Crimfall

Crimfall is folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. Their music is very epic - can I emphasize that again? Very. Epic. Finland doesn't disappoint when it comes to folk metal, and Crimfall is no exception. Their music generally features melodies reminiscent of Finnish folk music and lyrics about vikings, but sometimes their music can even have an ethnic middle-eastern feel to it. Their dense keyboard orchestration and heavy guitars provide for a powerful sound, and the male and female vocalists provide for a nice contrast. Although the male/female singer lineup occurs quite frequently in metal, I feel like their male grunter/female operatic singer offset is exceptionally well done and stands out from the rest.
The official band consists of the two singers, a guitarist/keyboardist, drums and bass, while their session musicians on the album include violin, cello, and accordion. The guitarist also plays "other weird instruments," and I'm not entirely sure what that entails, but I do know it includes the jaw harp!
Crimfall is still a fairly new band - they only have one album out right now, As the Path Unfolds..., which was released in 2009. They have a new album coming out in March of 2011, and they posted a new song on their Myspace, "Frost Upon Their Graves." Check it out, it's a great song!
Their session violinist was Maija Arvaja, but they are actually going to have Olli, the violinist from Turisas, be a guest musician on their next album! So, I'm officially really excited for this new album, and I'll be writing about it when it comes out!

Recommended Songs: "Wildfire Season," "Ascension Pyre," "The Crown of Treason"

Official Site: www.crimfall.com/
Myspace: www.myspace.com/crimfall

"Ascension Pyre" :


"Wildfire Season" :

Chthonic (erhu)

The first time I heard of Chthonic was when I saw them at Ozzfest in 2007. After seeing that they had an erhu (a Chinese 2-string violin), that they were from Taipei, Taiwan, and that they fought for human rights and Taiwanese independence from China, I have never forgotten them. They are a driven and impressive group - they were the first asian metal band ever to play at Ozzfest, they have been banned in parts of China for their political views, and they have also met with the Dalai Lama as a part of their human rights endeavors. Even though their music is more brutal than stuff I normally listen to, I am a sucker for bands with political motives, girl musicians, and ethnic instruments. It didn't hurt, too, that I am half-Taiwanese. They have very interesting corpse paint, which they call "ghost paint," (not pictured above) which actually corresponds to symbols and curses in Chinese mythology. They are a band which has a deep concept behind their musics, which is something I really appreciate.
They consider themselves an extreme metal band because their lyrics don't really fit into the black metal scene, but musically they have a very black metal sound. They utilize high screams, low grunts, fast tempos, eerie keyboard sounds and sometimes haunting choirs and female vocals. They even incorporate some thrash influences on their newest album, Mirror of Retribution. As far as lyrics go, they sing about oriental mythology of the underworld, ghost stories, tragedies, and the oppression and colonialism of Taiwan. (A word of warning, their lyrics can be very brutal)
Now, I don't know much about the erhu except that it's awesome. Chthonic used to have an erhu player named Su-Nung (pictured), but he left in 2009 and now the erhu is played by singer Freddy Lim. In their music, the erhu plays mournful melodies behind the heavy guitars and screaming, and sometimes plays traditional folk tunes.
While this is not a violin, I feel like the erhu melodies could be easily adapted on the violin. It's also a unique style of playing, and a good reference for metal violinists who are looking to add an asian feel to their music.


Recommended Songs: "Progeny of Rmdax Tasing," "Enthrone," "Blooming Blades," "49 Theurgy Chains," "Bloody Gaya Fulfilled"

Official Site: http://chthonic.org/en/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/chthonictw

"Progeny of Rmdax Tasing," great song! :


"Blooming Blades," listen @ 0:21 !! :


Resources:
[1]

