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Sometimes just by looking at a band name, you can guess the genre with a high degree of accuracy. When I saw the name Folkodia for the first time, I naturally thought "Folk Metal" and guess what? My wild guess didn't land too far away.

Folkodia's line-up is very international, with band members from Greece, France, Germany, Lithuania, Monaco, Argentina and Italy, and The Fall of the Magog is this act's sixth full-length studio recording. I had not heard any of the group's previous albums, so my slate was free of comparisons, which, in a way, is a good thing.

On The Fall of the Magog, Folkodia offer us a well-balanced set of folky Epic Metal that actually has some captivating moments, courtesy of the catchy and melodic elements that play a very important role within the music. Also, the growling vocal lines of Metfolvik (R.I.P.), which remind me a little of Tomi Koivusaari's grunts on Amorphis' first two albums, add a nice Death Metal touch to their sound, bringing a nice contrast to the female vocal performances of Hildr, Emily and Anaïs. A long cavalcade of non-Metal instruments, like accordion, bagpipes, cello, hurdy-gurdy, etc. adds spicy nuances to the album, making it a relatively exciting listen. If you combined some Eternal Tears of Sorrow with some Ensiferum and Helloween, and added few slices of Amorphis' The Karelian Isthmus album, you'd have The Fall of the Magog.

Good Metal is always good Metal and there's plenty of that on The Fall of the Magog.