FALCONER
'Among Beggars and Thieves' is the sixth studio album from Swedish band Falconer and marks a heavier direction than its predecessor, 2006's 'Northwind', lyrically based around "the misery, poverty and hard times of medieval Sweden". Compositionally power metal in essence, Falconer also infuse their songwriting with elements of folk, both rhythmically and musically. However, opening track 'Field Of Sorrow' is an all-out power metal assault, a dynamic which is continued on second song, 'Man Of The Hour', before the acoustic-folk conciseness of the brief, but effective, 'A Beggar Hero', offers some diversity in proceedings. It is not until fourth track, 'Vargaskall', that the band's self-proclaimed power-folk fusion begins to emerge, which perhaps works at its best on 'Mountain Men' and the Tır-esque 'Skula, Skorpa, Skalk'. Overall, I remain ambivalent towards Falconer's latest offering as while I can't fault the talented musicianship and skilled production of 'Among Beggars and Thieves', the songwriting is patchy, and where a lot of the tracks promise to deliver something different (which, at times, they do), their overall effect is abated by a lapse into power metal cliché. 'Dreams and Pyres' is a prime example, a quasi-power-folk opera with some skilled male/female vocal interplay and waves of epic sounding passages that are unfortunately interposed with, and impaired by, bursts of power metal cheese. This is unfortunate as 'Among Beggars and Thieves' is occasionally brilliant, although the lack of songwriting consistency and innovation throughout ultimately lets it down.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Metal Blade Records
Album
AMONG BEGGARS AND THIEVES
Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
49:12
RELEASE DATE:
25th August 2008
TRACK LISTING
1) Field Of Sorrow
2) Man Of The Hour
3) A Beggar Hero
4) Vargaskall
5) Carnival Of Disgust
6) Mountain Men
7) Viddernas Men
8) Pale Light Of Silver Moon
9) Boiling Led; 10) Dark Ages
11) Skula, Skorpa, Skalk
12) Dreams and Pyres
13) Vi Salde Vara Hemman
2) Man Of The Hour
3) A Beggar Hero
4) Vargaskall
5) Carnival Of Disgust
6) Mountain Men
7) Viddernas Men
8) Pale Light Of Silver Moon
9) Boiling Led; 10) Dark Ages
11) Skula, Skorpa, Skalk
12) Dreams and Pyres
13) Vi Salde Vara Hemman
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Sweden
"...occasionally brilliant, although the lack of songwriting consistency and innovation throughout ultimately lets it down."