With Valar ! ... valour ....valor ...?

With Magic and Wyrmfire, Narqath (Dragongod)brings forth his own Tolkien based one man black metal project. This is the only album under the Valar banner (though there were a number of Demos) but Narqath (or Tomi Kalliola or Nikolai Stalhammar or whatever name he may use)is busy with a number of other black metal projects (not Tolkien based). I don't think he'll be pursuing more along this line, cause I think this album got rather panned by metal critics and possibly fans of his more evil stuff (This is the only music I've heard by him, and probably will be the only music I'll hear by him).

Magic and Wyrmfire is an interesting black/ambient metal album. "Crown of Dirmanesti" is an all ambient instrumental piece, though not horrible, but at 6:25 it is a little boring. The songs have a goth feel to them that I attribute to the keyboards and most songs stick to a gothy/black metal style. "Storm Over Kyrnn" stands out with a bit of a folky polka feel to it. "Rivendell 2001" is an industrial style song (I use "industrial" loosely, but I can't bring myself to call it techno.) This song feels like it could heard at any number of rave-like dance clubs.... ah well ...the album does end with a nice piano heavy instrumental called "At The Silent Shores Towards The Great Unknown". This not a bad album, and the keyboards mixed with some bells gives the music a uniquely steel drum sound that I have not heard in any other black metal albums. This is mostly heard on and is the best track on the album "Wanderlust (The Road Goes Ever On)". I love this song! I think it's the bells (I love the deep bell tolls). This is catchy and has a great sing along chorus (imagine a sing along chorus in black metal?!?)and the keys and guitars along with the bells really come together on this song and Narqath's vocals shine with a passion that's not there in any of the other songs. This is truly a stand out track in every sense of the word on an otherwise mediocre album.

I have 2 more Tolkien based albums I'll be reviewing and will then move on to a variety of other bands and styles and albums. I think I'll just start posting albums as I feel inspired to every couple of days. I'll probably do some other theme posts, but who knows. I didn't realized I owned so many LOTR's based albums. Hmmm.... so if you can summon up the strength to read through a couple more Tolkien inspired works? ....cause up next is another Summoning album "Stronghold".