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by and large, I regard it as shallow bullshit for man-children who don't really like metal, but who like the idea of liking something sorta like metal.

Now Folk metal is my absolute favorite genre because of the melodic sound, exotic instruments, clean vocals, and lyrics are often in foreign languages.
Whats your opinion on it, and please explain why. first band and song?

My favorite bands and songs are Dalriada - Kinizsi Mulatsága and Korpiklaani - Metsamies

Right on, Kveldulfr. Asmegin's debut is my favorite folk metal album. So dark, original and excellent and not cheesy at all.

It seems like metal now a days is all about standing in the corner and being all Kult and Trool! Knowbody has fun at shows anymore it seems, metal is taken way to seriously, fuck that!

Author:	7Halberd [ Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:30 pm ]
Post subject:	Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I started listening to folk metal about a year ago, but at the time i didn't even know about folk metal. After months i found ensierum and from there I discovered many other amazing folk metal bands. Now Folk metal is my absolute favorite genre because of the melodic sound, exotic instruments, clean vocals, and lyrics are often in foreign languages. Whats your opinion on it, and please explain why. first band and song? My favorite bands and songs are Dalriada - Kinizsi Mulatsága and Korpiklaani - Metsamies

Author:	~Guest 132892 [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:29 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I find it incredibly cheesy unless done absolutely right. Bands like Korpiklaani are the worst.

Author:	Scorntyrant [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:46 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
by and large, I regard it as shallow bullshit for man-children who don't really like metal, but who like the idea of liking something sorta like metal.

Author:	t1337Dude [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:49 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I like a mix of folk and black metal if done properly, but I find most folk music to be dreadful. For the most part it's incredibly simplistic and not all that exciting for me to listen to. Most folk bands just lack subtlety.

Author:	Peroy [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:59 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
As long as it's not geman folk...

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Author:	pastafarian [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:02 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Shit like Windir and Menhir are good....if thats even considered folk metal. Scorntyrant wrote: by and large, I regard it as shallow bullshit for man-children who don't really like metal, but who like the idea of liking something sorta like metal. yep

Author:	Bogdaniel [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I have a soft spot for folk metal, and find it quite enjoyable. My favorite bands in the genre are Ensiferum, Holy Blood, and Finntroll. It's just fun to listen to.

Author:	Veracs [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:45 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Yes to stuff like Mago De Oz and Skyclad which combine different styles with folk influence, and obviously a yes to Pagan folk stuff like Drudkh, Menhir, etc. I never cared for the Running naked through the forest shit like Finntroll though.

Author:	DoomMetalAlchemist [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:16 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I really like flutes and flute like instruments in folk metal. I just got Furor Gallico's self titled album and it's really good. Not only flute, but Furor Gallico also has a celtic harp that I like. I also like Tumulus (Rus) and Bran Barr. There are some bands I like that feature little to no flute too, but I haven't gotten many of those albums yet. I was actually introduced to folk metal on this forum, when I made a thread asking for music with flutes, such as what's synthesized in this piece here. People started linking me folk metal bands, and I liked some of them, though not much like the mystical melancholy like the one I posted, although there was a Heidevolk instrumental that was quite like it. Eventually I just searched through the archives and found more. I've been buying some lately, like the aforementioned Furor Gallico, Tumulus, and Bran Barr, but also Heol Telwen, Aes Dana, Arkona, Auimeen Basoa, and Kranium (doom folk). Since my recent acquisition of the Furor Gallico album, I may take a break from buying folk metal for a while, and go back to searching for doom metal.

Author:	lifelessworlds [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Been enjoying Tengger Cavalry lately, probably the only folk-related metal that I've thoroughly enjoyed - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEv_aEwVvak

Author:	ChildClownOutlet [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:32 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I'm more for the sorrowful sounding Folk metal, like Moonsorrow, or Vintersorg. But, you can never have enough happy go lucky folk metal.

Author:	Terri23 [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:24 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Folk metal rules. bands like Korpiklaani, Finntroll and Alestorm give it a bad rap, but there's a lot of great folk metal out there. You just have to wade through the bullshit to find the good stuff. Bands that mix it up, like Primordial, in particular are awesome.

