Weekly album: Skyforger - Latviešu strēlnieki

Skyforger - Latviešu strēlnieki

2000 / Pagan black metal

1. Latviešu strēlnieki

2.  Kauja pie Plakaniem, kauja pie Veisiem 

3. 1916. Gada marts 

4. Nāves sala

5.  Sešas ārprāta dienas

6. Pulkvedis Briedis

7. Tīreļa purvā

8. Esat kā vīri 

9. Dzīves vismelnākā stundā 

10. Uz kariņu bāliņš jāja

Orostider: Pagan black metal bands from Eastern Europe tend to offer the finest of the genre. Skyforger is not an exception. 'Latviešu strēlnieki' was the first Skyforger album I heard and even after familiarizing myself with their other albums, 'Latviešu strēlnieki' has kept it's place on the top. 

One of the major differences between for example, Nokturnal Mortum and Skyforger, is the scarcer use of 'overly' melodic and folky parts. Even though I love Nokturnal Mortum's way of doing pagan black metal, Skyforger's way allows the music to feel like a solid package of intensity. The scarcity of the folk influences mean that the album only has them in few song intros and lead passages. 

'Latviešu strēlnieki', which translates to 'Latvian Riflemen', is indeed an intense album and capable of creating massively heavy atmosphere. The intensity is done quite well and won't tire the listener, because the album is structured to vary from high tempo to slower chanting passages. The album endures repeated listens and the finest details of the album require several spins.

All in all, 'Latviešu strēlnieki' should be considered one of the cornerstones of its genre. It represents the more straightforward school of pagan black metal and shouldn't be forgotten due to its lack of folk melodies. 

Favourite songs: 'Latviešu strēlnieki', 'Sešas ārprāta dienas'

btcarey: At first glance, an average metal fan might overlook an album such as Skyforger’s  “Latviešu Strēlnieki”. The record isn’t especially technical, the vocals are a bit unorthodox, and the music leans towards a more light-hearted atmosphere than most folk/black metal acts. Even with these unusual approaches, “Latviešu Strēlnieki” still shines as a fun, approachable album with exceptional replay value.

The most unfortunate aspect of the record is the amount of spins it takes to truly appreciate it. The first two times I heard “Latviešu Strēlnieki” I was really not impressed, and if I wasn’t obligated, I probably would have tossed the album rite then. Lucky, I continued listening and the album grew stronger and stronger. “Latviešu Strēlnieki” really doesn’t start for me until the firework explodes in “1916 Gada Marts” (one of the strongest black metal pieces on the album), after which an onslaught of bone crushing riffs and folky goodness ensues.

One thing that really sets “Latviešu Strēlnieki” apart from other bands is there incorporation of thrash/heavy metal themes in an otherwise folk/black metal environment. Song’s like “Pulkvedis Briedis” and “Tīreļa Purvā” are remarkably heavy and had me head banging by the end.

Overall this is a great album and I would recommend it to any fan of folk/black metal.

Favorite Songs: “1916 Gada Marts”, “Pulkvedis Briedis”

tp5170: Skyforger is again one of those bands that didn’t really get me too excited when I heard their music for the first time, but after recently seeing the band playing live it kind of became clear to me what the band is actually all about. After the gig, I have been giving their album, ‘Latvian Riflemen / Latviešu strēlnieki’, some time and thought and I have to say that I like it a lot and it reflects nicely the things I liked about their live performance. It’s certainly a bit different from what I have come to expect from bands of the folk/pagan black metal genre in the past, but that actually works in its favor.

The songs are quite straightforward and tempo is relative high even in the slower songs. This gives the music a nice and energetic touch that lasts the entire album. The musical tone on the album can be quite aggressive and serious at times, but overall experience is still pretty light, despite the black metal influences. The music is highly entertaining and surprisingly approachable, which is probably why the band seems to be such a big deal in their home country, it winning rock/heavy awards and all.

But all in all, I think I have taken a liking to this album and I would suggest anyone interested in faster, not so serious black metal or folk/pagan black metal.  

Favorite song: Six Days of Madness / Sešas ārprāta dienas