SKYFORGER

Pagan folk-tinged black metal from, of all places, the Baltic state of Latvia, SKYFORGER has been going strong for over a decade now. "Kauja pie Saules", their debut CD, was originally released on Mascot in 1998, and has been brought back into print by the esoteric 'heads over at Paragon. With the attention being paid to TYR recently, the time may be right for a larger audience to discover this unique and interesting band.

"Kauja Pie Saules" opens with the whinny of horses and some hearty medieval singing, but that's quickly replaced by a blast of ferocious mid-'90s black metal, similar in style and feeling to older ENSLAVED. The folk influences crop up throughout the record, with mouth harp, choirs, and acoustic pieces amid the charismatic, yet vicious old-school attack of the black metal that comprises most of the music.

Even in this early form, SKYFORGER mixed the elements of their sound well, never going overboard with the atmospheric stuff to the detriment of the metal. The overall vibe is one of ancient battles and windswept winter forests, steeped in the rich history of their native land (its strategic location on the Baltic Sea has made Latvia a prime target for invasion for a millennium). There's a loose, live feel to "Kauja Pie Saules", as well, but without the intentional sloppiness or garbage-can production that so many were still slavishly clinging to in '98. This record sounds live in a good way — the energy and spirit are infectious.

Check out "The Ancient Oak" if you want a representative example of what these guys are on about. Its midtempo beginning and chanting, doomy end section, are mesmerizing. Fans of rawer black metal and pagan/folk artistry should already be familiar with SKYFORGER — as "Kauja Pie Saules" proves, they're one of the best and most underrated groups in the field.