This is the third album from Svafnir, a pagan/folk metal band out of Germany. All instruments and vocals are handled by Alexander Suplie, and the majority of the material is straight acoustic folk, though some of the tracks climax with driving, simple metal chords and Suplie's harsh vocals.
Most of the album is quite relaxing and simple, in particular I favor tracks like "Shadows in the Water", "The Blackbird's Flight" with its bluesy guitar solo, or "The Mourning Forest" with its dark, whispered vocals over the plucky acoustic line. "Nothing Left" and "Death of the Sun" are two of the heavier tracks, and they're decent but not very catchy.
The album sounds good, the guitars are all clear and he has a pretty cool voice whether he's using it to whisper or growl. Percussion sounds nice, and certain tracks have just the right amount of atmosphere. For me this album just wasn't memorable enough as far as the riffing goes, but it's clear that Alexander has the potential to create a monstrous folk metal album one of these days. I just don't think The Heathen Chapters is that album. However, if you are interested in simplistic European folk metal with is heavier on the acoustic side than metal, you should track this down and his older albums.
Verdict: Indifference [6/10]
http://www.svafnir.de/
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