UnexpecT

UnexpecT is an avant-garde extreme metal band from Montreal, Canada. I think the band puts it best when they describe themselves as "Cirque du Soleil goes black metal amidst an acid-trip version of The Dark Crystal." With their seamless incorporation of the organized chaos progressive metal sound, beastly growls, carnival-like strings, hints of electronica, and haunting female vocals, it's no surprise that many of the band members have had previous conservatory experience. The vocals are very theatrical, and the lyrics are a fantastical and imaginative smattering of words that reflects the chaos of their music. Their female singer, Leilindel, is a professional contemporary dancer, and the dreadlocked bassist plays a 9-string bass.
Intruiged yet?
The female vocals were what won me over with UnexpecT. I think the band was right when they said her "angelic voice could melt the will of the most vile politician."
(By the way, whoever does the PR for this band is a genius. I suggest reading their band bio and subscribing to their newsletter purely for the entertainment value.)
The violins are very avant-garde sounding, utilizing many non-conventional techniques. The violin playing comprises of harmonics, tremolos, double-stops, and slides, and is usually used as an embellishment to the music rather than a strong melodic force. They sound very gypsy-like, and are reminiscent of carnivals and circuses.
For the first ten years, the violins were played by a man by the pseudonym Le Bateleur, and he is also the one featured on all their recordings to date. But he left the band a few years ago, and has since been replaced by Blaise Borboën-Léonard in 2007. Blaise (seen in the picture) plays an acoustic violin, both in the studio and live. He's studied at the Montreal Conservatory, and has played the instrument since he was 8. Blaise cites among his influences Estradasphere, John Cage, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Bela Bartok, and Radiohead.

Recommended Songs: "Megalomaniac Trees", "Desert Urbania", "Feasting Fools" (no violin, but my favorite!), "Summoning Scenes", "Chromatic Chimera", "Psychic Juggle", "In Velvet Coffins We Slept"

Official Site: http://www.unexpect.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/unexpect
Blaise Borboën-Léonard's Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blaisebl

"Megalomaniac Trees":



A live performance of "Desert Urbania":


Resources: [1]

Valkyre

Valkyre is a symphonic gothic metal band from Belgium and France. They are still unsigned, with only 2 demos out: "Consolamentum" and "On Both Sides We Pray." Unfortunately, it is hard to find most their music, as there are only three recordings available on their Myspace.
I was really struck by their song, "A Good Day to Die," which combines celtic folk elements with symphonic keyboard patches and violin-guitar harmonies.
The violin parts are very melodic, provide great harmonies and a folky magical feel to their music. Their music is very energetic and enchanting, with a powerful female singer and intriguing synth sounds.
The violinist is Cid Jimenez, who joined the band in 2007 and worked on "Consolamentum" with them. Before him, the violinist was Joris Derder. They have both used an acoustic live at one point, but Cid also has an electric S-shaped violin (Shar?). They have consistent violins, they are on all three of the songs on their myspace. Give them a listen!
Great sound, and great potential!

Recommended Songs: "A Good Day to Die," "Faidit"

Official Site: http://www.valkyremusic.com/valkyremain.html
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/valkyresounds


"A Good Day to Die":

Naio Ssaion

Putting their violinist and female singer on their album cover for "Out Loud" was a good marketing move for Naio Ssaion. These two elements definitely grabbed my attention right from the start, and a good indication of what sets their band apart from others. Classified as nu-metal or gothic metal, this band from Slovenia has great consistent use of the violin. I almost want to say they're a rock band, however, since their metal influence is very light, and they have very strong pop influences. They don't update their websites very often, so I have no idea what they are up to now, but hopefully we will hear more from them in the future!
Their violinist is Rok Kolar. Between banging his head and shaking his dreads, Rok plays a mean violin, writes very interesting parts, and makes the most extensive use of pizzicato and double-stops I've heard so far in metal. A lot of the violin parts are very fast paced, rhythmic, and provide good texture for the music. The soloing is very rock guitar-like, artistic, and fits very well into the music. Also impressive is the fact that the violin is in every song on their album, "Out Loud." Rok plays a Zeta Strados electric violin live, probably plays it in the studio as well. These violin parts are definitely unique, and worth checking out!

Recommended Songs: "Blah Blah," "The Mirror" (solo near end), "Can't You Hear" (semi-solo @ end), "Shut Up" (solo, pizz), "Bow Link in E Minor" (instr.), "Blind Date," "Yours Faithfully" (pizz.)

