Review : SKYFORGER – “Kurbads”

Skyforger – Kurbads
released April 26th, 2010 on Metal Blade Records

Rating: 3/5

After a long 7 year wait, folk metal band Skyforger releases their fifth album, Kurbads – their first after switching to Metal Blade Records. Their sound definitely changed, with “Curse of The Witch” introducing their new thrashy feel. As far as thrash metal goes, I’d call this album sub-par. But their less influenced folky sound is still an underlying theme, and combining that with their new thrash riffs and vocals can be quite intriguing. The black metal influence is little and far between, unlike it’s prevalence in their previous albums. Their Latvian mythology themed lyrics (English translations on their homepage) discuss epic tales of people battling evil and being triumphant.

I felt like this album was lacking inspiration and didn’t reach the band’s full potential. The guitar seems to lack power and the vocals are overly dominating. The sound is just a little diluted compared to their crisp sound that I fell in love with before.

Having said that, Kurbads is still a great listen. The combination of the folky flutes/bagpipes with the Motörhead-style vocals and thrash metal riffs is quite enjoyable. And of course, like any true folk band, their tunes are worthy of jigs and pint- swigging, which makes it all the more fun to listen to.

FCC OK
Try: 4, 6, 8

01. Curse Of The Witch
02. Son Of The Mare
03. The Nine-Headed
04. Bewitched Forest
05. In The Yard Of The Father’s Son
06. The Devilslayer
07. The Stone Sentinel
08. In The Underworld
09. Black Rider
10. The Last Battle
11. Kurbads