Lord Wind - "Ales Stenar" (2012)

Lord Wind

"Ales Stenar"

Wolftyr Prods.

2012

Lord Wind is a medievel/neofolk project of Rob Darken, mostly known from his other project Graveland. A year before he released his 5th folk album, called as you can see "Ales Stenar". And what it contains?
First of all, the music is completely instrumental. Quite often we can hear choir samples made on keyboard, but this is the only exception. For most of the time the music bases on calm tunes played in middle-tempo on traditional instruments. Darken is obviously inspired by celtic and nordic music, along with some epic movie soundtracks - and a proof we can find in the track number eight. It is a (let say) cover of theme song taken from "Conan" movie (and I don't know which one, since I am not as big fan of the Cimmerian as Rob ;]). All the songs are played in the same way - they have similar tempos, and are played on similar instruments. We can here viola here, mentioned choirs and sometimes some keyboard-based background effects, horns, percussion, wooden fluets and propably some other things. And well, I must say that I enjoy this album very much. It's nothing extremely deep, but to be honest it is a true pleasure when the music flows in headphones during some long trip in a forest or on countryside. It's a bit hypnotic from one side, but also in some way epic. Just listen to any of this songs, close your eyes and you will see beautiful landscapes of vast, grass plains or huge, frozen mountains. If you have at least minimum of imagination of course haha! Personally I am impressed, because otherwise than some people think it's hard to play simple music in such way that it sounds interesting. Rob defenitely achieved this goal - the music passes so quickly that I have to constantly push the replay button again and again.

Oh, and by the way - the production of this album is really perfect. I enjoy it very much - if you have listened to last Graveland's albums you should know what I am talking about.
Well, I think that's it. There is nothing more to talk about - you like that kind of playing or not. If you're a fan of medieval and neofolk music you will surely like "Ales Stenar". If not, you should try either - maybe it turns out that this album suits your taste. As for me, I am sure that this longplay will be an often guest in my music player.

Rate: 9/10
Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. Ales Stenar

2. Taken by Your Eyes

3. Music of the Gods

4. Nothing Is Dark During Sunrise

5. Freya come to us!

6. Invisible Door to Oblivion

7. El Cid

8. Temple od Snakes

9. Cult of Seth

10. Epic Dawn Begins

Nhor - "Within the Darkness Between the Starlight" (2013)

Nhor

"Within the Darkness Between the Starlight"

Prophecy Prods.

2013

This is the 3rd album of the english one-man project Nhor. I've never heard about it before, but that's why Metal Archives exists, huh? So, before the listening I've learnt that the band is playing black/doom metal, with additional adjectives such as "atmospheric" and "ambient". And what it means in reality? 

If you will listen to this album for the first time, you will initially get the impression that the base here is quite raw, fast black metal, mixed with many doom metal parts. That's because of the first two tracks (even if in the second track there are some female laments mixed with screeching guitar sounds). The vocals are howling like some lost forgotten sad spirit (hehe), the riffs are being played fast (but not unduly) and drums are raging in the background. Yet thanks to a specific production it doesn't sound excessively powerfull, so don't expect blasphemously strong power similar to Marduk.

Since the third track starts, "Patient Hunter, Patient Night" the music strongly slows down. Nhor starts to create more tranquil atmosphere, full of once again screeching guitar riffs and piano-like synths played on keyboard. From time to time he is breaking up again with fast blast beats and tremolo pics, only to return later again to quiter forms of expression. He often uses clean guitars, but in that kind of playing it's really nothing new; yet he's doing it with fineness, so it doesn't sounds like some cheap weeping for depressed teenagers. 

Most of the tracks are really long (something about 10 minutes) and they deliberately flow, creating a nostalgic, sometimes a bit melancholic atmosphere. It sounds interesting when leisurely, blurred riffs mingle with mentioned piano-like synths and croon of a singer (in for example the track called "Rohmet Etarnu"). And to be honest I discern the main potency of this album in such tranquiled parts. The music is not very complicated (yet with relishes here and there), though it sounds very mysterious. It simply draws a listener into its own dark world, and doesn't want to release him for almost an hour.

To sum it up: the fans of minimalist, gloomy music should be interested in getting this album.So if you like that kind of playing - this is something for you.

Rate: 7/10

Vladyka

Tracklist:

1. A Forest Draped in Moonlight

2. Within the Darkness Between the Starlight

3. Patient Hunter, Patient Night

4. The Fall of Orion

5. An Awakening Earth

6. Rohmet Etarnu

7. The Temple of Growth & Glimmer Ascends

8. Alnilam