Review: Kentin Jivek's Third Eye (2012)

Artist: Kentin Jivek

Album: Third Eye

Release Date: March 2012
Written for: KronosMortus.com (in Hungarian and English)

Rating: 4,5/5

Another review that I've done recently was for Kentin Jivek's album released less than a year ago - Third Eye. Here's the introductory part of the review. The link to the rest, published at KronosMortus.com is provided under the text.

     To set this album into only one genre is not an easy thing. The phrases “ambient folk” or “neofolk”, most commonly used, describe Kentin Jivek’s music only partially. There are so many elements blended together into the music, showing enough diversity and surprise with not just every new album, but with every song that Jivek creates. Although his work does not diverge much from the atmospheric style that he has set over the years, the songs do not follow one repeated formula. The lyrics and background instrumentation seem to have been built around the main guitar melody, but every other added element presents a new experiment.

Read the whole review here, at KronosMortus.com 

(there's also a Hungarian translation, so scroll down if you prefer it in English).

       Tracklist:

1. Third Eye Opened
2. As The Frog Speaks Upon The Hill
3. Oswald
4. Mais Qui Etes Vous Madame Blavatsky?
5. White Letters On Black Sheets
6. Doppelgänger, L´ombre Ka
7. Djinn Moloch Speaking
8. Thou, Raven Song
9. Shiva Is Landing
10. A Bunch Of Mimosa For You Sleepyhead
11. Third Eye Closed

Kentin Jivek - Doppelgänger, L'ombre Ka (audio)

Review: Celtachor's Nine Waves from the Shore (2012)

Artist: Celtachor

Album: Nine Waves from the Shore

Release Date: November 25, 2012 (self-released)

Rating: 4/5

 

To be completely honest, I've never actively listened to Celtachor before. I've come across a song or two before they had their first album out, but since it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, they've never entered my 'favourites list'. Now that I've got an opportunity to write a review for their newest, first full-length album - Nine Waves from the Shore, I've come to think that, even though the genre still doesn't suit me much, it is definitely an album that should not be ignored by any (folk) metal fan.

As I started listening to the album, I thought this would be yet another variation of the pagan/black mixture, and I was right. However, what puts this album at the top is the fresh use of Cetic elements and mythology as the album's main themes. Most of this kind of metal we hear nowadays comes from Scandinavia, putting it on the quite shaky verge of entering monotony what with all the Viking themes. This album, on the other hand, provides just enough folk elements (if I'm not mistaken, they use the bodhran - which is a type of traditional Irish drum, and the tin whistle), engulfed in fiery riffs. This is all so well done that it's never overwhelming the listener. There's even an interesting introduction of a guitar solo in the song Sorrow of the Dagda, which complements the song just perfectly.

The opening and closing parts of the album are quite strong in riffs and screams, as contrasted to an increase in the folk and acoustic elements throughout the middle. Namely, the song called Tar Éis An Sidhe, an acoustic piece, balances perfectly between all the riffs and drumming. However, this is where the band might have made a crucial mistake while making the album. Although the song is quite nice, it lacks in magnificence that we've become used to when it comes to acoustic parts of black metal albums. I always think of Satyricon's first album and the track named Min Hyllest Til Vinterland, which absolutely blew my mind the first time I listened to it, and still does. Compared to pieces as that one, and many other, Tar Éis An Sidhe is not quite a memorable track, and at parts yearns for softer vocals or whispers, even perhaps female guest vocals.

Celtachor

Folk lover as I am, I have to say that my favourite parts of the album definitely include the tribal elements, the soothing whistle, and definitely the themes of the songs. Unfortunately, I don't know much about Irish mythology, but works like this will definitely bring this part of their history a step closer to us. According to the band, "the concept for the album deals with the Landing of the Gael and the main heroes and characters as part of that saga. The artwork was painted by the band's drummer Anais Chareyre. It depicts the Battle of Tailtin, the armies of the Men of Dea against the Men of the Gael being over watched by the goddess Danu rising from the hills and mountains of Eire".

To conclude my views on Celtachor, I present you my album favourite, The Kingship of Bodb Dearg, which beautifully incorporates an acoustic intro with a tin whistle tune, later on showing off with quite nice drumming following the lines "The war drums echo to the chants of the druids". The song tells the story of Bodb Dearg being choosen as the king of Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of people in Irish Mythology.

Celtachor - The Kingship of Bodb Dearg (audio)

Review: Dalriada's Napisten Hava (2012)

Artist: Dalriada

Album: Napisten Hava

Release date: September 29, 2012 through Hammer Music / Nail Records

Written by: Dajana Lerić
for BalkanRock.com (originally in Croatian)
Rating: 4/5 

Dalriada is a Hungarian folk metal band which may not be the most familiar to a wider audience, but nevertheless has a tremendous discography and a successful career. Their latest album „Napisten Hava“, is the 7th studio album which continues an interesting tradition. Namely, six of seven album titles have ancient names for months (“Fergeteg” is the name for January, “Jégbontó” for February, “Kikelet” for March, “Szelek” for April, while “Ígéret” stands for May). Likewise, “Napisten” is the name for June, and the name of the album means “The Month of the Sungod”.



The first song on the album is what is probably the most famous Hungarian national dance, “czardas”, followed by the song “A Dudás”, which depicts a bagpipe player. The song is about a Hungarian myth which says that bagpipe players had to go all the way to hell to learn how to play this ancient instrument. The song, of course, starts with the sound of bagpipe, but we can also hear an interesting combination of guitar and violin. It's not a novelty that Dalriada uses wide range of instruments in their songs, so here we can hear contrabass, flute, viola, even lute.

Dalriada at Samhainfest 2012

The next song is a patriotic song with a slower rhythm called “Tündérkert” or “The Fairy Garden”. The idea for such a beautiful and picturesque title comes from the Romanian province Transylvania where a great number of Hungarians live. Since the lyrics often speak of Hungarian history, it is clear why the province was so inspiring. Namely, there have always existed tensions between Romanians and Hungarians. Also, many famous Hungarians were born there, for example Mátyás Corvin, one of the greatest Hungarian-Croatian kings. His father, János Hunyadi, is also shown as the hero of the song “Hunyadi és Kapisztrán Nándorfehérvári Diadaláról (Saltarello)”. The song is about the battle of Belgrade which took place in the middle of the 15th century, when Hunyadi and Saint John of Capistrano defeated a strong Ottoman army. The beginning of the song has a slow tempo and the listener can easily imagine a picture of a slow-marching army, while later the song speeds up and conjures up assault and fight. Similarly, two other songs, “Julianus Útja” and “Puszta Föld” also have the historical background. In all three songs male vocals complement the female voice.

Dalriada at Rockmaraton 2012

The song “Napom, Fényes Napom” has a beautiful intro melody where we can hear the virtuosity of the violin player and how wonderfully a violin can sound.


The title song “Napisten Hava” talks about the origin of the world. The story is based on a Hungarian traditional story, while “A Juhászlegény Balladája” has its origin in a Moldavian-Hungarian horror story.

“Borivók Éneke” is a typical call for a drink. However, the drink of this song is not the traditional Hungarian pálinka, nor beer, but wine. The song has a very fast rhythm and a melody from a Hungarian traditional song. Besides “A Dudás”, this song will definitely become a hit for the concerts!

The album has a perfect composition, with the first song as an instrumental as well as the last song on the album, this time a slow dance from a place called Gyimes.

Dalriada - A Dudás (official video)