages to be engaging and joyous. It immediately made me think of a Mongolian version of Nightwish’s “Last Of The Wilds”, which is one of my favorite instrumentals. This great track is anything but a filler.

It’s a pleasure to listen to this record, and it really puts a smile on my face. Nine Treasures has evolved from its solid debut to deliver a very strong sophomore effort. The songwriting has become more distinct, experimental, and open-minded. The band has improved everywhere and delivers great melodies, more progressive songs, and strong instrumental tracks. Fans of bands like Ego Fall, Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Metsatöll, Nightwish, Tengger Cavalry, Voodoo Kungfu, and the likes should definitely give Nine Treasure’s second output a few well deserved spins.

Originallt written for Black Wind Metal

Therion’s second full length album was recorded and mixed in December of 1991 and released quickly in January of 1992. The band worked as a trio on its sophomore release, and even though this can still be called more or less a death metal record, Therion sounds much more progressive here than on the very straightforward Of Darkness….

Opener “Future Consciousness” starts with a fast and pitiless mixture of death and thrash metal, but the rhythm section, and in particular the drum play, already sounds much more varied than on the debut. As the opener goes on, it ventures into a heavier mid-tempo section. Toward the end, the track slows even more and becomes almost doomy. A slow, melodic guitar solo and a decent use of keyboard then leads into a surprisingly beautiful finale. The opening track is full of great ideas without denying the band’s roots, and the song writing and production already sound much more consistent and elaborate than just one year earlier.

The band heads continuously further into experimental territory. “Symphony Of The Dead” features more atmospheric keyboard sounds as well as soprano vocals and classically styled clean male vocals by two guest musicians. The epic, bleak atmosphere and the sophisticated mixture of genres take the place of the typical technical ecstasy of the extreme metal approach. For the very first time, one gets to hear a prototype of the sound that would make Therion famous a few years later. The bleak album closer, “Paths”, uses a very similar approach. Interestingly, at this point in its career, Therion is playing more or less the kind of music that bands like Crematory and Moonspell would become very successful with several years down the road.

The most outstanding song on this record, and one of the best songs in Therion’s long and varied career, is “The Way”: an atmospheric epic with a running time above eleven minutes. It’s a largely instrumental, mid-tempo track featuring many samples of doom and gothic metal filling its long passages with a smooth flow that never gets boring if you like these genres. In addition to this solid base, the track includes some stunning surprises like short Asian instrument samples from keyboardist and guitarist Peter Hansson, a versatile drumming performance by Oskar Forss, and the surprisingly laid back guitar tone of Christofer Johnsson in the last third of the track. The more I listen to this complex (but not overly complicated) song, the more it impresses and grows on me.

Beyond Sanctorum was a big step forward for Therion. The band steadily shifted into more experimental doom and gothic metal territory, and had already set out to develop its own avant-garde sound. Extreme metal purists won’t like this progression, but fans of Therion’s future symphonic metal records without too much aversion to the extreme should try this album out. Despite a few fillers here and there, Beyond Sanctorum is an overlooked early milestone of what would become Scandinavian gothic metal, and should definitely be revisited for those who have forgotten it.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Two years after the outstanding self-titled debut from power metal and melodic rock supergroup Unisonic, the quintet is back in full strength with its sophomore output entitled Light Of Dawn. While many people I know didn’t appreciate the debut, it was because it focused less on power metal and more on rock accessibility. I admit that I adored this lighter style, and thought that the record featured striking anthems with great melodies and touching lyrics. Light Of Dawn is overall a little bit heavier than its predecessor, which should please the heavy and power metal fans, but the band kept its sense for great emotions, charming melodies, and moving lyrics. In my opinion, both records are equally strong, but I slightly prefer the debut because it sounded different from many genre colleagues thanks to a more AOR-inspired sound.

While the first record opened with the unforgettable and energizing “Unisonic”, Light Of Dawn kicks off just as well with the vivid “Your Time Has Come”, which sounds like it could have been among the best songs from a Helloween record out of the eighties. The band is back with melodies that touch your heart and soul, such as the liberating “Exceptional”, which could be compared to the brilliant “Never Too Late” from the previous record. Other potential single candidates include the charming retro rocker “Manhunter”, with its warm chorus, and the light and positive bonus track “Judgement Day”.

Another standout track is “Night Of The Long Knives”, which starts in a slow, subtle way before the song evolves into a mid-tempo paced tune with remarkable vocal melodies. Michael Kiske delivers one of his most varied performances ever. The song has a nostalgic touch and reminds me of commercial hard rock and heavy metal of the eighties, but this happens in a very authentic and warm way instead of feeling boring and old-fashioned. “Blood” has a similar style, and starts with harmonious acoustic guitars before the song grows emotional and vivid. Kiske philosophizes about God in this song, and I must admit that the message and the lyrics of this track really touch and inspire me. I almost forgot that I had a religious side in myself, and this song has helped to awaken it again.

