Skyforger

Kauja Pie Saules

Paragon Records 2006

Paragon Records brings us another gem in the form of a re-release of Skyforger's debut album.  Kauja opens with a passage of neofolk inspired bombast with chanting male vocals which basically sets the listener into the right frame of mind for the rest of the album's material.  Though several of my friends disagree with me I feel Skyforger's  style is pretty similar to the first Falkenbach album in that it takes primitive riff oriented black metal and seamlessly combines it with catchy and earth bound pagan musical passages/influences.  Where they differ is in the sounds and structure of their pagan musical styles being as one band is Icelandic and the other is Latvian.  Also the black metal sections tend to be of a faster tempo and more aggressive with Skyforger.  Maybe that stems from a greater hatred for Xtianity?  My favorite song is Forger Forged up in the Sky with its blasting black metal riffing and sepulchral vocals echoing over the violent fray beneath.  The beginning of The Sacred Firecross ironically calls to mind the ringing of churchbells across the countryside on a quiet Sunday morning though the instrument they are using is not bells at all and I am sure that was not their intention at all.  It is just an image that the music calls into my head.  One thing that I think is really cool is that rather than using a lot of synths apparently Skyforger uses the original instruments to generate the musical accents they are looking for such as the Rattle Stick, Bagpipes, and Mouth Harp.  The booklet contains both English and I am assuming Latvian translations for the lyrics so the rest of the world can understand the albums tribute to an epic victory by heathenish hordes against the Xtian army at the battle at Garoza Forest as well as tales regarding the many valiant battles by Latvian tribes against the invading Xtians.  Skyforger's blend of black metal and Ancient Pagan hymns successfully bridges the gap between the heathen worlds of the forgotten past and the militant present.  Skyforger have managed to establish themselves at the forefront of the pagan black metal movement and with musical epics such as Kuaja Pie Saules they prove they belong there.