Band:	Adorned Brood
Album:	Erdenkraft
Style:	Black metal, Folk metal
Release date:	March 22, 2002
A review by:	Undercraft

01. Welcome Our Friends
02. Totenmarsch
03. Lebenslied
04. Old Great Master
05. Erdenkraft
06. Der Fluch
07. Göttersehnsucht
08. Enchantment
09. Liar
10. Jenseits Des Horizonts

Folk Metal is establishing more and more these days as one of the leading sub-genres of Metal, and labels are really pushing forward the development of the genre, what started as a pretty obscure sub-genre, now is becoming the lead act of many labels and festivals.
I found myself caught in this Folk Metal frenzy with bands like Elvenking, Cruachan and Tuatha De Danann, and I began to dig up all the Folk Metal bands I could discover, that's how I bumped into Adorned Brood, a German act that I think is unknown outside their country.

Adorned Brood are no newbies in the scene, this is their fourth album and their first one to hit my record player, and I must say I'm impressed with the great quality and the excellent compositions that can be found in this album.

The album consist of Folk melodies strongly supported by a piano and a flute, in the vocal department we have ourselves a duet, the angelic voice of Ingeborg Anna (who also plays the flute) and raspy vocals of Frost, he have a great voice, his wide range goes from deep clear vocals to raspy almost shrieked vocals, just like in Black Metal.

Songs are both singed in German and English, a beautiful contrast, just like their music, the ability to put together calm medieval passages with more heavier moments is amazing, they succeed in creating the proper atmosphere that Folk Metal requires.
Among my favorite songs is "Der Flucht", "Welcome Our Friends" and the fantastic "The Old Great Master" , but really each song is a winner here, each one has the correct atmosphere and arrangements to make of it an instant classic.

This excellent album is recommended to any fan of Folk Metal, here you will find great Medieval passages countered by some aggressive moments, all of that topped with excellent production, beautiful layout and my word that is a excellent album, and that my friends, is not something I give every day.