Demo 2009

I remember having a conversation with my grandfather back when I had first taken up playing music. Although my memory has been a bit fuzzy as to some of the intricacies of the conversation, one thing that said to me has never really left me, and that was “At some point, every song will be written”. I argued the point with him by bringing up all of the rhythmic possibilities and complexities to advanced musical theory and composition (which I was nowhere near fully comprehending) making the possibilities all but endless, to which he simply responded “You’re talking about compositions, not songs”. It was uncertain as to whether he was referring to popular music alone, or just any basic approach to writing a song that anyone beyond a circle of elite musicians could get into, but having become better acquainted with folk music and its metallic variant, I’ve developed a better appreciation for the point he was making.

Folk metal, like any other simplistic art form, might be easy to do in theory, but to do it well and with any sense of individuality is likely as hard as throwing together an extravagant technical display usually reserved to progressive music. It is a very limiting style, constraining both the arrangement and the game of notes that one has to play with. In an unsigned act out of Italy with a cliché “beauty and the beast” vocal duo approach with a flute and keyboardist to complement the usual arrangement, the novelty of extensive period instrument usage found in Ensiferum goes out the window. Likewise, the overall large productions that have made bands like Suidakra and Turisas sound like a legion of berserkers pummeling the walls of the gods is far from the realm of possibility. Ephyra is a band that is constrained literally to the most humble of settings, just one step removed from all acoustic street performers.

But alas, for a band with limited resources, they’ve put together a sizable accomplishment in under 15 minutes of running time. For the most part, it mimics the dance-like quality of Celtic music as heard either on the highlands or in various pockets of France and northern Spain. Technical guitar chops are somewhat present, but usually tend to manifest in melodies and lead breaks resembling the flowing sounds of a fiddler, and the keyboard parts generally tend to follow a similar pattern. The vocal contrast is well pulled off, with Alby coming off like a slightly lighter version of Akki (Arkadius Antonik) in his more blackened vocal incarnation, while Nadia comes off as a slightly less operatic version of Sharon Den Adel. The songwriting generally follows a symmetrical progression of quiet acoustic sections and up beat heavier ones, though often the quieter sections will come off a bit more symphonic and, in the case of the beginning of “Flames Of Revenge”, takes on the character of a military march. All 3 of the songs found on here are solidly entertaining, but “Dark Wolf” really brings the goods in the same way that several songs heard on “Emprise To Avalon”.

This is the sort of band that should have gotten a contract last year but, perhaps due to a crowded market of bands attempting to relive the spirit of pre-Christian Europe, has yet to do so. It is really a shame because the lack of a stellar production really holds this back, though they definitely make the most of what they have available to them. These are the sorts of songs that any folk fan can find familiarity with, yet simultaneously will know that they’ve never been heard before. Perhaps in the most unintentional ways, Ephyra has answered my grandfather’s sentiment that eventually there will be no new songs to write, that answer being “perhaps, but not today”.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on February 14, 2011.

Folk metal is hard to get right. It just seems like it attracts a lack of talent. The good bands usually aren’t spoken of as often as swill like Finntroll and Eluveitie, and there are just so many ways to muck up the style royally. Fortunately, Ephyra play it up with a little bit of inventiveness and a lot of heart, making for a pleasant listen on their demo. Put on your kilts and grab your bagpipes; let’s review this one.

Ephyra, being stuck in a demo-rut, do not have the luxuries of a band with an actual production job, but somehow that actually helps make this sound more authentic and folksy – like it was really recorded in the woods or something. The guitars are raw and thin, the vocals are a little softer than they maybe should be, but it sounds incredibly natural, and somehow it just works. The songs are short and varied, never missing a beat in the limited time constraints the band has set up for them – this is only a demo, after all. Every song offers a different style. They might not be incredibly original, but they are actually pretty well written compared to some of their big name contemporaries. “Flames of Revenge” gallops along with a happy melody and some bashing riffs, and “Dark Wolf” is probably the best song on here, with its transitions from fast to slow being very entertaining. “Laws of the Elves” is a bit less memorable, but I guess they closed it out the best they could.

Overall, this isn’t bad. It doesn’t really do anything amazing, and I don’t feel too strongly one way or the other about it, but it’s not bad. Get it if you’re a Folk Metal freak.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com