There is nothing that quite gets the blood pumping like a little bit of a fantasy infusion into the things that we love. Like anything good, though, it's not terribly often that we're given an offering of such throughout the different realms of metal given how many different aspects that are to be balanced in order to bring about an authentic experience that is able to hit on all the right marks. When a band comes around to accomplish just that, it quickly makes for a performance that demands to be heard. In every regard, Valfreya has done just that with its latest creation.
To bring together the individual pieces of what makes a great work of folk metal is to command everything that the style can bring to the table from the concepts themselves to the instrumentations to the songwriting to the simple imagery that's in effect throughout the creation. Many times have we seen bands do a few of those without bringing them all together, yet it's made clear in just the first track that Valfreya holds complete dominion over the sound as every single one of those boxes are checked off immediately in each given track. Telling of how Hel herself rises up to punish the blight that is humanity for all the madness, chaos, and evil that it has wrought throughout its time, "Dawn of Reckoning" promises excellence from a conceptual stage with every given facet of the given only improving upon that foundation to make for a listen that is as dynamic as it is undeniably engaging. From the gorgeous instrumentation to the simple factor of intoxication that ensures the listener is perpetually held in the air by the throat as the black metal aspect of this sound more than pulls its own weight, "Dawn of Reckoning" sees all the promises and talent that Valfreya has been building upon for years now with this certainly their crowning achievement to date. Powerful and evocative in its themes with the sheer auditory majesty nothing that can be easily turned down, "Dawn of Reckoning" is a must for anyone who considers themselves even the slightest fan of what folk metal can be.
Enchanting from the beginning and devastating all the way unto its ending notes, "Dawn of Reckoning" is nothing to be denied. Where many might feel as though it's not often enough that we get anything solid from the different realms of folk metal, it's with their own bombastic blend that brings black metal into the fold that Valfreya puts forth a performance delivers on damn near every concept one could ask for out of the sound. A real victory from top to bottom, Valfreya should be extremely proud of what it has crafted here.
LISTEN to "Dawn of Reckoning" on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Valfreya on Facebook here.
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