Official Site: http://www.naiossaion.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/naiossaion

"Blah Blah":



"Can't You Hear" live (some pitch issues, but still interesting to watch!):


Resources: [1] [2]

Turisas

These blood drenched warriors of metal are barbarians only in terms of their clothing. On the contrary, the Finnish folk metal band Turisas is very sophisticated in terms of their musicality. Epic sagas and symphonic compositions are coupled with tales of battles and voyages to foreign lands. Incredibly entertaining and great musicians, Turisas can be summed up in one word - epic.

Turisas' music is symphonic in nature, bordering on filmscore. They use rough vocals, have the traditional instrumental line-up as well as a violinist and accordion player. They sing about history, specifically about vikings and battle. One of my favorite things about them is their versatility and spontaneity. I've had the opportunity to see them live twice, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the violinist would play some of the keyboard parts from off the albums. He does an amazing job, too! They are great entertainers, when I saw them in the Sacramento, CA area in '08, they sang happy birthday to a girl in the crowd and played a "gay ballad" version of "Battle Metal" and started dancing with each other on stage in honor of their show in San Francisco the next day (oh, stereotypes... XD; it was still very awesome though!) Very fun, and one of the best bands I've seen live!

Their violinist is one of my favorite metal violinists, and is also a big proponent of the violin metal underground. Olli Vänskä has been an official member of the band since 2007, and has played on the albums Battle Metal and The Varangian Way. He plays electric violins both live and on their albums, and has three different violins: a Yamaha SV120, Yamaha SV-200, and Yamaha EV-204. He uses distortion on his solos, and uses a BOSS GT-6 multifx pedal. I really love his violin tone! The violins aren't in every song, and they aren't always given a prominent role either, so I have included a list below for your convenience :) The violins usually play folky leads or dramatic texture parts, or sometimes plays fast paced parts doubling with the accordion. He has really incredible solos, I highly recommend giving them a listen!

Recommended songs: "One More" (Battle Metal), "Dnieper Rapids" (distorted solo, Varangian Way),"Land of Hope and Glory" (Battle Metal), "Miklagard Overture" (distorted solo, Varangian Way), "Rex Regi Rebellis" (solo, Battle Metal), "Midnight Sunrise" (Battle Metal), "Sahti Waari" (Battle Metal), "In the Court of Jarislef" (Varangian Way), "Rasputin" (cover, Varangian Way)

Official Site: http://www.turisas.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/turisasofficial
Olli's Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/geigeistkrieg

"One More":


"Dnieper Rapids" live:


Resources: [1]

Elvenking

Elvenking is a power metal band hailing from Sacile, Italy. They are heavily influenced by the folk metal pioneers Skyclad, and as expected, their music also exhibits some folk metal influences.

They have 5 albums out: the first 3, Heathenreel, Wyrd, and The Winter Wake, are heavily folk influenced, while their later album, The Scythe, is darker and more pop sounding. Their latest release is a "mostly" acoustic album, Two Tragedy Poets which is even more folk influenced than their earlier albums, but also retains the pop influence of their previous album. It contains some acoustic versions of their earlier songs, and questionable songs such as their cover of the pop hit "Heaven is a Place on Earth." O_o

Elvenking has had various different violinists contribute to their band. On Heathenreel they had a guest violinist, Paolo Polesel. Then they had Elyghen, who seems to be their main violinist, who played on Wyrd and The Winter Wake. When Elyghen temporarily left the band, Lethien came in to fill his place. They also had a tour violinist named Eleonora. (The picture to the left is of Elyghen)

The Winter Wake is a good representation of their overall style, and the violins play a very prominent role in the music. They play usually fast, moving fiddle-like parts, and often double with the guitars or vocals on the main melody of the song. The violins are in almost every song and they are usually mixed very high. The violin definitely gets treated like an important instrument and an important component of the band, which is a rare find in metal. It sounds like they use acoustic violins on their albums, but they use electric violins live. Elyghen uses a Yamaha EV-204.

