I really enjoy Baroness' Blue Record ("sludge metal"). It's probably one of my favorite few albums of the past several years, in fact. I think it has a somber, dreamlike weirdness (with occasional undertones of dread) that fits AS&SH well. Now, maybe this is because I was listening to it as I read CAS' Hyperborean collection for the first time, so who knows if it will appeal to you as well. In any case, the opening two tracks should give you a good feel for the style (0.00-1.20,1.21-5.50), but the whole record (below) is great.



 

Can't really go wrong with Finntroll and Ensiferum.

I really enjoy The Sword as well, but I prefer the first two albums (Age of Winters, Gods of the Earth). I may be mistaken, but I think Age of Winters was first, then came Gods of the Earth.

I was supposed to see these guys open for Metallica several years ago, but instead my crew got bombed drinking jagermeister in the parking lot.

/shakes head

The German Master's of Metal have returned. One of my favorite bands. The singer / lead guitarist is one Kai Hansen. Hansen founded the band Helloween decades ago, and he sang on the first few albums, before he turned over those duties to the more popular Michael Kiske (the vocalist for Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts 1 + 2). Hansen left the band, however, because I think he had disagreements with the record label and the commerical direction of the band. He went on to form Gamma Ray, taking on the vocals again, and he's been fantastic. Even in his mid-fifties, he still has the power metal pipes:





 

DungeonDork introduced me to Witchcraft. They're awesome, even if it's the softer side of metal. This track is cool and the whole album is recommended.



 

Thanks Chainsaw! Witchcraft is going on my phone. Done deal.

I have seen this band play a few times  at this venue (Funhouse in Seattle - which is no more). Inspiring in some ways..vampire horror, psychobilly





 

Mastodon - Blood Mountain!

A progrock metal album about a dude in search of a Crystal Skull which he hopes to place at the top of Blood Mountain, which is supposedly a ritual that removes "the reptilian brain" causing its owner the ability to achieve the next step of human evolution. Along his journey, the dude encounters a Cysquatch, a one-eyed sasquatch that can see into the future, who warns the of the following dangers during the journey for the Crystal Skull, which includes sprinting through a forest of murderous "Birchmen". The album is Hyperborean as all get out!

Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bQdMz762ns

Last edited by GritGrimdark (5/22/2015 2:54 pm)

Sort of neat if you have 4 mins to kill



 

Thanks DM_Soda, I hadn't heard of gates of Slumber before.

I've had  'Surtur Rising' and 'Twilight of the Thunder God' (by Amon Amarth), as well as  'Mare Nostrum' and 'The Gorgon Cult' (by Stormlord) on rotation for a long while now - great albums.