Falconer

Listening to Falconer is definitely an acquired taste, be it whether you love their folk inspired power metal or feel that vocalist Mathias Blad would be more suited to fronting the latest Broadway musical in the theatre, one thing for certain is that they aren’t going to be to everyone’s liking.

I could never really get on with Falconer, but with “Amongst Beggars and Thieves” everything just seems to have clicked and fallen into place. There is definitely a niche market for bands like Falconer; in fact…thinking about it, there are no real direct comparisons that come to mind. The track “A Beggar Hero” is crying out to be performed on a theatrical stage or even on a soundtrack to a fantasy medieval film. The more I listen to front-man Mathias Blad, the more I think he is a real gem of a vocalist, not only in the metal genre but as a vocalist full-stop.

Who’d have thought the tale of the hardships of medieval Sweden could result in so many huge anthems; “Man of the Hour”, “Carnival of Disgust” and “Pale Light of Silver Moon” are just a few of the many, many highlights on here. There are even several tracks sung entirely in Swedish that some will no doubt argue sound out of place and should not have been included, but I would have to totally disagree as this adds their own personal touch and builds on the whole uniqueness of the band.

I’m sure there are a few out there that take their metal far too seriously, and would never admit liking this, or indeed Falconer in general, but it’s good to see a Power Metal actually trying something different, and not just following the blueprints that were set all those years ago.