Band:	Gwydion
Album:	Ynys Mön
Style:	Viking folk metal
Release date:	2008
A review by:	Jeff

01. ...Arrival
02. Rebirth
03. Viking's Horned Parody
04. Spirals
05. Inquisition Gueries
06. Descendent Of Don
07. The trickster Of Ragnarök
08. Turning Of The Wheel

"Ynys Mön" is the first album of Gwydion, a band from Portugal. Their music is a good mix of Black Metal and Celtic music, and a bit like the old Moonspell or Ensiferum, we're in front of an album where we can find aggressive dark music and folk melodies. "Ynys Mön" is not revolutionary on a side and the production of this release is average but it's honest and the songs are good in general. This is a good start in my opinion.

The music of Gwydion is on a side some kind of Black Metal. We have really dark passages, aggressive riffs, fast tempo and Black Metal vocals but this is also really melodic and of course we have a lot of Folk Metal sonorities. This is epic and this is a pure album of Viking Black Metal with Folk instruments (especially accordion or keyboards). The voice of Ruben Almeida is tortured and a bit like with all the bands of Symphonic Black Metal, we have some really powerful and magisterial moments. Though remember this is Folk Black Metal above everything else and even if it's violent you can be sure that the songs will always been leaded by Folk Melodies. You know what? It's well done and even if "Ynys Mön" is not so surprising on a side (some other bands have already plays the same music?) it's honest and catchy Metal.

The principal problem of "Ynys Mön" comes from its really average production. Really the songs are good but the recording is really bad and the music like the instruments is too loud really. We even have some bad noise sometime and that's a bit sad for a band which uses Folk instruments like accordion? That's really sad "Ynys Mön" is a good album of Folk/Viking Black Metal and this is only this problem of production which will decrease its final rating?

Between Finntroll, Ensiferum, Turisas and the old Moonspell, the music of Gwydion is really pleasant. This release of dark Viking Metal is maybe not perfect but all in all "Ynys Mön" is a good way to begin the career of Gwydion. If you don't mind bad productions check this release, this is not perfect, not really original but at least that's good music and that's the most important thing for us don't you think?