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The American band Northern Sword is offering their 4-track demo as a free download, so let's see what the guys from Royal Oak has to offer.
A look at the song titles will give you an idea and when they kick off In The Name Of Odin it becomes crystal clear that Northern Sword is a symphonic folk metal band. But compared to some European outfits they sound more authentic... Richard Hakli's growls fit well to the guitar-driven sound and while Judge Walters' keyboards are always present, they don't get too prominent. They speed up For Glory And Gold, but ease off a little for the catchy chorus. Mark Chandler's guitar leads are well done, but at For Glory And Gold the accompanying keyboard is too prominent... almost distracting. But that's something which can be change easily, so no big criticism. A more typical folk metal tune is Draw Your Swords, and again the guitar play sticks out. This time Chandler's lead guitar gets enough space to shine! The closer Nine Steps Of Sorrow begins slowly with keyboard, but then they head into a heavy track with speed changes, deep growls, symphonic keyboard melodies and folk passages.
Fans of symphonic folk metal and Viking metal should visit the band virtual home and check out the demo! Remember it's a free download, so there is no excuse not to give it a try!
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