A forthcoming journal on folk-metal, mostly in the pagan metal and viking metal sub-genres, requests that those with essays on the topic submit them for publication next year. The journal focuses on metal bands who use traditional musical instruments, lyrical references to customs and mythology, allusions to traditional culture, or displaying of cultural imagery in performer attire and artwork.
Folk-metal refers to the style of music that arose in the 1990s in Europe which consisted of “fusing traditional or folk music with heavy metal music forms.” The journal lists a number of bands from the power metal, black metal and death metal genres who qualify under this style:
Skyclad (England), Cruachan (Ireland), Finntroll (Finland), Skyforger (Latvia), Amon Amarth (Sweden), Amorphis (Finland), Falkenbach (Germany), Waylander (Ireland), Svartsot (Denmark), Metsatöll (Estonia), Empyrium (Germany), Mägo de Oz (Spain), Silent Stream of Godless Elegy (Czech Republic), Korpiklaani (Finland), Mael Mórdha (Ireland), Alkonost (Russia), Balkandji (Bulgaria), Dalriada (Hungary), Lumsk (Norway), Týr (Faroe Islands), Ensiferum (Finland), Celtachor (Ireland), Eluveitie (Switzerland), Elvenking (Italy), Primordial (Ireland).
Interested writers must submit a 300-word abstract and short biography of 50-100 words to to the editor, Dr Jenny Butler at j.butler@ucc.ie and cc. to butler.Jennifer@gmail.com by November 10, 2014. The final essays must be 4,000-7,000 words and will be due by June 1, 2015.
The journal suggests the following themes as a topical starting point:
- Folklore, song lyrics, and cultural identity
- Neo-pagan worldview of the bands
- History of the genre, participants and events
- Indigenous religion and mythology
- Political and/or nationalistic agendas
- The concept of homeland
- The representation of deities and mythological beings in songs
- Heroic elements
- Fantasy literature
- Nature, landscape and sacred sites
Tags: Black Metal, death metal, folk metal, metal academia, Mythology, power metal
Most of the bands mentioned play circus music.
Indeed, all of the ideollogically provoking (and musically more interesting) bands were skipped and as Amorphis are now parody of their former selves I cannot see more than three quality bands. I think submissions about symbolical meaning of rubber Thor´s hammers and “Viking” helmets at Wacken would not be out of place.
What about this: That all blatantly folk metal music is actually insipid because it fails to situate the mentality of the ‘ancients’ or ‘das volk’ within a modern one- thus serving as a genuine and potent paradigm clash. The pernicious element is romanticizing without realizing what one can or cannot do. Using fantasy as expression is fine, living within fantasy is just a pitfall.