Not Viking metal, as these boys are from Finland, but the combination of folk melodies and traditional melodic European death metal certainly flows in similar ways. Kinda like a metal version of the Dropkick Murphys, there are tin whistles, strings, gang harmonies and kick-ass riffage.

Folkrim On Foaming Waves (self-released)

Folk metal is, at this point, a bona-fide trendy sound, and Folkrim's take doesn't stint on either side of the sound. The melodies are sweet, the harmonies full and the riffage speedy. At any point a songs could be falling through a reel or blasting a new hole in the sky. Often both at once.

Folkrim doesn't go halfway. Whenever there is a question, the answer is "more". More whistles, more gange vocals and more songs about imbibing. I like a band that is not afraid to keep pushing the edge. There's no middle ground for this band. The songs are the thing, and anything less than full effort is unacceptable.

The sound is totally uncomplicated, even though it sounds a bit batshit to the uninitiated. Thirty years ago I used to joke about reviewing everything from folk to death metal. Now the joke's on me, and bands like Folkrim are making me sound unintentionally prophetic. A big wad of fun.

Jon Worley