One-man projects have exploded in the recent years. I personally am a fan of these type of things whatever genre it maybe. Most of these projects are in the black, doom, or progressive aspects of metal, and will take you on a journey through ones thoughts. Solid Finnish act October Falls is another one of these one-man visions, but with two studio musicians backing him up.

Mikko Lehto is the sole visionary of October Falls. This isn’t his first release, however, this is the first of his bolder expeditions. The Streams Of The End is a Pagan/folk black metal release that is basically “nature metal.” Much like early Borknagar and Opeth, October Falls pays homage to Scandinavian folklore. You won’t find quite the brilliance though. Sounding more like Agalloch than anything Mikko comprises four sorrowful laments that are basically straightforward with acoustic passages weaving its way through the black metal fuzz. Although this is a very atmospheric release, there really isn’t a heck of a lot going on here. The vocals are buried pretty badly and the production isn’t great. The riffs are not that memorable either.

A lot of the tracks take time to reach climax and honestly make for a boring listen. None of these songs go under five minutes nor do they ever change pace. I like this type of record but there are better listens.

If you’re a fan of Pagan folk metal like this, October Falls may tickle your fancy. But personally I’d rather listen to Drudkh.

[Visit the band's website]

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