43. Moonsorrow - Verisakeet (2005)
Here one finds a band that is also out to paint a sonic landscape but one of a quite different nature from those mentioned before. Without delving into neo-fascism, as some critics have unfairly accused them of doing, Moonsorrow seeks to reclaim a part of the soul and human culture that was present before Christianity and Roman civilization. They tap deep into the sounds and mythology of their native Finland on the one hand and add to it the harshness and anger of black metal on the other. What Moonsorrow do so well in this regard is to create a romanticized, pre-historic world and while it may not be historically accurate, it is nevertheless a real reflection of the band’s deep affiliation with their nationality and culture.
Musically speaking, the raw, shrieked vocals reminds me of a lone warrior standing on a battlefield belting out his fiercest war cry or alternatively of a broken man lamenting the decline of his homeland under the yoke of foreign tyranny. Of course the album features standard folk metal affair including acoustic guitar, accordion and recorder. Yet Moonsorrow manages to make themselves distinct from such bands as Eluveitie and Ensiferum by constructing epic, lengthy tracks that are cinematic and tell a story. Also, their lyrics are all in Finnish which attests to their deep love of their culture and language in opposition to English as the touted “lingua franca of metal.”
Another impressive element is the use of nature sounds such as a wolf howling in the distance and the crackling of a campfire. This suggests that not only does the band want to give its audience a sense of what it means to be Finnish through the lyrics and folk melodies, but they also want to reconnect humanity with nature by portraying the natural environment of their homeland. For folk metal fans, this is a must have album and is Moonsorrow’s best work to date. Sorry I didn’t talk here much about Verisakeet specifically but I feel that the band incorporates the same elements in each album only here they coalesce into something that stands above the rest of their catalog.
Recommended tracks: Pimea, Jotunheim, Kaiku
42. Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (2011)
As you might know, WitTR are quite opposed to the Satanic/anti-religious consensus of black metal but still operate well within its musical boundaries. They speak of transcendence and living in harmony with nature on their songs. They do not “oppose” society as such but do wish to transform it in a positive way rather than distance themselves and offer mere criticism of it. While WitTR’s sound is very close to traditional black metal, with a few electronic bits and female vocals on occasion, their lyrics and philosophy lie far outside of the Burzum/Mayhem/Gorgoroth mainstream. True, there are some pagan references but perhaps one could explain them in terms of the band creating a single structure in which to include and validate all of the spiritual/religious philosophies and theologies of the world. Also, it is natural for bands who talk about nature to draw on pagan influences since pagans are seen as people in touch with nature (as Romanticized as that might be). But it still seems like the band is asking pagans and non-pagans alike to direct their spiritual/philosophical mindsets towards greater harmony with nature and discovering our inner selves.
Musically speaking, this is a brutal yet beautiful piece of art. Blast beats and tremolo riffing feature throughout except for the sublime “Woodland Cathedral” and the doomy/spacey “Prayer of Transformation.” Most of the time, the band’s sound falls into what is called “atmospheric black metal,” a genre that, in my opinion, WitTR dominates. The variation in the music is quite subtle and the tracks are quite lengthy (although not as lengthy as certain tracks on their other albums) so it requires a good deal of the listener’s attention. In all, this is an album that features the light/dark contrast in its extremes. From uplifting female vocals and ethereal keyboard passages to unnervingly raw black metal vocals and uncompromising blast beats, this will please open-minded black metal fans and those who are put off by traditional black metal bands’ confrontational lyrics.
Recommended tracks: Woodland Cathedral, Astral Blood, Thuja Magus Imperium
41. Enslaved - Vertebrae (2008)
Deciding to move away from what they saw as the stagnant scene of Norwegian black metal, Enslaved have carved their own path through new musical frontiers while still incorporating a good deal of that original sound which they were a formative part of.
From “Mardraum” to “Ruun,” Enslaved have risen to the top of a nascent, yet ever-growing genre that fuses black metal with progressive rock and are in that sense much akin to their death metal counterparts in Opeth.
For me, Vertebrae is Enslaved’s best opus yet and has such a distinct and beautiful atmosphere about it that makes it one of my all-time favorite black metal albums. The mood here is introspective, exploratory and reflective but compared to say Mayhem or Gorgoroth, it is not particularly dark or brutal. In fact songs like “Ground” and it’s Pink-Floydish chorus/solo are uplifting and highly melodic with not many blast beats or much tremolo picking to speak of. Ironically, one could say that Enslaved’s overturning of black metal norms is a product of black metal’s anti-conformist ideology itself.
The dark or negative elements on the album such as throat-destroying raspy vocals, death growls, and the occasional tremolo picking all blend almost seamlessly with keyboards/ambient sections, soaring backing vocals, evocative solos and numerous clean melodies to make for a transcendent metal masterpiece. Repulsed by the extremism and regressive nihilism of the first and second waves of black metal, Enslaved, as did WitTR, have shown that black metal can be stripped of its negative ideological core and made into something beautiful and positive yet heavy at the same time. This was actually the first black metal band/album I really enjoyed so I would definitely recommend it those who aren’t black metal fans or who want to hear something besides endless blast beats and lightning-fast playing.
Recommended tracks: Ground, Clouds, The Watcher, Reflection
Topic: Adace's Top 50 Albums V2 - Finito!/Honorable Mentions (Read 25458 times)
