Band:	Falkenbach
Album:	Heralding - The Fireblade
Style:	Viking folk metal
Release date:	November 25, 2005
A review by:	Undercraft

01. Heathen Foray
02. ...Of Forests Unknown...
03. Hávamál
04. Roman Land
05. Heralder
06. Læknishendr
07. Walkiesjar
08. Skirnir
09. Gjallar [bonus]

This is quite impressive I must say, I wasn't expecting such a varied album with so many elements to grab. Heralding The Fireblade is an awesome album with opposite songs distributed all over the place, they share in common one thing, the epic feel that only Falkenbach can give to them. This record includes all the elements you loved from the previous 3 albums from Falkenbach, acoustic guitars, moody keyboards, clean singing, group chanting, blackened screams, rapid riffing, etc.

The album starts with an excellent choice, "Heathen Foray" is an awesome song that features a play of chants so wonderful that I was completely astonished the first time I heard how the voices intertwined. But not everything is Epic and tranquil, when we arrive at track two "Of Forests Unknown" things take a U-turn, with some old-fashioned high-speed Black Metal song, next is the beautiful "Havamal" the Viking ballad of the album, if there's anything such as a Viking ballad.

The rest of the album continues exploring both sides of the coin, rhythmic segments countered by aggressive parts, both sections united by Folk and epic passages, it's bipolar, it's varied, it's Viking Metal at its best.

The whole album is about moods, in one section you're heading to the battle in your vessel, in the other you're at the campfire listening the tales from the bards. In one section you're struggling to defeat a skilled swordsman that has crossed your way, in the other your watching how the sun sets in the mountains.
Varied is the word, aggressive yet soothing, epic yet simple, grandiose yet not pretentious, this is by far the best album Falkenbach has released in their career.