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The final rebellion of Britain’s foremost Celtic warrior queen Boudicca is a perfect match for The Wolves Of Avalon, frontman Metatron’s avowedly pagan folk metal project.
His powerful lyrics and impassioned snarl stir the blood, as do the tasteful arrangements for violin, cello and mandolin that swirl among the chug riffs and plaintive leads of opening highlight Famished Wolves Befogged With Blood. Although orchestration is one of The Wolves’ greatest strengths, at first it struggles against a rather cold and synthetic sound. Guest vocalists from Drudkh and Nokturnal Mortum heighten the folkloric BM quotient, but it’s an artefact of waltzing, windswept Celtic metal, and despite modernistic touches like treated beats and an occasional ill-fitting vocal that sounds like Stone Sour, compelling material and heady Dark Age atmospheres shine through.
Via Godreah
