Origin:	Germany
Genres:	Viking Metal

Last update/review:	January 26, 2014

Falkenbach

Black metal seems to be one of the few genres of metal where one-man bands are commonplace, and Falkenbach is just such band, led by one Vratyas Vakyas, who once lived in Iceland but is now residing in Germany (so, make up your own mind on whether Falkenbach is an Icelandic or German band). Lyrically, the band is rooted in various Germanic and Scandinavian folklore, making Falkenback much more of a pagan/Viking band than a traditional black metal band. Musically, mid-period Bathory stands out as a prime influence, the songs being mid-paced, drawn out epics, with Vakyas alternating between clean and black singing, and with prominent keyboards providing the proper folkloric atmosphere. Two albums were recorded in 1996 and 1998, with Vakyas spending much of his time since then running his own record label, Skaldic Art Productions. Finally, in late 2003, a new album was released, the first with session musicians (three members of a Skaldic Art band named Vindsval), followed by Heralding - The Fireblade in 2005.