I just discovered and enjoyed these two wonderful live performances by Apocalypse Orchestra & the Gävle Symphony Orchestra 🖤
The End Is Nigh, youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcZbG_tql-Q
Flagellants' Song, youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-IDJgvXOi0
#Music #Metal #FolkMetal #DoomMetal #MedievalMetal #ApocalypseOrchestra #GävleSymphonyOrchestra
Apocalypse Orchestra – A Plague upon Thee Review
By Twelve
I love Apocalypse Orchestra. When I first came across the Swedish group in late 2017 via their debut, The End is Nigh, our connection was instant—doom metal and folk metal fused together under a medieval lens, boasting lyrics that suggested a genuine effort for historical accuracy. The End is Nigh still makes the strongest claim of any album I’ve heard for the tag of “medieval metal,” and is one of my favorite doom metal albums. I’ve waited patiently for nearly eight years, and, finally, Apocalypse Orchestra are releasing their sophomore full-length, A Plague upon Thee, in which they continue their carefully treaded way down the dismal course of medieval European history.
If you’re not familiar with Apocalypse Orchestra, here’s a crash course on their sound. Jonas Lindh (Guitars), Andreas Skoglund (drums), and Rikard Jansson (bass) play mid-paced, somewhat progressive doom meta, similar to King Goat; strong riffs, great ebb and flow, and active play. Then, Mikael Lindström gets involved, adding hurdy gurdy, bagpipes, and mandola, both in lead and supporting capacities, and as primary drivers of melody. The folk instruments add a rustic filter, which is complemented by Erik Larsson (more guitars, more mandola, lute, cittern, vocals), whose singing style is something I can’t quite put into words—his baritone fits the “medieval” theme of A Plague upon Thee with unique grace. His growls are very strong, but used sparsely. All five band members also contribute backing vocals, to phenomenal effect, giving the album an epic undertone. Of course, there’s no keyboard;1 anywhere one could conceivably be used, the choir shows up instead. Put all of this together, and Apocalypse Orchestra have claim to a unique sound, one they’ve clearly been honing for years.
With so many instruments and so much history to work from, A Plague upon Thee does not lack for ideas. “Glass and Sun” tackles religious dominance in the era, letting the bagpipes lead in a stunning display to mirror the worship common from the time. “Tempest” takes its inspiration from Revelations; it is the darkest song on the album and one of its best. Never has a hurdy-gurdy—or Larsson, for that matter—sounded so commanding. This is one of few songs that make use of his cruel growls in a thematically welcome turn, and also one of the few to feature a guitar solo. “Anchorhold” is a mid-paced folk-doom march with a huge chorus that tells the story of a dispirited anchorite. The mournful hurdy-gurdy leads echo their frustration and despair, supported by huge riffs crashing through with modern rage. Apocalypse Orchestra also excel in smaller, subtler moments; the choral melody in “Virago” is so quiet but so effective; similarly, the mandolin in “From the Athanor” is easy to miss, but the verses would be notably different without it. At every turn—musically, lyrically, and thematically—there is careful thought and clear intent throughout A Plague upon Thee.
For all that Apocalypse Orchestra does differently than most bands, there are still hallmarks of doom metal alongside their creativity. With the exception of “To Arrive” (a powerful interlude), every song falls between seven and nine minutes long, giving the eight-song album a runtime of just under an hour. As mentioned earlier, Apocalypse Orchestra, and especially Mikael Lindström, know how to keep things interesting, but if there is one critique I can make for A Plague upon Thee, it is that there is a clear formula at work. The band excels with huge choruses, supported by choral vocals; each song has a distinct lead from the hurdy-gurdy or bagpipes; and each song is roughly the same length with a similar design. This is not to say that every song sounds the same—not even close—but most of the excitement happens within a similar formula. More variety in the formula itself might endear A Plague upon Thee to a wider audience because the music itself is nothing short of great.
