Aquileia Ostroma

Reviewed by Dylan Raine

Artist: KerecsenSólyom
Album: Aquileia Ostroma
Label: Nail Records/Hammer Music KFT
Date of Release: 02 April 2010

1. Hívó (Calling)
2. Aquileia Ostroma (Seige of Aquileia)
3. A Hosök Mulató Mezeje (Fasting Field Of Heroes)
4. Kerecsen (Saker)
5. Keve Ostora (Scourge of Keve)
6. Csatába! (Into Battle)

Hungarian Symphonic Folk Metal band, KerecsenSólyom whom were founded in 2004 describe the roots of this band as being dated back to the ancient past. The wings of Sólyom (Falcon) send you back to ancient times where the rhythm of shaman’s drums are carried by a gentle breeze and the verdant meadows are filled with the gallop of steeds and valiant songs.
Conversely the musical conception is mainly epic and sometimes sounds like film soundtracks, both of which evoke the long forgotten legends of the Hungarian ancestors.

Into the album and we’re given fun-loving metal from a folk based view combining the instruments of a live symphonic orchestra including the Hurdy-Gurdy, Bagpipes, Flute, Kobza, Zurna, and brass instruments consisting of Trumpets and Trombones whilst a full choir accompanies everything else. The first track we see is based as a gentle instrumental introduction of things to come and by the time the second one kicks in you’ll know why. The music is very melodic and full of typical pirate-metal-esq nuances whilst keeping to the traditional folk sound. Into the solo sections and well they are a little over zealous for this album perhaps; far too much to think about in such a small space of time and yet overall it does make an interesting start to the album!

As you progress through the tracks you really do get the feeling of something quite exciting round every corner, and it’s that unexpected view when mixed with the vocal shouts which really open this album up as an interesting experiment.

With the live sounds from the birds and the water in the intro of ‘A Hosök Mulató Mezeje (Fasting Field of Heroes)‘ if you close your eyes for a moment you could actually be there, it is spine-tingling good. So, enough of the intro and let’s get crazy again; the riffs really open up here with brilliantly executed chops and licks controlling the stage. We end with a really nice section of male and female choirs which eventually find themselves thrown into the madness that is this entire album, and If you want more of those chops and a few time signature oddities then look no further than ‘Keve Ostora (Scourge of Keve)‘ featuring the mass of instruments and absolute mayhem throughout before the main riff comes back and settles things for a small moment. The solo sections are a little better in this track but still lack any real consistency, unlike the piano’s blasting away with the drums. Not long in and here come the flautists with an extra addition that really open up this song a little more.

We are left with what I can only describe as possibly one of the most obscure songs I have ever had the pleasure to hear. Speed and technical ability really come into play here, throwing out all the stops for every possible instrument in every possible place. The trumpets are brilliantly played really giving you something to connect to, but not for long especially when the bridge section begins and destroys every sense of timing or understanding you had left. I’m not saying it’s a bad song, it’s just “different”, but very entertaining none-the-less.

Overall, if you enjoy fast unstructured music and millions of oddities then this will be great for you.

Even with everything I really enjoyed this album.

8/10