Unisonic varies its approach between charming melodic rock and gripping power metal with intelligent lyrics throughout the album. If it was left to me to decide, the band members would immediately put their other involvements aside and only focus on Unisonic, because the band’s first two albums easily beat anything released by their main bands, and I consider these records to be among the greatest AOR and European power metal albums of the last few years. Light Of Dawn is a ride of pure fun with depth and a concept behind it. If you enjoyed the debut, you can expect more from this release. If you didn’t appreciate the first strike however, you may like the fact that this new album is a little bit straighter and heavier. In my opinion, the two complement each other very well, are equally fantastic, and well worth your time and money if you care for this kind of music.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

I guess there’s no need to introduce this quintet from the United Kingdom. Alestorm is still delivering its vivid mixture of folk and power metal built around simplistic lyrics which the band imagines applies to the life of pirates. While the band has improved its live performance, where its music works much better than in the studio (as one can see and hear on the highly recommended Live At The End Of The World), the band’s fourth full length release, Sunset On The Golden Age, is an entirely entertaining effort that works better than the previous Back Through Time.

From the first few sounds of the energizing opener “Walk The Plank” onward, Alestorm brings its by now signature sound to bear, involving sea-shanty inspired keyboard, solid riffs, catchy melodies, raw vocals, and simple, shout-along choruses made for concert play. The whole thing is crowned by an aggressive guitar solo and a laid back bridge. The band starts the pirate party very well, and continues to do so without delivering any fillers (provided you enjoy this sort of thing). As highlights, I would first cite the hymn “Drink!”, which is so simple that it works surprisingly well. Dumb as it may be, it’s impossible for me to hear this song without a stupid grin on my face. Another track worth mentioning is the cover version of Taio Cruz’s “Hangover”, which absolutely blends in, sounding like a classic Alestorm track. “Magnetic North” and “Surf Squid Warfare” have a few more modern influences including some metalcore passages in the former and short growls in the latter. These little experiments keep the record diverse and interesting enough to keep going in style.

There are two longer songs on the album. “1741 (The Battle Of Cartagena)” opens with video game samples that one would expect from Dragonforce or Kokumaromilk, but turns out to be one of the most epic and gripping songs in Alestorm’s career. This is maybe the best song on this release, as it remains engaging and memorable the whole way through, and surpasses the band’s usual lyrical topics for something historical. The title track, “Sunset On The Golden Age”, is Alestorm’s longest track to date, with a length around eleven minutes and a half. Sadly, this song is also among the weakest, since it gets quite repetitive and drags on for far too long. The mid-tempo pace has a few decent melodies and would have been a good song if its length had been around five minutes. As it is now, the song doesn’t fit in with the shorter and more energizing tracks that form the rest of the record, and ends a great album on a very mediocre note.

Despite the rather disappointing title song, Alestorm delivers its best studio album (along with Black Sails At Midnight) in my opinion. To my surprise, the band’s predictable musical and lyrical approach still sounds fresh to my ears ten years after its foundation under the banner of Battleheart. The limited edition of this release features five acoustic versions of Alestorm classics, plus a bonus track where the band proves that they are actually decent musicians(!). I would recommend faithful fans of the band buy this limited edition release, while occasional listeners go for the regular release. I usually prefer more original and sophisticated music, but a simple, energizing, and charming record like this can be a true relief from time to time. It’s why Sunset On The Golden Age will easily make it to my list of this year’s favorites.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Mongol is a folk metal band with influences of melodic death and some black metal vocalizations here and there. The whole concept of the band turns around Mongolian culture, but the septet hails from Devon in Alberta, and so is a young Canadian band. Founded back in 2009, the septet released an EP in 2010, followed by debut record The Altan Urug in 2012, which experimented with German film samples and convinced me with its clever use of alternative instrumentation, such as accordion and especially banjo. Mongol is now back with a new full length effort entitled Chosen By Tengri, which is well worth your attention if you care at all for Asian folklore and history.

The songs on this record can roughly be separated into three categories. Some tracks are above mid-tempo, and employ a lot of melodic death metal instead of focusing too much on the folky delivery. Vivid opener “Clans Carve The Way“ is a good example of this, and fans of bands such as Children Of Bodom should like these songs quite well.

The second variety of songs here is much more elaborate, and incorporates an atmosphere that is supported by multiple male vocal efforts in the choruses, as well as occasional female guest vocals that add a certain grace to the raw and romantic Mongolian folklore. Title track “Chosen By Tengri“ and “The Last Ride Of The Merkits“ (the second of which comes around with almost mechanical vocal passages that recall Mongolian throat singing) are perfect examples of this category, and probably also the best songs on this release. Fans of bands such as Eluveitie and Arkona should dig these tracks.

The third type of song here is even more interesting. It concentrates more on lengthy instrumental sections that develop a longing and nature-bound atmosphere. The “folk” instruments also have more space in these songs. The best example here is the closing “Whispering Winds“, where the title is pretty self-explanatory. It’s maybe not the best or most representative track on the album, but rather by far the most original and outstanding. It recalls several very authentic folk metal bands from Inner Mongolia such as Tengger Cavalry or Nine Treasures. I sincerely hope that the band will come around with more similar song ideas in the future.

In comparison to the band’s first release, Mongol seems to have found its magic potion, and the songwriting feels more coherent and mature. On the other hand, I liked the first record’s more experimental side, and think that it employed the folk instruments better than the follow up, while the metal passages sound much better from a melodic and technical point of view on the new album. Both releases are of a good to very good quality, but I slightly prefer the first, though the second can still be seen as a step forward. On a side note, I want to congratulate Jose Arias, who created the cover artwork for Chosen By Tengri, which I find to be authentic, beautiful, epic, and would make for an amazing flag or poster motif as well. If you care for more and more popular Mongolian folk metal, or just folk metal in general, Mongol is a must.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal