Falkenbach

Though it’s described as Viking metal, Falkenbach’s first album in six years is almost more folk than metal. Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty, the band’s third release, subdues the standard guitar/bass/drums configuration beneath a blanket of keyboards, pipes, acoustic guitar and a chorus of male voices singing in unison. The results are bound to ignite the pagan bones in any metalhead, perhaps inspiring visions of longboats or dreams of the Aesir. Falkenbach is more whimsical here than warlike, as demonstrated by titles like "…As Long as Wind Will Blow….” "…The Ardent Awaited Land,” or "Homeward Shore.” Even the album’s steady rolling pace has a calming, wave-like effect, making this (dare I say it?) more beautiful than brutal.