Album Review: Aexylium – The Fifth Season (Rockshots Records)

Italian folk metal band, Aexylium have released their second full-length album, The Fifth Season via Rockshots Records. The follow-up to 2018’s debut, Tales from This Land.

The album features two special guest appearances: Samuele Faulisi (frontman of Atlas Pain), and the talented female singer Arianna Bellinaso. In addition, the guys of Coro Facoltà di Musicologia Vocal Ensemble added its contribution during the recording session.

Building on the powerful and bombastic folk metal they unleashed with their debut, Aexylium return with a couple more years of experience under their belts. Experience that translates into a more sophisticated, tighter, and intricate listen.

The pairing of The Bridge and Mountains, the first two tracks, showcase the growth in this band. The former track; cinematic, symphonic, heavy with some brutal vocals and very feel-good highs. The latter; sweeter, more folk-infused and featuring smooth, clean singing.

Right here, with these two tracks, Aexylium have already proven they have stepped their game up. Yet, there is so much more to come.

Immortal Blood has power-metal energy, the frenetic riffing and punchy folk groove making for a quality listen. Battle of Tettenhall goes for grandeur and sweet folk melody that sounds incredibly fantastical.

Whereas the former was quite elaborate, Skål follows in folkish suit but with a mellower and simpler rhythm… at first. A track that is still mighty as it transforms into a party anthem that conjures up images of roaring fires, roasted meats, huge drinks, and everyone in fine spirits.

A song for the fanciful ages, An Damhsa Mór is a short folk track you can dance too. Before the vast and incomprehensible Yggdrasil spreads its ancient roots through the mind with a challenging blend of folk liveliness and rasping metal.

The peppiness continues into the frantic Vinland, where the violin acts as a punctuation mark for the vocals. However, it’s the chorus that is particularly on fire here. Though the immense heavy head-banging quality of the title track and following ‘fun factor’ of Spirit of the North leave nothing to complain about.

In fact, let it be said now, before the final track, that it’s astonishing just how much Aexylium have improved. Folk metal can be trite and unimaginative but that’s certainly not the case here. It really does help too that Aexylium’s refinement makes it so much more enjoyable to listen too.

Thus it ends, with a sense of sadness as On the Cliff’s Edge is a couple of minutes of melodramatic folk melodies to send all away with a smile.

Aexylium – The Fifth Season Full Track Listing:

1. The Bridge
2. Mountains
3. Immortal Blood
4. Battle of Tettenhall
5. Skål
6. An Damhsa Mór
7. Yggdrasil
8. Vinland
9. The Fifth Season
10. Spirit of the North
11. On the Cliff’s Edge

Links

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