To some extent, the “medieval metal” tag has always been vague—what constitutes medieval influence anyway? But what Apocalypse Orchestra is doing is a clear attempt at genuine authenticity in colliding these two opposing worlds. In this sense, A Plague upon Thee is a triumph. It effortlessly blends folk music, medieval instruments, and modern metal into a captivating whole. I do hope to hear more before another eight years pass—but this will keep me happy if they do.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Despotz Records
Websites: apocalypseorchestra.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/apocalypseorchestra
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025
#2025 #40 #APlagueUponThee #ApocalypseOrchestra #DespotzRecords #DoomMetal #Feb25 #FolkMetal #KingGoat #MedievalMetal #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal
A Plague upon Thee by Apocalypse Orchestra (released yesterday), medieval folk/doom metal for @lpl's #SaturDoom
bandcamp link:
https://apocalypseorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/a-plague-upon-thee
#Music #metal #DoomMetal #FolkMetal #Medieval #ApocalypseOrchestra
#nowplaying the new Album #aplagueuponthee from the Band #apocalypseorchestra ( from #sweden )
Melting #metal with #folk in a great way
#albumsof25
Det är ju #blandbandsfredag så bidrar med en tung C90. Tung musik passar fint i dessa tider.
#fairtomidland #rendezvouspoint #esoterica #avatarium #untoothers #apocalypseorchestra #lifeofagony #solstafir #theoldtree #moonsorrow #agalloch #observers #weedpecker #riversofnihil #múr #porcupinetree
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3qdxhPq5cVskbw9vRmT4UV?si=huCKAfPISKiPpXzVkPw82w&pi=t6VUF4EvQHa_n
APOCALYPSE ORCHESTRA (Suècia) presenta nou àlbum: "A Plague upon Thee" #ApocalypseOrchestra #MedievalFolk #DoomMetal #Febrer2025 #Suècia #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic
⚔️ Medieval darkness descends! APOCALYPSE ORCHESTRA's new album "A Plague Upon Thee" arrives on February 14!
🎻 Immerse yourself in the fusion of doom & folk and support us 👉 [https://amzn.to/4g9JCqQ]
#metalreleases #ApocalypseOrchestra #DoomMetal #FolkMetal #APlagueUponThee
Let history echo in metal 🤘https://metalreleases.com
Grylle – Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards Review
By Twelve
I like Antiq Records. Generally, their albums tread the line between different, powerful, and weird very nicely, so it’s always a treat when one of their new releases happens by the Angry Metal Offices. It should come as no surprise that I’m a fan of Hyvermor. He’s the co-owner of the label and has been a part of several projects that I love—Hanternoz, Véhémence, and Grylle, to name a few. Grylle is perhaps the least “metal” of the three1, and also the folkiest, leaning fully into the medieval themes that serve Hyvermor and Antiq Records so well. Boasting an impressive lineup of guest musicians on all kinds of fun instruments, Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards is the third full-length release from Gylle, and is, as per usual, a treat to explore.
Now, when I say an impressive lineup of guest musicians on all kinds of fun instruments, I mean it. Apart from bass and drums by KK and Cadavre respectively, there are no fewer than seven guest musicians on Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards, whose contributions include a small horn section, citole, bagpipes, flutes, a hurdy gurdy, and something called a mandocello. As a result, Grylle’s music feels more multifaceted than it ever has before. More than previous records, Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards is a black metal album firmly entrenched in medieval and folk themes, with one major difference—nearly all of the leads are performed by what I believe is the mandocello. Nearly all of the tremolo leads are acoustic, and even the distorted guitars are medieval instruments, though those are distorted enough to resemble the electric instruments of today. The result is what I imagine October Falls would sound like if you made them play the metal and acoustic bits at the same time; the riffs have that slick-yet-dark edge to them, while the acoustic sections enliven and enhance.
