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A Comfortable Nap in Hell…
Austrian folk metal outfit Nemoreus just released the third part of their Orcunadoras trilogy. I have to admit that I haven’t heard any prior material by this band yet, but judging from their performance on this EP here, there’s certainly enough potential presented to not allow myself to leave their music undiscovered.
Their brand of folk metal feels rather uplifting in terms of atmosphere and vocal delivery, despite the lyrical content being quite dark and foreboding. The main character Orcun is a reputable former warrior who’s been plagued by loss and wrong choices that lead him on a path to find peace in the life of a wandering storyteller, earning a living with the reciting of his own gritty experiences. Unfortunately, the company of people does not make him feel better in the long run. While contemplating, he’s ambushed by a bunch of bandits who are impressed by his fighting skills and ask him to join their ranks. Ultimately, after accepting their offer, the bandit crew gets caught and executed with Orcun being the sole survivor (not for the first time in his journey) and turning into a mentally unstable contract killer with a guilty conscience roaming the forests, carving the body count into the blade of his knife.
This tale is apparently being told over the course of three EPs with Rogue being the latest chapter. Yeah, perhaps the story doesn’t sound rock-solid all over (seriously, that lead character has A LOT of bad luck) and their brand of folk metal sounds more lightweight than the lyrical content alone would make you believe, but it is still quality material presented by these six fellow Austrians. Their competent use of bouzouki, flute, and violin is surely their biggest asset and gives Rogue a rather unique character. Frontman Fabian Zechmeister’s vocals are also locked into a mid-to low-range storytelling mode, never reaching for the belt out-button or even extreme metal techniques but they’re always fitting to the tone of the performed music, even though I wish they’d be a little less prominent and not as dry in the mix. A touch of additional reverb would’ve worked wonders for the atmospheric traits of his songwriting. The guitars could’ve been turned up a notch as well, though in its overall representation this EP is clearly a professionally mixed and mastered product.
I’m not at all an expert on folk metal due to many related bands having singers who clearly shouldn’t do clean singing or the top-vocalists blaring over sub-par instrumentation, but this has been a pleasant listen, since it focuses on the lore and doesn’t try to obsessively cram two or more additional subgenres into the package. It’s solid metal for fantasy fans and with a few more storyline tweaks and maybe taking a risk or two with some longer songs (you guys clearly have the instrumental variety and chops to pull off an epic track with mood changes and grand lead moments of sorts, hell – even some spoken word narratives would be most welcome)…well, let’s see what Nemoreus will deliver next time.
Now listen to “We Sleep in Hell” for the ideal introduction to this EP.
https://www.facebook.com/Nemoreusofficial
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