Time Signature
Wheel of eternity...
Genre: folk metal with extreme metal elements
Paganland are slated as a pagan black metal band, but on "Wind of Freedom" they show that their music is about so much more than just black metal. To be honest, folk metal is one of those genres that do not always sit well with me, but I find this album to be quite convincing.
Drawing on the dark and melancholic flavor of Ukrainian folk music, Paganland combine traditional metal, death metal and black metal into their own, surprisingly melodic brand of metal. The Eastern European vocal style (combined with growls) helps add both an epic feel and an folksy authenticity. Blast beats and tremolo madness do occur every now and then, but the album as a whole is very riff-driven, and I am not so sure i would consider it black metal at all.
The production is pretty good, and because of the audibility of the bass, there is even a roundness and warmth to the overall sound of the album, which was an overall positive surprise to me.
Fans of Eastern European-flavored folk metal should definitely check out this fine effort from Paganland.