Battlelore

Third Age of the Sun
Napalm Records

8.5/10 – this ain’t no wimpy Hobbit shit!

13 tracks; 49:54

Lord of the Rings has not only influenced three generations of readers & moviegoers, it has also influenced the realm of music, specifically extreme metal. Tolkiens incredible journey through Middle-Earth now comes to you via Finland’s Battlelore. Now, Battlelore do not just immerse themselves in the known stories of Tolkien, they actually craft their own stories based within the world of Middle-Earth. So, not only should this appeal to metal fans, but I am certain die-hard Tolkien fans would enjoy the epic adventures Battlelore have conjured up. Obviously Battlelore keep their stories consistent with Tolkiens original vision, but they do a smack-up job of exploring the lesser known characters and locales. It is actually quite refreshing to read a different aspect to the story, cos in the past few years we have been bombarded with the same images of Orcs, Hobbits & Elves.

Ok, now lets explore the musical vision of Battlelore. In order to make the whole LOTR theme work properly, Battlelore must make us believe, with their music, that we are traversing the vast lands of Middle-Earth. Do they achieve this? Indeed they do! The compositions are grande in scope and infuse enough of that folk/fantasy/fairy feeling to make the experience authentic. The majority of material on TAOTS reminds me of the mid-paced Viking metal of Amon Amarth, especially the loping DM vibe of last album Fate of Norns. As much as this album totally rocks, it is also a lesson in beautiful/melancholic ballads. Battlelore contain within their ranks 2 female vocalists, both who possess incredibly soothing voices. The contrast between the gruff male vocals (sounding like a weird mix of Burton & Max) and angelic female vox, brings to mind the epic battle scenes & serene/peaceful/enchanted forests of Middle-Earth. Actually, some of the lyrics are written in the elvish language of Numenoreian, lending an air of authenticity to the entire thing– pretty damn cool! The final song on this outing is ‘Gollum’s Cry’ – wow! This song does a great job in making the listener feel the anguish of Gollum. It is a cool little ballad and the vocals are done in the same way as Gollum from the movies!

Overall, this album succeeds in what it set out to do. Battlelore have found their own cool little niche within metal; and with the abundance of Tolkien themes and material to work with, I see no end in sight for this incredible band! There are just too many cool things you can explore lyrically & musically with this topic. Awesome.

Jason Deaville