Danish folk metal for the win :)
Looks like it's been a while since I went crazy over a music band. I don't usually click "play" when people post music videos on Tumblr... but I did this time, and it was a case of instant fascination. The band is called Huldre. They play Scandinavian folk metal, and they're from Denmark. Their debut album, Intet Menneskebarn, was released in 2012. They don't seem to be well known outside of Europe, since my initial Google search didn't bring up much... but eventually I found their website: http://www.huldre.dk. You can listen to a few tracks for free on there, if you're interested. Strangely enough, I couldn't even find them on iTunes - until I clicked on the iTunes link from the band's website. That's when their album suddenly turned up in the store. It has now been purchased, downloaded and synced to my iPod - presumably to be played to death over the next few days.:)
So what's so special about this band? To me, it's mostly the vocals. Or, rather, the perfect harmony between the vocals and the instrumental arrangements. In a lot of similar bands, the overall effect tends to be ruined (for me, at least) by a male vocalist who shrieks as though he was being flayed alive. Here we have a strong, powerful, but clear female voice with amazing range, carrying gorgeous melodies that enhance the primal sound of traditional instruments (the hurdy-gurdy OMG). It's pure folk, served in metal sauce.:) Not the other way around. So, high points from me. Oh, and the lyrics are in Danish, too - which, again, sounds more authentic than the ubiquitous (and often poorly translated) English. Very refreshing.;)
In other random announcements, the new conditioner I just bought at Whole Foods (Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor by Giovanni) makes my hair look AWESOME. Now all I need is a facelift... and I can almost forget which birthday I celebrated last week.:D
Oh, and my most popular piece of Aragorn/Legolas fanfic on AO3 has reached over 3,000 hits. I mean... I can't even. I thought LOTR fandom was mostly dead by now, except for the dwarves. Just knowing that people still read A/L so much makes me almost wish I could write it again... *nostalgic sigh*
And just a tiny reminder to self before I sign off: never ever boast of the fact that your sinuses have cleared. You should know by now that as soon as you say that, they instantly become congested again. It's either due to the cold, or the heat, or the humidity, or the change of seasons, or the dust, or the pollen, or any other random trigger you can think of. There is always SOMETHING. Boil or freeze, rain or shine, the mucus production never stops. It's a fact of life. Get used to it. *weary sigh*
So what's so special about this band? To me, it's mostly the vocals. Or, rather, the perfect harmony between the vocals and the instrumental arrangements. In a lot of similar bands, the overall effect tends to be ruined (for me, at least) by a male vocalist who shrieks as though he was being flayed alive. Here we have a strong, powerful, but clear female voice with amazing range, carrying gorgeous melodies that enhance the primal sound of traditional instruments (the hurdy-gurdy OMG). It's pure folk, served in metal sauce.:) Not the other way around. So, high points from me. Oh, and the lyrics are in Danish, too - which, again, sounds more authentic than the ubiquitous (and often poorly translated) English. Very refreshing.;)
In other random announcements, the new conditioner I just bought at Whole Foods (Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor by Giovanni) makes my hair look AWESOME. Now all I need is a facelift... and I can almost forget which birthday I celebrated last week.:D
Oh, and my most popular piece of Aragorn/Legolas fanfic on AO3 has reached over 3,000 hits. I mean... I can't even. I thought LOTR fandom was mostly dead by now, except for the dwarves. Just knowing that people still read A/L so much makes me almost wish I could write it again... *nostalgic sigh*
And just a tiny reminder to self before I sign off: never ever boast of the fact that your sinuses have cleared. You should know by now that as soon as you say that, they instantly become congested again. It's either due to the cold, or the heat, or the humidity, or the change of seasons, or the dust, or the pollen, or any other random trigger you can think of. There is always SOMETHING. Boil or freeze, rain or shine, the mucus production never stops. It's a fact of life. Get used to it. *weary sigh*