Skyforger - 'Kurbads'

Folk Metal with power to spare.

Apart from a daft album cover, and some questionable choices in vocal attempts, the fifth full length from Latvia’s Skyforger—titled Kurbads—is an excellent effort from front to back, proving that not all pagan/folk metal needs to be all sissified and hey-nonny-nonny all the time.

No, Kurbads instead provides a powerful, anthemic metal sound, rooted in both the extreme depths and melodic heights of the genre. Hell, the album’s title track wouldn’t sound out of place on a Running Wild or Manowar album, so legit is the track’s epic metal power and massively catchy chorus. Of course, Skyforger aren’t exactly new to the scene, either, having been kicking out pure heavy metal thunder since the late '90s.

Kurbads is by far the band’s strongest and most actualized effort, however, presenting a new level of songwriting quality to the table. While Skyforger’s legit ability and potential was heavily hinted at on prior records—indeed, the band has enjoyed a cult following for many years—it is on Kurbads where all of the hard work and dedication pays off: this is by far the group and its stylistic and creative peak.

Though Lativa may not be recognized as a hotbed of metal activity in the way Germany, Sweden or Norway might be, indie metal fans would only be doing themselves a disservice by not checking out this legitimately talented act.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.