MIDNATTSOL Nordlys CD Ltd Ed Digipak (2008)

Midnattsol was always the quieter argument in the symphonic folk metal debate, and Nordlys is exactly why that argument deserved more airtime.

Carmen Elise Espenaes fronted this German-Norwegian outfit before she became the voice everyone eventually associated with Leaves' Eyes, and Nordlys captures a project still finding its own centre of gravity, which turns out to be one of its most interesting qualities. There's genuine Nordic folk atmosphere here, woven into orchestral arrangements that don't collapse under their own weight the way lesser symphonic metal tends to. Released in 2008 and pressed in a limited edition digipak format, this is the kind of release that surfaces at the right time for the right listener and then disappears again.

Full length album. Limited edition digipak CD pressing. Genre: Symphonic/Folk Metal. Country of origin: Germany. Original release year: 2008.

Fans of: Leaves' Eyes, Eluveitie, Tristania