never fails to challenge my ability to fairly evaluate music. There are two reasons for this: firstly, this darkest of folk music is so effective in its emotional gravity and genuine sorrow that it consumes me and often clouds my judgment; secondly, those tangible qualities that I typically critique in the music I listen to most play different roles and have different effects in this environment. It’s what made previous release tricky to rate, too, and I’m grateful to see that in challenging my abilities as a reviewer, hasn’t changed a bit.” Devil in the details ..read more

“Of all the not-metal-but-metal-adjacent things we cover on this site, my favorites are easily dark folk/country or Gothic Americana releases. I’m always scanning the promo sump for those occasional gems like so I can snap them up before my mouth-breathing colleagues have a chance to whine “Hey! This am country! No like twang! Make riffs go ‘brrrrr!'” I won’t belabor the point, but if you want a window into my tastes, you can read the intro to my review of . All this to say, the moment I saw the title of ’s fourth solo record in the pit, , I was on it like a fly on a cow pie.” Dip, dirt, count ..read more

“Getting out of your comfort zone is healthy. It opens your mind to new experiences and breaks down the walls of the overly familiar. This is just one reason why Angry Metal Guy sometimes discusses interesting non-metal albums. Still, there should at least be some connection — either via style or personnel — to our raison d’être. has plenty, from her time in the post scene with to her collaborations with sludge royalty . Her solo work is nothing to sneeze at either, with 2018’s a particular favorite of mine. The full band that has accompanied Ms. Rundle in recent years has been dismissed for ..read more

“This album couldn’t have come at a better time, nor could it have come at a worse time. As dark and defeated as any piece of music I sampled these two years writing for this blog, The Call of the Iron Peak simultaneously captures the disillusioned despair and troubled spirit of our world and drags me down below that threshold towards a core of utter emptiness sourced from the very soul of sole songwriter Dávid Makó.” Iron sharpens despair ..read more

“If all you want is raw riffs, skull-crushing rhythms, or dissonant aggression, you’ve come to the wrong place. flirts casually with distorted guitars and heavier percussion, but there’s no metal to be found here. The brainchild of Seattle multi-instrumentalist Anne K. O’Neill, plays minimalist dark folk music built around O’Neill’s emotive vocals and acoustic guitars. Spring 2022 has set a high bar for folky non-metal around these parts, with releasing an intricate slab of Nordic folk and continuing to set the standard for introspective doom. doesn’t quite reach those lofty heights, but it’s ..read more

is a “single-entity” project shrouded in mystery. Its secretive mastermind Trevenial offers twelve tracks influenced by folk music across the globe, equally evocative and primitive. With ties to England (mastered by Orgone Studios’ owner Jaime Gomez Arellano) and Finland (produced by Jaani Peuhu), and featuring a classical orchestra and world music artists, as well as a vast array of guests, from notable acts like is a debut loaded with potential and questions in equal measure.” It takes a global village ..read more

“Since its inception in 2012, seems to have been labeled as atmoblack. That was just about accurate for 2014 debut, , although even then there were indications that these Swedes had designs on something grander. That proved to be the case, as the band’s sound has continued to grow and evolve through (2019), with black metal largely abandoned on the latter, save for some occasional, harsher vocals (see “Wither” and “As the Northern Wind Cries”), in favor of exploratory post-rock and Scandinavian neo-folk.” I, voiddrifter ..read more

“I have a great admiration for the solo creator. Thanks to my attention deficiency disorder, the two tasks I struggle most with are staying motivated and staying organized. The kind of dedication it takes to perform every part of what is ordinarily a team effort seems Herculean to me. Pieter Hendriks ( ) has that kind of dedication, though, as is his second album as , a mere 2 years after the self-titled debut. But does dedication equal quality?” One man, three projects ..read more

’ cover caught my eye at once. The scene would be peaceful and pastoral, if not for the gruesome executions, the demon, and the burning buildings. Then I noticed the dancing skeletons, the shallow graves, the corpses on the border, the apocalyptic background, and the skull and crossbones; there isn’t a glimmer of hope anywhere. Intrigued, I dug deeper. is a side project of ’s Alex Hellid, and the band’s debut attempts to narrate the late Middle Ages with a mix of folk elements and metal. The music matches the cover art to a T.” The dark rages ..read more