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Nice review Marty. Fans of Heathenreel will indeed adore this album (I do!!). This is still my top pick for the year. It is so refreshing to hear Elvenking continue in such a way. I was very disappointed with Wyrd, but I new with Damnogoras’ return we would get a flawless album.

I like this album, it has a certain something that makes it nice to listen to, probably the folkyness of it. I'm kinda glad the power metal stuff went as it never felt right. But I'm not sure the heavy metal feels right either. Maybe speed would go better with their music.
Fuck, rambling again. But it's a great album and the equal of anything they've done previously, perhaps better in places.
Still prefer Korpiklaani though

Yeah, the new Korpiklaani beats this one easy.


Still a nice album. Damnagoras isn't perfect but he fits the band perfectly (the same with Jonne from Korpiklaani actually). Would he have been in a standart power metal band, the music would suffer much i think. This one gets 80/100.

Fav. songs: The Wanderer and Rouse Your Dreams

that one is on my list

Korpiklaani are very different to Elvenking, i would accept comparisons between Wuthering Heights and other power folk bands but not Korpiklaani. They are clearly inspired by the BM side of folk metal, Turisas would be a band worthy of comparing Korpiklaani with and lots of viking bands. Essentialy you are comparing BM with PM. But, if we're doing unfair comparisons, i prefer Korpiklaani to, but i've not heard this yet. I have high hopes for it as i'm a fan of all elvenking previous work and after reading the review i should buy it sooner rather then later.

Yeah, Elvenking is more similar to Skyclad than to bands like Korpiklaani, Turisas, Ensiferum, Finntroll, Moonsorrow, etc...

On the album: the first 2 songs are amazing, simply amazing, I haven't heard the rest yet

I need to pick their albums up. I haven't heard anything by them, but the Leprechaun shit is great, so I'm sure I'd like this band.

I like this better than Leprechaun. And that says a lot, seeing how I paid 17 bucks for a friggin cd-r. :roll:

Yep, a CDR that's already skipping. Pffft! (extra spittle).

Sorry but one of my friends gave this to me, I believe I broke a world record in deleting this album. Totally not my thing.

So basically you didn't give it a chance?

It's not like i've said they are similar or anything. Both bands play a variety of folk metal, it's just that the new Korpiklaani is much better. I was simply replying to Beowulf who obviously prefers Korpiklaani, that's all.

Could you explain this 'inspired by the BM side of folk metal". It seems very unlikely to me, but i don't listen BM.

I've heard a few seconds from all the songs, got the idea and deleted it immediately.

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome album!

I have no time for most power metal stuff, but this is one of my top albums this year. I think the trad metal + folk elements is what really does it for me. I'd give it a 90/100.

@ bleak: The rest of the album is at least as good, if not better than the first two songs.

I need to give this gadge more spins. I have and like all three albums, but I rarely find the time to listen to them.

I'm also in the minority who prefered Wyrd, and I think the growls on this album are not as good as Jarpen's were.

I agree that the coparison is a bit unfair as Korpiklaani is a folk band with black elements while Elvenking has the power elements, but at heart their both folk bands and over-genre-ising stuff always beugs me a bit (Rhapsody - Italian Epic Symphonic Orchestral True Power Metal with Progressive elements :evil: ).
Also I find the new Korpiklaani far less black-oriented than their previous stuff.

Now, to answer the black side of folk question.
If something is inspired by the black metal side of folk metal then the music has the normal parts of folk metal in it - like native instruments, a catchy beat and some inducement to start whirling your partner round the floor. However, it will include some black metal style in it's songs. This could be in the form of growls and screams (more prolific in viking metal which is more folk influenced black metal), there may be some blast beat drumming, the production of the album could be very raw sounding (although this may mean the band has no money), the guitars may have been compressed or down-tuned.
It's easier to say the difference between folk+power and folk+black. That is, folk+power will have some eunuch vocals but more melody, folk+black will have manly vocals but more aggression.

Anyone have more to add ?
(maybe someone can explain the musical intricacies better as I have no music talent at all)

Wyrd rules surpreme! except the new one, that sounded very bad...

good explanation, and agree about over usage of genre lables, but in this case i think its needed because the end result between the two bands is very different even though they are both in the same genre.

Yeah, the Korpiklaani can't really be compared to Elvenking so my comment was a bit unfair. But Wuthering Heights haven't put out a new album and I'm not their biggest fan anyway - although I recently listened to Far From the Madding Crowd again and though more of it, but To Travel For Evermore still doesn't sound right. Hyubris are a pretty good comparison to Elvenking though and their self titled album last year was really good, perhaps as good as this Winter Wake.
Korpiklaani is better compared to recent Finntroll or Heidevolk or heavier Skyclad (but better).