Every now and then people like me who listen to new music every single day want something different. It helps freshen the palette and even allow your horizons to grow to see what else the wondrous world of music has to offer outside of metal and rock. For me, I’ve explored the realms of ambiance, dungeon synth, and noise in my fair time, but only once have I investigated the realm of folk. It’s quite the peculiar world, to say the least, and today I sought to expand my views of the genre and Àrnica was a great help in showing me what else folk has to offer.

Folk metal has always had a special allure me and I always had a sneaking suspicion that normal folk would still retain that sense of mysticism to a great degree, and for the most part that’s true. Sure, there are some bands that fall flat, but it’s groups like Àrnica that truly show us what can be done with the style. Yet, Àrnica doesn’t do typical folk but instead does neo-folk, and I’m not familiar enough with the style (yet) to tell a major difference but there’s a clear, specific taste with Àrnica’s latest record of “Cabeza de Lobo”, and it’s quite exquisite. Despite the first track being repetitive to no end, the experience of “Cabeza de Lobo” is an authentic one that really accomplishes the task of taking a ritualistic feel and welding it with traditional folk instruments of a vast variety to truly bring a tribal texture to this ten-track album of primitive proportions. From the chanting vocals, hypnotic rhythms, and other-worldly atmosphere that is constantly being evoked with this piece, Àrnica does the world of neo-folk proud with this record and I’d be more than keen to see what else this band can do. This is the sort of record that really peaks the human curiosity that can only be satiated by only going further into this richly detailed world of music that I need to visit much more often.

Folk has always been a thing I’ve craved for the longest time as it’s one of my favorite styles ever yet I rarely ever visit that realm for whatever reason, and I’m glad I allowed Àrnica to take me on this enchanting trip through the forests that they created with this effort. “Cabeza de Lobo” is a fantastically detailed record with numerous moving parts that make up a greater creature as a whole to really allow Àrnica to take us places not many humans get to experience. If this piece is an accurate representation as to what this genre holds, then I’m about to be lost in a rabbit hole for sure.

LISTEN to “Cabeza de Lobo” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Àrnica on Facebook here.