Author:	Vitross [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Folk Metal tends to be quite disliked here, but I really like it. Just something about old traditions and paganism appeal to me, as well as use of folk instruments. Before I got big into black metal, I mostly listened to folk/viking/pagan bands, but that was a few years ago. I don't follow it as much as I did before, so now there are tons of bands which weren't there like four years ago. My first introduction to folk metal was Elvenking and soon after Korpiklaani. Korpiklaani is one of the bands that stopped interesting me after some time, because they are so repetitive in what they do and that is happy party style. On every new album they have to have a song with a name of some beverage which makes people like it more, because of that. But of course for me their first three albums are quite classic, because I listened to them so much back in the day. Quite a similar story I have with Finntroll. I love Ensiferum as much as I did five years ago today. I like cheesy music. In fact I quite often listen to flowery power metal, and without that cheesiness that they have I probably wouldn't like it as much. But it is easily understood why so many metalheads don't like it. A lot of that goes on in folk metal, quite cheesy but more serious. There is something I love about those underground pagan metal bands who use those primitive MIDI keyboards, it actually adds to the atmosphere. I also have no problems with sympho BM, which also gets shit on quite often here. So for folk metal I like everything from Elvenking (a few releases), Falconer to Korpiklaani, Finntroll to Moonsorrow to Windir and to those atmospheric pagan bands like Drudkh. I also like the scenes in eastern Europe and Germany. In fact, folk metal has a large range of styles it has so many bands, and the problem with it is that when people hear "folk metal" they instantly think of Korpiklaani's alcohol songs or Trollhammaren by Finntroll. For me folk/viking/pagan metal is my second favorite genre after black metal.

Author:	Panflute [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 6:24 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
It depends on the definition. I absolutely hate the 'oompa oompa' metal that Finland seems to crap out at an abnormal rate, but bands that are competent enough to incorporate traditional music into metal can be very entertaining to listen to. Arkona (the Russian one), for instance, might have some faux-polka songs and a bit of a ridiculous image, but the more serious compositions ("Zimushka", "Na moey zemle", "Slovo", "Silah Slavnih", etc.) really are something. Extremely competent music with a good patriotic message.

Author:	vengefulgoat [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:39 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Bathory had uncomparably bigger influence on the movement (at least the good part of it), even if they weren't so folky. And Skyclad aren't really unknown - in fact, given their music is mostly mediocre and annoying, I'd say they're much closer to being overrated than underrated.

Author:	Kveldulfr [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:44 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Mainstream folk metal has no riffs. Their songs are badly written folklore with some chugga chugga guitars to make them metal, but are absolutely abysmal. This applies pretty well to Korpikrap, Finntroll and related stuff. Vintersorg has more riffs in 1 song than Korpi in an entire album. The only band that plays folk metal and it's pretty good at it is Otyg IMO. As I see it, I prefer black/folk/viking stuff. Bathory, Kampfar, Nokturnal Mortum, Borknagar, (early) Ulver, Falkenbach, Windir, Einherjer, early Enslaved, Mithotyn, Asmegin, Solefald's last 3 albums (I like all their albums, only the last 3 has some serious viking traits), Myrkgrav and so on.

Author:	inhumanist [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Shitty folk metal bands become popular because people like to party. Folk elements in metal have become a free pass for terrible songwriters to sell records and concert tickets. That's because folk is inoffensive and catchy if you combine it with a metal sound you have the perfect product for metal newbies. That said, folk metal bands that I enjoy include Myrkgrav, Falkenbach, Manegarm, Storm, Isengard, Windir, Kampfar... see a common theme there?

Author:	DomDomMCMG [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Ensiferum and Finntroll's Nattfodd album are alright. Other than that it's really not worth anything.

Author:	BaloroftheEvilEye [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:22 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Honestly, it depends on the sound. The mug-of-ale-swinging stuff doesn't really do much for me, but there's really a lot more to it than that. Especially if we're taking about the kind of bands inspired by Bathory and windir.

Author:	~Guest 226319 [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
It's one of those periphery genres. Everyone seems to have a few favs. I certainly do. But most people don't cite it as their "favorite" because the premise for binding all these varied artists together is a bit thin.

