17. Finsterforst – “Zerfall”

Blackened folk that manages to combine jaunty with a huge epic cinematic quality. The sound here is big and anthemic. It has coarse and brittleness all over it (and gruff vocals) but also massive choruses and lush orchestration. Rather than clash, these two styles mesh beautifully. The jagged black edges compliment rather than contradict the plentiful dollops of folk. Over its hour duration it never lets up. It is intense and driving while remaining utterly majestic in the way that its tracks build and build in stature. A high-water mark for me in how you move folk metal forward.