Despite them slugging it out since the early nineties, this is my first taste of German folk metal act Adorned Brood. Straight off the bat I have to say that their eighth full-length Kuningaz is sorely unfocused, blending some elements into their sound that I can really get my teeth into and enjoy, as well as moments that infuriate me, making the stop button entice me into a land of peace and quiet.
Common of a lot of folk bands, Adorned Brood's sound rests on a backbone of black and power metal which is built upon with ludicrous vocals and instruments much like a game of Buckaroo. When these guys are on the money it's when they're riding out their heavier, power metal sections with enjoyable chanted vocals, kick-ass riffs and ripping solos. Where these guys fall into annoyance is with their laughable extreme vocals, ridiculous folk jaunts and poor lyrics. There is nothing original contained on Kuningaz, although I guess I can cut them a little slack due to how long they've been active.
At their best I can find enjoyment, though there is admittedly quite a few moments where I really don't like the album. There's a good band lying under here, but having been at it so long I imagine they've happily established this sound for themselves and are content to stick to it. Fans of Heathen Foray and Black Messiah would probably do well to give this a look, but if you loathe this style of music then you're going to want to look the other way.