Author:	DarkWolfXV [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:31 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Scorntyrant wrote: by and large, I regard it as shallow bullshit for man-children who don't really like metal, but who like the idea of liking something sorta like metal. Same here, from what i have heard i totally despise it, doesnt have enough kick and its too happy and meaningless for me. I hate didgeridoos

Author:	Empyreal [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:40 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Primordial, old Skyforger, Slough Feg, Falconer...good stuff, but Korpiklaani, Elvenking, Finntroll and Eluveitie are really, really not. If a band is more riff based, with less goofy pop-polka nonsense, it's usually a lot better. Usually I like light hearted, pop-ish material, but the way a lot of these folk bands do it is just so annoying and stupid to me.

Author:	Evoken [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:25 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I have a lot of folk metal in my collection, and a few of the bands in the genre I truly love, but lately the whole thing is getting really stale. Too many bands, too many copy-cats, and too few new ideas. I'm very worn out on it, but I'll always keep an ear out for new bands in the genre who are doing something new with it.

Author:	jedimasterhassan [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:57 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
i have a weird relationship with folk metal. i'm scotts/irish by blood, and i love actual celtic folk music. so in theory i love the idea of folk metal, im just not too fond of how it's ussually done. i dont really dislike any of the more popular folk metal bands i've heard, but i feel that theres always too much folk and not enough metal. there are rarely any memorable guitar riffs, the guitar is just used as background noise for the folky instruments. i also don't understand why every single folk metal band feels the need to have raspy black metal-ish vocals. i like tyr, they're more subtle. i actually love alestorm as well, though obsviously they're on the cheesier end ( i love manowar as well, so there's my stance on cheese lol). all that being said though, i still enjoy bands that have those traits. i really like waylander for example. my band incorporates alot of folk influence, though i'm more influenced by blind guardian, or even thin lizzy, than i am bands like korpiklaani or ensiferum

Author:	Ancient_Sorrow [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:27 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Reiterating more or less what has been said lately, I only like folk-metal which is really well done. A lot of it instead simply combines pseudo-exoticism to appeal to people like me-five-years-ago ("Holy shit, it's like folk... and metal, I can't wait to constaltly tell my friends that such a thing exists and how much I listen to it), with superficially catchy and exuberant songs about silly, drinking themes. In the words of Fenriz, it's "Spastic and Merry". On the other hand, I really enjoy stuff like Falkenbach and Primordial because it manages to summon some sincerity and plenty of beauty in its atmosphere, instead of being silly power-metal with fiddles, which is about as appealing to me as silly power metal without fiddles.

Author:	vengefulgoat [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:11 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Most bands that would be just tagged as folk metal don't do much for me, the closely related pagan, viking, or black with influenced by these spawned much of my favourite metal, even if it's not much influenced by folk. Graveland, Bathory, new Absurd, old Enslaved, Morrigan, Wyrd, Belenos, Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, Arkona, Kroda, Moonsorrow, Stormheit, Helheim, Hades, Windir, Kampfar, Vintersorg, Menhir, Skyforger, Obtest etc... The problem with folk metal is simple: look at the most popular, i.e. Eluveitie, Alestorm, Turisas, Finntroll, Korpiklaani, In Extremo, Ensiferum, Moonsorrow, Arkona, of all these only the last two are good, particulary the Korpiklaani had a very bad influence on the scene as well as people's idea about general folk metal being like that.

Author:	samekh [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 7:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I'm a huge fan of it, ranging from the serious stuff like Primordial and Negura Bunget to the happy oompa stuff like Korpiklaani and Finntroll. I have been listening to it since mid-2005 and it's about the only metal I bother with anymore. I love the folkloric and historical lyrics, the artwork, the influence of traditional music, the love of heritage.

Author:	deplo [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:36 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
A huge fan of Slavic folk metal here, only Slavic, as they have a very distinctive and highly enjoyable sound (unlike the clichéd Finnish one, and celtic is not my thing), my favorite bands would be: Alkonost, Arkona, Grai, Ruyan, Kalevala, Serdtse-Kamen, Natural Spirit, etc... all of these being from Russia, except for the last one from Ukraine. I prefer my folk metal sound to be dark, often a mix of folk music (whether created by ethnic instruments or just by the guitar riffs and atmosphere) and black/doom metal... I don't mind however listening to happy polka-sounding folk metal from time to time. Also folk metal (again, Slavic) IS the right place for female vocals.