Of course, that’s not a perfect comparison, because Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards is unquestionably a folk metal album. The gorgeous brass and trumpets (Lazareth) on”Mauvais Sang” work with mandocello and (I think) psaltery to add a shining, hopeful dimension to the song, while the hurdy gurdy (Sparda, Hanternoz, and Créatures) makes “Réservement de Confortale Présence” a uniquely mournful march, evoking Apocalypse Orchestra. Hearing acoustic and stringed instruments race to keep up with a full metal outfit on “Moribond Flétri d’Orgueil” is a fascinating experience, and it makes for an entertaining and strangely uplifting tune. Throughout it all, Hyvermor’s vocals (joined occasionally by La Griesche (Tour d’Ivoire) and Sparda, chant, rasp, and shout out stories for the ages, binding together the eclectic sound in a firmly metal base.
I’m not sure if Grylle has a particular weakness, but there are a number of small things about Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards that keep me from being fully drawn in. “Grande Marche des Covidards” and “Réservement de Confortale Présence” both have nice moments musically, but give the impression of being half-finished, or containing ideas that never made it to full songs. As intro and interlude tracks, they’re easily forgettable, but without them, the album is only about half an hour. With only so much in the way of metal music, every moment has to count, and while most songs are very good—”Le Tropique du Cancer” in particular is exceptional—there are a few less exciting tracks, such as closer “La Triomphe de la Mort.” Hyvermor’s vocals are also an acquired taste; his delivery is expressive and strong but sits in an odd realm of being too strong for medieval folk and not quite dark enough for black metal. I wouldn’t say it doesn’t work, but there are moments here and there where you can imagine an alternate delivery or style suiting the song better. With that said, it is hard to blame Grylle for chasing an authentic sound, and most of the time, it works well.
Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards is a fun album and Grylle is a project to keep an eye on. This is a style of music that is familiar and new, an approach to something established that I’ve never heard before. Grylle has written and performed it extremely well. As ever, I am eager to see where medieval metal goes from here—based on Egrotants, Souffreteux, Cacochymes, Covidards, the possibilities seem endless.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Antiq Records
Websites: grylle.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grylleofficiel
Releases Worldwide: November 10th, 2024
#2024 #30 #AntiqRecords #ApocalypseOrchestra #BlackMetal #Créatures #EgrotantsSouffreteuxCacochymesCovidards #FolkMetal #FrenchMetal #Grylle #Hanternoz #Nov24 #OctoberFalls #Review #Reviews #TourDIvoire #Vehemence
@neurothing
A beautiful song about defiance and hope:
Apocalypse Orchestra - Virago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl9vg0W8PQg
#apocalypseorchestra #virago #BlackMetalMonday #blackmetal #thehope #hope #fuckthepatriarchy
Вот и пришло моё время!! :D
Всем привет, Я Сэм, я твиттерская беженка и с радостью переезжаю в мастодон по зову хороших людей :3
В целом, мастерица щитпоста по теме всего в этом мире, но иногда пишу и о своей жизни :Р
Из интересов, могу выделить игры, к сожалению мобильные(да простит меня Господь-), а особенно рогалики.
Заядлая фанатка #slaythespire и #Deadcells, немного играю в #NuclearThrone.
Из любимых игр других жанров могу выделить: #mindustry, #PapersPlease, #hollowknight (последний был пройден на Ютубе, но я слышала про порт на телефоны)
Жизнь живу музыкой, впринципе мои вкусы это ужас так как всё варьируется от #MISSIO, #Ghost и #DesRocs до #slipknot и #systemofadown, так же присутствуют такие интересные исполнители как: #Manntra, #thehu, #ApocalypseOrchestra, #ShawnJames, #PeterGundry и не только)
В общем, надеюсь сживёмся :D
[#ActuLibre] Combien bien commencer la semaine ? Avec du metal, voyons ! http://frederic.bezies.free.fr/blog/?p=18392 #Bandcampetcompagnie #ApocalypseOrchestra #ForAllBeyond #TheEndIsNigh #symphonique #Metalwings #doommetal #bandcamp #Bulgarie #médiéval #Culture #Musique #spotify #deezer #métal #suède #folk
