Grendel's Syster

Myrtle Wreath/Myrtenkranz

Release date: September 25, 2020

Label: Cruz Del Sur

Music as unique as Grendel's Sÿster requires a special touch -- they marry metal, folk and acid rock in such a manner that it would appear the band has been together for decades, when, in reality, they came together in 2015 after a series of impromptu jam sessions tucked away in the Vosges Mountains region in France. The 2016 Night Sea Journey/Sayings of the High One single was their first release, followed by 2018's Orphic Gold Leaves/Orphische Goldblättchen EP. Their 2019 Myrtle Wreath / Myrtenkranz EP is what caught the attention of Cruz Del Sur Music. Grendel's Sÿster's inimitable style owes as much to their wide range of influences (from early Blind Guardian, Warlord and Lordian Guard, to artists such as Svanevit, Triakel and Planxty, all the way to classical and renaissance music) as it does the chemistry within the band. What separates Grendel's Syster from other folk metal bands is that they don't rely on traditional folk instrumentation. In fact, there's not a trace of it on the EP. Instead, the band's reliance on atmosphere, melody and compositional breadth is what helps them get their point across. To go one step further, the topics on Myrtle Wreath / Myrtenkranz are mostly about history, mythology and folklore, avoiding many of the pitfalls of the current folk metal style. (No drinking songs to be found!) The EP's cover art is from Dutch painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema, depicting an anecdote from the Historia Augusta, which is a collection of Roman biographies written in Latin. And, as if to further display Grendel's Sÿster's special quality, Myrtle Wreath / Myrtenkranz features both a German and English version of the EP in one package. Myrtle Wreath / Myrtenkranz is more than just the organic marriage of metal and folk. It's an EP without boundaries, both bold and captivating at once.

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25 September 2020 / More records