Northland - Downfall And Rebirth

The first listen didn't wow me too much. It's really grown on me the past couple of listens.

Missing the polka feel of the first album, as well as some of the "fun" they had with tracks like Old Town's Inn. They went towards a more broader orchestral sound.

One thing I don't like is that they seem to be cleaning up the vocals a bit. I loved that Murillo's clean vocals sounded so dirty in the first album, to the point of not hitting the note sometimes. It felt authentic and passionate. That being said, his vocal performance is still better than the first album.

Probably one of the strongest folk releases we'll get in 2015. They remind me a bit of Suidakra though I don't have the technical expertise to say why (and don't wish to dminish their work with comparisons). Only that a lot of their songs will have melodies that come fast and furiously but the folk instrumentation always keeps up and never falls to the background. This allows someone like me who usually enjoys a slower tempo in my metal to stay interested in the music. That dichomoty between harsh and clean vocals, between fast melodies and folk interludes is why I enjoy folk metal. These guys do it excellently.