I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: June 21, 2024] Isenmor

I hadn’t heard of Isenmor before this show.  They are

a dual-violin-fronted Gewyrdelic Folc Metal. Isenmor fuses the heart of the Old World with the spirit of those who sought out new shores.

They were good fun, dressed in vaguely period and vaguely authentic-looking costumes (not in the picture on the right), the two lead violins (Nick Schneider & Mark Williams) were great fun.  They both played lead, but there was also Pete Lesko on lead guitar who played solo or in harmony with the violins.  There were two lead singers.  Schneider was also the main lead singer and Tim Regan the second guitarist also sang a few songs.  David Spencer was on drums.  Folk metal has lots of stylistic changes and the drums have to match up–slow and quiet or some hefty double bass action.  (Keyboardist Jon Lyon was absent).

There were a surprising number of technical issues.  From the start, bassist Mike Wilson told us that he broke his bass just before the show!  So he was playing a guitar (although I thought his bass sound was still really good).  There were also a few glitches with the drums.  But they dealt with the problems very well and during one pause Schneider played a ripping jog that got the crowd clapping along.

Overall, I really enjoyed their set a lot.  The only gripe I had is that Schneider often sings in a really growly voice that I found unpleasant, and, worse yet, made it hard to hear what the lyrics were all about.  I mean, if you’re writing epic sagas, you want people to hear what the words are.  What was especially surprising was that Schneider also has a strong blear powerful singing voice which comes out every once in a while like a clarion call.  I suppose it makes it more impactful if he only occasionally sings that way, but I would have preferred if the styles were flipped.

I really enjoyed their new song “Beornulf” which had a chant-along chorus–always perfect in a folk metal show.

Obviously these guys would go perfectly opening for someone like Amon Amarth.

I’m glad they opened.

SETLIST

Saxon Shore $
Death is a Fine Companion ≅
Throneless [new]
Thunor’s Oak [new]
Wanderlust §
Land of the Setting Sun ≅
Beornulf [new]
Battle Scarred §
Shieldbrother §

§ Shieldbrother
≅ Land of the Setting Sun
$ single (2016)