Absu - Stone of Destiny
a bit linear and a bit calculated, i tend to like them better when they're more direct. cool tho. 7/10
Samhain - Initium/Samhain
over half the song is a pointless intro. the song itself is the kind of danzig platter i love, more or less. w/e it's just about metal enough. 8/10
The Lord Weird Slough Feg - The Wickerman
there are some killer songs with just about every album (think i gave a 9 to an earlier pick in the mixtape game), but there's always been something a little showy and gimmicky about this band to me (i imagine they work better live). this song leaves me a little ambivalent in the first half but i rather enjoy the extended solo, probably 'cause it's closer to being pure folk rock. 7/10
Primordial - Sons of the Morrigan
it's exhausting when they do this same bombastic thing over a whole album (i'd rather go for something with a bit more restraint and texture like early aeternus), but in small doses it's a lot of fun. helluva vocal performance. 8/10
Doomsword - Death Of Ferdia
vintage epic metal, goes on a bit and i'm not fond of the production. they're that rare band whose last album might actually be their best (along with RESOUND THE HORN anyways). 7/10
Eluveitie - King
get rid of the aggressive chugging and i'd probably not mind this. 3/10
Morrigan - Dance Of The Leprechaun
i specifically messaged kiwi david on FB to tell him there was a morrigan-ready theme going as he's a total fanboy, but his clone beat him to it. they might be the best of all the bathory acolytes. the woman who moderated metal rules/metal archives and kept banning me was called morrigan - metal rules is overrun by spam bots now so i got the last laugh. 9/10
Belenos - Ensorcelé
always hits the spot. super evocative, not in a particularly subtle way but it's just a very satisfying sound. 9/10
Heol Telwen - Enez Glaz
nice twenty minute flute solo. i actually like the sound of this, just not the rushed bouncy songwriting. gimme nokturnal mortum instead thx 6/10
Mael Mórdha - The Doom of the Races of Éire
this is all just blurring together at this point. 6/10
Lost Horizon - Highlander (The One)
i used to like these guys quite a bit but i wish they'd, y'know, tidy up a bit. vocals and some of the leads are really strong. might give it an 8 if it was more on theme. 7/10
Pagan Altar - The Crowman
musicianship and production is still unimpeachable, but too much of a laid back jam for my tastes, and i'm not fond of his vocals in this context (or any context really, but he suited the earlier stuff better). would give a 7 if on theme. 6/10
