Fell Willow - Elsewhere (2012)

Fell Willow is an American boreal black metal band, i find it like black folk metal. Its got only two members and they started playing in 2011. This is their first album and it has released free at bandcamp.com. So you can download the entire album from there if you like. The band is pretty underground, and really hasnt gotten any popular attention, but i find it interesting and fresh in the style of folk metal. Which usually comes from scandinavia.. well this ones from USA so you should check it out because of that and becouse of the epic music they make... of course.. The band describes itself as "Epic Organic Boreal Black Metal", sounds kinda epic, right?

  To the album. It starts with aa orchestral intro, that kinda gets you on the right mood for this bit depressive styled folk metal. The ravensroad represent albums faster side which is done with nice touch to the folk style. Even though the melodies and riffs  are kinda simple, the riffs are very catchy, if your willing to listen more than 2 times. The studio quality is not the greatest, but this album has been done with the bands own money and mixings so dont give it too much attention, i really like it thought. I kinda hate the over over over mixed songs, which are kinda usual these days. Well I havent never been a pop metal fan, so its kinda logic.
  
  Anyway the albums sounds sound great for me. There is few songs, that i dont like so much, and i really havent paid much attention to them but they actually started sound better and better after few listening. I got this problem that i cant really listen album many times, but leaving some songs between and i never get really familiar with them, and this happened with this album also.

  "The Coldhands" and "elsewhere", are those songs, and they arent so catchy and mind touching than the others but great songs, maybe someday when i really would listen them over and over again, maybe. And then comes "Winter`s eye which is a slow song, and its really epic with Turisas style singing and slow but really intense riffs and, its just greatness. Like the other faster song in this album "Frost Fangs", its really great, its got some great piano and flute melodies, but still i like the slower songs of this song more like "The Larkspurs Crown" which is, no doubt one of the best songs in this album, great mix of this battle style orchestra clean singing and deep growls.

  The growls in this album are some pure perfection and really gives orgams to my ear. Combined with some epic slow riffs, this album gets me the goosepumps, with its greatest moments. Its shame that this album as usually albums lacks, of the decent line that would keep all of the albums song great. It`s just hard to make album full of hits but its been done, and i dont see the reason why shouldnt i expects those great performances from upcoming album.

Btw there was only one song in youtube, so this is really underground....  not the best but good song still.

Rating 3.5/5

Tracklist:
1. Sapling (1:22)
2. The Ravensroad (4:07)
3. Coldhands (2:51)
4. Elsewhere (4:27)
5. Winter's Eye (3:58)
6. Frost Fangs (4:53)
7. The Elk and the Elm (3:39)
8. Meltwater (2:16)
9. The Larkspur Crown (9:08)
10. Reflection Beneath the Elder Canopy (3:10)
11. I Riden Så (4:30)