Album review: ELVENKING – Reader Of The Runes (part 2), Rapture

AFM Records [Release date 28.04.23]

Heavy metal pirates, Elvenking, set sail again, boldly going where few bands dare to go.

It’s no exaggeration to claim that this album is a unique heavy metal experience. Operatic, symphonic, folky, very lyrical, not the full blast you associate with any kind of heavy metal variant. This is about mood and emotion, and creating its own highly melodic metal landscape.

If they have a formula it is that there’s no formula.

We reviewed the darkly theatrical opener, ‘Rapture’, when it came out as a single release some months back, noting that it continues a complex but satisfying story concept. Thus the full album title.

Musically, it acts as our guide to the tracks that follow.

‘Herdchant’s gritty, celtic themed axework and ‘To The North’s bold incursion into Viking metal territory, normally occupied by Leaves Eyes or Ensiferum, are as imaginative and inventive as you could possible expect. The fact they are tightly woven into towering, wall to wall choruses and macho harmonies is an unexpected bonus.

Heavy and powerful, ‘The Hanging Tree’ and ‘The Cursed Cavalier’ punctuate a blizzard of metallised guitars with a thundering mix of keyboards and violins, delivered in short sharp punches and shouty vocals. They quake with pneumatically powered riffs and pumping rhythms, and that pushes them closer to traditional heavy metal, in the vein of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

And so the geography of Elvenking’s melodic metal continues to expand, from the conventional US/European rock song format, of ‘Bride Of Night’ and ‘Red Mist’, to the 17th century hornpipes and marching, military meter of ‘Incantations’.

Each time you listen to The Runes, Rapture, it reveals something more. It’s as good a metal album you are likely to hear this year. ****1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

The Best of 2023

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)