Author:	Folkemon_ [ Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Its a shame the originators(Skyclad) are so damn unknown, Price Of The Poverty Line is one of the best folk metal albums ever.

Author:	u_sir_r_a_faggot [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:56 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
I love folk metal even though I don't use it much. Doom influenced neo-folk melancholic metal is the best. Black folk metal is awesome to. And I also love the so called cheesy folk metal. FOLK METAL RULZZZZZ

Author:	Metantoine [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Right on, Kveldulfr. Asmegin's debut is my favorite folk metal album. So dark, original and excellent and not cheesy at all.

Author:	xThe__Wizard [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:38 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Folk elements in metal = usually really good. Folk metal = bleegggghhh. Just don't get it I guess?

Author:	dreadmeat [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:13 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
7Halberd wrote: Now Folk metal is my absolute favorite genre because of the melodic sound, exotic instruments, clean vocals, and lyrics are often in foreign languages. Whats your opinion on it, and please explain why. first band and song? My favorite bands and songs are Dalriada - Kinizsi Mulatsága and Korpiklaani - Metsamies I can't stand it for these reasons mainly, the closest to 'folk metal' I like would be Haggard's Death Metal Symphony In C or the odd bit of Therion [that isn't old wicked Therion aka the good stuff] But mostly it's not really heavy enough to be Metal, unfortunately I 'scored' a few CDs in a bulk deal that I'm still trying to get rid of [to get the stuff I wanted I had to take the lot, so yeah] I have a mate who calls [or refers to] folk metal as forest metal ha ha Korpiklaani and Ensiferum etc drive me nuts, I try to avoid it, to me it sounds like pop metal or something

Author:	Kveldulfr [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:25 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Metantoine wrote: Right on, Kveldulfr. Asmegin's debut is my favorite folk metal album. So dark, original and excellent and not cheesy at all. Its a shame Arv was so rushed. Also, I hope they call Lars Nedland to provide vocals again, the guy is insanely epic.

Author:	lord_ghengis [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:19 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
My opinion towards folk metal is generally very negative. Not just the huumpa "lets do a jig" horseshit, but most folk black is pretty awful too, the vocals tend to be a bit too troll like, the songs meander too long (so as to reflect on the beauty of nature thoroughly) and the riffs are typically pretty minimal, I guess I'm just not much of an atmosphere guy when I put it that way. Also the flute is my least favourite instrument in the world, and many, many folk bands love to include some flutes in their arrangements of traditional instruments which always frustrates me. On the other hand you've got bands like Moonsorrow and Primordial which rate as some of my favourite acts ever, so I can't dismiss it entirely, but they are far from the regular definition of folk metal.

Author:	conquer__all [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:16 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Wow, a lot of hate on here for Folk-metal! I love the genre, all of it from Arkona to Korpiklaani to Finntroll to Primordial, whatever. I will admit that some of it can be cheesey like Alestorm and Turusas, but thta's the point of it, its fun! You go to the shows you get drunk and sing-a-long and have a good time. It seems like metal now a days is all about standing in the corner and being all Kult and Trool! Knowbody has fun at shows anymore it seems, metal is taken way to seriously, fuck that! I been listening to metal since the late 80's so I know a thing or two about it's evolution, and I will say like it or not Folk metal is here to stay and will always have a following, not as big as it was in the mid 2000's but it will always have a following.

Author:	Acidgobblin [ Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:24 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Whats your opinion on Folk Metal?
Very hit and miss. More miss. I've enjoyed some tunes by Eleuvite and Equilibrium but more often then not, its pretty much garbage. I'm not sure if a band like Drudkh is folk metal at all, but if so- I think they are a pretty fantastic band. I like some of Negura Bunget and last years Dordeduh release is a real grower, but I very rarely seek out folk metal and am generally turned off a band when I hear them described thusly.