Falconer – Armod

site | label | buy

Falconer have had a productive life so far, with this being the seventh album since the band formed in 1999. Armod apparently is meant to be down to earth and embrace the band’s interest in traditional Swedish folk music – though, to be fair, Falconer always seemed to have a slight folk leaning in their reasonably heavy power metal. This brings to mind a much more popular power metal band that also incorporate heavier guitar parts and some folk influence: Blind Guardian. The thing with Blind Guardian is that whilst they are capable of some magnificent music, quite often they can be dull and self-contented, most commonly when they dwell around their folk influences. Sadly Falconer seem to have a similar problem, though Armod itself has no highs to speak of and simply rests at the bottom of this scale. This album is bland and emotionless, rarely picking up enough energy to entertain a good riff or a good melody. Plenty of the blame can be placed on singer Mathias Blad, who conjures no passion whatsoever in his delivery. He floats over the rest of the music without cohesion, ruining the band’s already limited appeal. When the genre of folk metal is overflowing with talent, a power metal band releasing a half-hearted folk/power record feels mildly insulting. Armod is a rather sleep-inducing record and certainly not worth investigating.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Falconer