Elvenking – Reader of the Runes – Luna

Released: April 11, 2025 on Reaper Entertainment
Production: Damna & Aydan
Length: 54:42
Genre: Folk/Power Metal

---

“A Grand Finale to the Trilogy”

Our western neighbors from Friuli-Venezia Giulia have wrapped up the Reader of the Runes trilogy with Luna. I tried to dig up more info about the story online, but came away with absolutely nothing. My guess is that it’s about someone who can read runes and hunts for diamonds at night. I don’t know how it ends, but I’m sure the plot is top-notch, at least on par with the works of George R. R. Martin, if not J. R. R. Tolkien himself. Looking at it written out like this, I notice that the R. R. in both authors’ names stands for nothing other than Reader (of the) Runes. No coincidences here!

Elvenking‘s music is on my menu pretty often. Their blend of different metal genres is very easy to listen to, and the songwriting duo of Aydan – Damna has polished their compositional formula to perfection. Personally, I like the albums best where they stepped out of their comfort zone, starting with the much-maligned The Scythe from 2007 (the introduction of death vocals and some metalcore and nu metal elements seriously pissed off the folk purists). The next one like that is Era from 2012, where they slowly start returning to their folk roots, though not completely yet. And then there’s my favorite, one of the few albums that in my humble opinion almost deserves a 10/10, Red Silent Tides from 2010, with its super commercial sound, sticky melodies, and truly quirky compositions.

In 2014, with the album The Pagan Manifesto, they returned to the safe waters of Folk metal built on Power metal songwriting techniques. The present trilogy is a kind of culmination of that approach and style, where folk choruses mingle with power and classic metal rhythms, subtle touches of violin, and the ever-divisive vocals of Damnagoras. He’s no stranger to death growls, theatrical whispers, and melodic passages, and he loves to reach for all sorts of variations on the macho scream.

I have to admit I prefer their early period, which ends with the aforementioned Era. The later period is marked by excellent albums that draw far too much from the same well of ideas. The songs are very hard to tell apart, and their newest release succumbs to this temptation too. It’s as if the famous saying got flipped into “We can’t see the trees for the forest.” Through the thicket of riffs, blast beats (Symhon is a real beast behind the kit), violin accents, and a thousand vocal styles, it’s hard to pick out the essence of individual tracks.

Still, in some strange way, Luna has a high replay rate. The whole is stronger than its parts (which confirms my philosophical theory about the forest and the trees). This is the work of two seasoned songwriters who complement each other better year after year, album after album. You can recognize Elvenking melodies in your sleep, and according to Aydan, they draw inspiration from folk music from all over the world. And you really can feel there’s more going on here than just rehashing Celtic jigs about drinking. Of course, there’s plenty of that too, but the band adds the right ingredients in the right places, with a generous helping of intricacy and precision.

The performances from all the musicians are top-notch, and new guitarist Headmatt has brought some much-needed freshness to the guitar interplay. The production is very modern and maybe a touch too clean, but that’s how it is in metal these days. It would be a crime not to mention Lethien and his violin, which has been a vital part of the sound since he joined the band in 2009. He knows exactly how much to dose his instrument: he boldly takes the lead as soloist where a song calls for it, and subtly slips into a supporting role where the guitars take charge.

The album has plenty of commercial moments (Luna, Gone Epoch, The Ghosting) as well as power outbursts (Season of the Owl, Throes of Atonement). A welcome return to the days of The Winter Wake (the 2006 album) can be heard in Stormcarrier and a few other places. Very good, though not exactly fresh.

I’d been neglecting Elvenking a bit since 2014, so I’m glad my “job” as a reviewer forced me into some closer, deeper listening to Luna. It sits really well.

Sweet picks: Stormcarrier, The Ghosting, The Weeping

Rating: 8/10

Author: Igorac

---

Lineup:

Damna – Vocals
Aydan – Guitars
Headmatt – Guitars
Jakob – Bass
Symohn – Drums
Lethien – Violin