Elvenking - The Scythe review
| Band: | Elvenking |
| Album: | The Scythe |
| Style: | Folk metal, Power metal |
| Release date: | September 14, 2007 |
| A review by: | Jeff |
01. The Scythe
02. Lost Hill Of Memories
03. Infection
04. Poison Tears
05. A Riddle Of Stars
06. Romance & Wrath
07. The Divided Heart
08. Horns Ablaze [Japanese and limited edition Digipak bonus]
09. Totentanz
10. Death And The Suffering
11. Dominhate
12. The Open Beach [Japanese bonus]
+ The Divided Heart [video] [limited edition Digipak bonus]
What's happening to Elvenking? Damn, with their previous release 'The Winter Wake' I was already a bit disappointed in comparison with their two first really good albums but unfortunately, the worst has come now with 'The Scythe'... Things must be said, Elvenking is not a Folk Metal band anymore and only play Power with some few Folk touches... That's sad...
The fact that you add some little violins in the background of your music doesn't mean that you play Folk Metal. If some of you still don't know how this really original Metal can be achieved, you just have to check out Korpiklaani and such bands to understand that Folk doesn't mean Power Metal. The Scythe is an album of basic Power Metal and really I don't understand how Elvenking came to this point. In the past they used to play nice Folk (with Power Metal touches also, that's right) but now, it's just fast rhythm and epic melodic riffs and nothing more. Of course, a few folk elements like the violins are still there but it was a leading instrument in the past, now it's just become some kind of accompaniment and that's really sad... Elvenking probably wants to change or evolve but when they were an original band in the past, it seems nonsensical. This is now just a new combo of Power Metal... And we already have a ton of bands like that...
The Scythe is not a bad album though. The songs are good with a great recording and on more than one occasion the members (especially the singer with his classy voice) are convincing. The medieval ballads like 'Totentanz' are cool but all in all a song like 'The Scythe' is too 'Euro Power' for me... The heavier and more brutal songs like 'Death And The Suffering' are surprising and not bad too but I will say it again I miss the real folk elements! Elvenking should think about it for their future albums, their fans still want Folk stuff in their music and if they can mix it with the music of The Scythe they will be happy!
I'm disappointed by this release and I was expecting something better really. Elvenking is not dead yet but they seriously need to react as soon as possible if they don't want to become a new average and conventional Power Metal band. Let's say that it's just a mistake and let's hope that Elvenking will remember their first musical influences for their future albums.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Jeff | 22.10.2007
Comments
Comments: 26
Visited by: 143 users
| Bararey Winter is Coming Elite Posts: 3139  |
OK so overall the album is not bad, it is just your disappointment in this release, not being inline with the first two albums, that led to the 6.8 rating?
---- "Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died." Ser Jorah Mormont
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| schwanderen Posts: 32 |
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698  |
Biggest disappointment for me... it seems that they lost their originality feeling and trying to become something else... Biggest let-down of the year for me... 
---- Bitch! Please
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| Snows666 Posts: 3 |
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| Deadsoulman Elite Posts: 8004  |
Written by schwanderen on 22.10.2007 at 15:16 Really? All the information I found about the Japanese bonus tracks for The Scythe say the song is "The Open Beach". I haven't found "The Open Branch" anywhere 
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| Unconsecrated Perpetual Ascent Posts: 868  |
I agree with the review, i miss the folk elements. Imo it's not a bad album, but i hope that in their next albums introduce more folk elements. I hope that this album is just a "bad phase".
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| Ernis 狼獾 Posts: 6815  |
I always used to love Elvenking.....their first two releases were grand, especially the one with Kleid as the lead singer, the third album was normal....but now....Elvenking's still among my favourites....but this album is bad....it isn't catastrophic but it's weak compared to their other works....Jeff formulated all the reasons very well...."The Scythe" is unfortunately a letdown indeed...I hope sincerely the band will come up with something better with their next release.....
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| Iced Dog Posts: 370  |
Seems a lot of Elvenking fans are disappointed with The Scythe, but I find this to be an absolutely brilliant piece of work, and is my favorite Elvenking release to date. I love the added growls and heavier riffs, while there remains a strong violin presence. The production and guitar tones are also better than on past albums.
---- 
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
Hm, I can see where your coming from, but since I only own the winter wake im not too familiar with Elvenking (so I have very little expectations to live up to), but it sounds like id really be into this by the description you gave.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Ernis 狼獾 Posts: 6815 |
@Astaroth_666....in fact even the album cover seems cliché here and doesn't suit Elvenking at all.....
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| oLjud Posts: 15 |
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| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 840  |
Written by [user id=23404] on 25.10.2007 at 07:30 I actually gave the CD away and kept the cover xD
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| Sentenced Odiin gothic.moorion@gmail.com Posts: 260  |
unfortunetly the reviewer is very right in my opinion...the good and happy folk elements are missing and these elements are very important in elvenking.waiting for new album with the old style!
---- Life has given me much, maybe taken more...
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| JayAreVee Posts: 7 |
Written by [user id=27587] on 13.12.2007 at 21:58 Like electric guitars?  (jk)
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| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 840 |
piece of shit, nothing else can describe it... Just a pile of shitty radio friendly songs
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
Surely a disaster while you know, what they were capable of before
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
To be honest, their folk elements were not their best feature. Power metal always seemed better in their sound, and with just some hints of folk parts this become one of their best efforts. Not a dissapointment to me, songs without the pretentious complexness of The Winter Wake, a fresher album, catchy because it has to be, and because their music sound better this way. Great album. One of the best from Elvenking. Just lose to Wyrd.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| lord artan Posts: 297  |
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| ChrisWinther Posts: 123  |
Great album actually. More power metal than folk, but it is a good album.
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| MétalNoir Fils du Lys Posts: 847  |
Written by ChrisWinther on 10.09.2010 at 20:16 Agreed. In my opinion their first two were cheesy as fuck and pretty much annoying, particularly because the vocals were horrible. I definitely prefer post- The Winter Wake albums: their last three are great, though very different from each other. Depends on your metallic tastes; extreme metal fans will prefer The Scythe with its melodeath bits while heavy/power metal fans will like old albums better.
---- Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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| The Norseman Posts: 78  |
Well, an opinion is always an opinion, everyone has the right to one. Personally, I believe this is a great album, very refreshing and while it made me twitch my nose at first in the end I was loving it. People usually like to criticize bands for reusing always the same formula. Well, you can't criticize Elvenking for that, they keep reinventing themselves. Love "Dominhate" btw.
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