For years now, folk metal has been one of my favorite sounds in the entire spectrum of metal even though I find myself almost infuriatingly picky with it in many instances. If you're going to put yourself in a sound that deals in everything fantastical as well as being known for wondrous instrumentations that truly takes the listener to another world altogether, half measures simply won't cut it for so much as a minute. For every Isenmor, Mongol, and Finsterforst that I've come across, a dozen others have been disappointing in their shortcomings. When I came before the debut work from Albion, I was open-minded since it's been a hot minute since I've come across a fresh act in the world of folk to try my hand with. Fortunately, Albion had a tremendous understanding of the task that came before it when crafting this record.
It's an exceedingly difficult balance in the world of folk as there are many different aspects that come forward in the making of it. Melodies, intensities, splendorous wonders, and so much more goes into any work of the sound that actually meets the cut with few able to tackle it. While I've always gravitated more towards the metal side of folk, Albion strikes a resounding chord with all that they've brought forth in the twelve tracks that are to be found within "Lakesongs of Elbid". For every track that Albion brings to the table for their grand entrance something new is attempt at least in some small way, ensuring that the record is not just dynamic in nature but something that feels utterly wondrous to lose yourself in. The hills come alive, the water spirits sing their silky seductions, and the call of adventure is as strong as ever as Albion brings together a nigh-on delectable blend of all that folk is capable of from its acoustic, rock, and metal aspects finding tremendous harmony no matter where you look with every given inch of this record riddled with real undeniable magic. "Lakesongs of Elbid" never once forgets to have a good time, though, with Albion taking more than one instance to show that they have so much fun in their sound while still taking it seriously be it a rendition of a pirate shanty or an homage to an influential film, all coming together to make sure that the record is as focused in its vision as it is free in spirit. This is what it means to bring together much of what folk is capable of in many of its different incarnations with Albion putting forth a tremendous display for their debut in damn near every regard.
In just about any given form, I find myself well impressed by what Albion has conjured here. Far more than a mere collection of riffs dabbling in some local lore or hoping to capitalize on subjects that many of us know, "Lakesongs of Elbid" takes ahold of its destiny right out of the gate with plenty of splendor, glory, and good times to be had within all twelve of its tracks to ensure that the listener isn't just teleported into a fantastical realm that many of us dream to visit but to make it memorable all the while. Without so much as a thought, this has to be the quintessential work of folk to start 2024 off with and it's going to be hard to find another work that can go toe-to-toe with this creation in the months to come.
"Lakesongs of Elbid" releases on January 27th!
LISTEN to an advanced track from "Lakesongs of Elbid" on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Albion on Facebook here.
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