Orphaned Land - All is One (2013)

After 2010's spectacular Orwarrior, my expectations for Orphaned Land's fifth album were incredibly high, and I'm happy to say that by and large they have been met. All is One goes in a somewhat different direction than Orwarrior in terms of scaling back the heaviness and growls and relying heavily on orchestration. The orchestration, for me, is the real highlight of this album as it's done so beautifully and forms such an integral part of the music that you couldn't imagine it not being there. It's a bit disappointing that Shlomit Levi isn't featured on this album, but the female singer who is present here as well as the choir are quite good in their own way. As for the songs, the title track shows the band band at their most progressive and is one of my favorites from the album. "Brother" is a gorgeous, emotional ballad that is one of the best songs they've ever written. "Children," the epic album closer, is another highlight of the album and seems to summarize everything that came before it. In all, even though this album doesn't quite live up to Orwarrior or Mabool, it's still an amazing accomplishment for the band and demonstrates yet again that Orphaned Land are the cream of the crop when it comes to Middle Eastern metal. All is One is their most emotional album yet and if you're already a fan or are just gettting into the band then you won't be disappointed.
9.25/10

Finntroll - Blodsvept (2013)

Finntroll's sixth album shows no real signs of innovation, but rather meets the fans' expectations as far as releasing a solid, catchy collection of humppa metal tunes. It's not quite as diverse or epic as the band's last album, "Nifelvind" (my favorite of theirs), but it's still plenty enjoyable. If you want meat and potatoes, no frills folk metal then this album is a fine choice.
8.5/10

 

Finsterforst - Rastlos (2012)

 

This is an excellent atmospheric black metal/folk release that calls to mind the music of Moonsorrow. It's sweeping, epic stuff that makes you feel like you're right in the Lord of the Rings universe (as cheesy as that might sound). Like Moonsorrow, Finsterforst have a knack balancing harshness with epic melodies and storytelling so as to make for a provocative and beautifully grandiose musical statement. If you want music that really fires up the imagination then I highly recommend this to you.

9/10

Appalachian Winter - Ghosts of the Mountains (2013)

Heavily inspired by the epic black metal band Summoning, Appalachian Winter is a truly awesome one-man band. The man's atmosphere is just incredible, and dare I say, even better than that of Summoning. It's snowy music, but not the depressive kind offered by Agalloch or Paysages d'Hiver. It's uplifting, majestic, and composed like a film score. There are so many great atmospheric BM releases from this year, but this has to be one of my favorites.
9.5/10

Nothgard - Warhorns of Midgard (2011)

This is certainly one of the most unique and melodic blackened folk albums I've come across recently. It's incredibly epic and in your face with death metal and neoclassical stylings. I highly recommend this one.
9/10

Manegarm - Vredens Tid (2005)

Here's another pretty good blackened folk metal release. Very good riffs and folk passages as well as an awesome album cover. 

8.5/10 

Heol Telwen - An Deiz Ruz (2005)

Out of curiosity, I googled "Breton metal" and here's what came up. In case you didn't know, Breton refers to the westernmost province of France and is translated as Brittany in English or Breizh in the native Celtic language. This band uses the language extensively in their songs, and give you a good taste of Breton music with bagpipes and flutes. While this is not a really unique blackened folk metal release, apart from the use of Breizh, it is pretty enjoyable and something I'd recommend for those who are interested in ethnic metal.
8.5/10

 

Primordial - To the Nameless Dead (2007)

And here is Primordial's master work; an epic ode to Ireland itself and a reclamation of Irish identity against the destabilizing influence of Western Christianity. There's a whole ton of atmosphere that seems to be influenced by bands such as Neurosis and Bathory as one perceptive interviewer observed. This atmosphere includes hypnotic, driving riffs, pounding drums, and folkish interludes. This is a much hyped album, but the hype is quite right. This is indeed their best album and a black metal masterpiece.
9.5/10

 

Cruachan - Blood on the Black Robe (2011)

Here's a very epic release from the renowned Irish blackened folk metal group Cruachan. Lots of good folk melodies, epic riffs, and cultural pride on this album. A very solid folk metal release overall.
9/10

 

Falkenbach - Heralding (2005)

Here's a pretty good blackened folk metal album that bears a good deal of resemblance to the one-man Viking metal band Bathory. The atmosphere and imagery are great and though some of the songs can be overly repetitive at times, it's very much still worth listening to.
8.5/10