Like many people, I’ve always been enthralled by tales and legends of times long past where knights in armor were commonplace and epic battles that were decided on sword and steel took place often. Obviously, those don’t really happen nowadays so we’re left to live them out through various medias and one of my favorite sources for which is folk metal which can encapsulate so much more than grandiose battle scenes. Case and point, Blencathra who brings to the table an atmospheric taste of the genre that’s all but immensely satisfying.
The thing that makes people drawn to folk metal (myself included) is the fact that every always feels larger than life as everything from a mere scuffle to the forest itself can have so much more significance in a folk metal album, but it all lies in the execution. It’s easy for a band to just write up some lyrics about woodland spirits or gigantic sieges, but that’s not enough for many bands and listeners. I, for example, can’t get enough of bands who go the extra mile and bring together extraordinary instrumentation to really bring a true folk metal atmosphere for everything, and Blencathra does that in a very unique way with “These Bones Became the Roots of the Forest…”. Northern England is a place rich with history and folklore aplenty that can make for a quality folk metal album, and Blencathra set out to make such a thing a reality and the result is a very tasteful effort that shows of many strengths this small band has acquired very early on. These seven tracks come together beautifully as “These Bones” channels much of what makes folk metal mystical while bringing in elements from classic black metal (can really feel the Bathory vibes), and then they get smashed together for an experience that’s both raw and awe-inspiring which is something we get more than enough of but very rarely to such a refined degree as we see with “These Bones”. Simply put, this album has got many things for many different people: immersive atmosphere, intense black metal, loads of creative freedom, heaps of melody, and an immaculate collusion of everything that allows for “These Bones” to become a one of a kind listen.
I’ve always felt that a “proper” album of folk metal really should go above and beyond in terms of epic scale and musicianship as it makes the listening experience all the tastiest, and Blencathra shows that such a thing can still be done in a genre where many, many people have tried their hands at it to varying degrees of success. “These Bones” shows that Blencathra can have a very successful presence and a cult following should they decide to hone their already delicious craft, and I fucking hope they do!
LISTEN to “These Bones Became the Roots of the Forest…” on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.
LIKE Blencathra on Facebook here.
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