Recommended songs: "Pagan Purity" (Heathenreel), "Seasonspeech" (Heathenreel), "The Silk Dilemma" (Wyrd), "Neverending Nights" (The Winter Wake), "Another Awful Hobs Tale" (Two Tragedy Poets)

Official site: http://www.elvenking.net/

Here's a song with prominent violins, representative of their overall style:


And here's a song with intricate violin playing, off their acoustic album:



Resources: [1]

Emilie Autumn - Unlaced

Emilie Autumn is a violinist and singer/songwriter from Malibu, California. Formerly the violinist to Courtney Love, she is now pursuing her own solo project as singer/songwriter. She was classically trained in violin starting at the age of four, and soon found to be talented in the sense of child prodigy status. Bold, eccentric, and sometimes a little frightening, Emilie is not afraid to let her creativity run free, and her penchant for experimenting with her violin playing and sound is what makes her so unique.
Most of her music is classified as Victoriandustrial (a term she made up), a genre combining classical and industrial goth music. This may not be metal, but her violin work definitely is!
Her album Laced/Unlaced is the only album she has put out so far featuring solely her violin work. This album is incredible, and is a must-buy for anyone interested in electric violins or metal violin solos. The first disc Laced showcasing her classical repertoire while the second, Unlaced features her electric violin, a Zeta Strados named Elgar. If you're not interested in her classical work, you can buy the Unlaced songs by themselves on iTunes. Either way, I highly recommend buying it! It features a solo violin with heavy distortion, accompanied by synthesized harpsichord and an electronic drumbeat. Some of her songs feature soloing reminiscent of neo-classical metal guitar solos.

Warning: you will encounter mature/offensive material if you decide to research her on your own or check out her other musics.

Here is a song called "Leech Jar" which features some metal-style shredding on distorted violin:


Resources: [1]

At The Lake

At The Lake is a Polish Symphonic Metal band. They feature a female singer, guitars, bass, drum, keyboards, and violin. But what's interesting about them is their violinist Milena Gaworek is also the leader and composer of the band! Their music is a combination of symphonic and folk metal, and very melodic and beautiful.

A song from their new album Live Again just blew me away. Listen to the full song "Like A Northern Wind" HERE, it's amazing!!!

Milena plays an electric violin, a 5-string Zeta Jazz Fusion. The Jazz Fusion has amazing tone, which makes At The Lake have the best electric violin tone I've ever heard in metal! Milena is a very skilled player, as can be heard in her fast arpeggios and runs in "Arrow of Oblivion." The violin parts are very interesting and sophisticated, probably due to the fact that their violinist writes them herself.

At The Lake is still a fairly new band, so I look forward to what they will come out with next!

Official Website: http://www.atthelake.info/

Recommended songs: "Like A Northern Wind," "Arrow of Oblivion," "Silvae"

Arrow of Oblivion:

Eluveitie

Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Switzerland, whose most outstanding feature is its sheer number of instruments. Aside from a violin, they've also used hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and flutes in their music, all played by members of their band. Their style also contains death metal influences, such as grunt vocals and fast and heavy guitar riffs. They will sometimes use traditional folk melodies as the basis for their music, and their lyrics are generally about celtic folklore and history. Very interesting band to see live!
They have 4 albums out and one on the way: Ven, Spirit, Slania, and Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion (acoustic). Everything Remains (As It Never Was) is due to be released on February 19, 2010.

The violinist in this band is Meri Tadic. Meri uses an acoustic violin in the studio (a Harry Caraballo) and an electric in live settings (Yamaha SV 130). There were also 2 former violinists in the band, Linda Suter, who played on Spirit, and Mattu Ackerman, who played on Ven. Meri has been on all of the albums. The violin parts are mostly of the folk music/celtic fiddle style, they are sometimes used to double on parts with other instruments, and are often mixed very low in the mix, due to the presence of many different instruments in the band. I have recommended some songs below with prominent violin parts in them, for your convenience.
Spirit and Slania are probably their best albums, I tend to like Spirit better, but Slania has better sound quality since that is the first album they released after signing on to a major label (Nuclear Blast).

Official Website: http://www.eluveitie.ch/

Songs with prominent violin parts: Tegernako, The Endless Knot, Samon, Inis Mona, Elembivos (solo near end)

A song with a nice violin lead (listen @480p):

I Am Ghost

I Am Ghost is a post-hardcore rock band from Long Beach, California. They have some punk influences as well, and feature screamo vocals.
The lyrical subject matter revolves around gothic themes, such as vampires, death, and coffins, but can be interpreted to be Christian-themed as well.

They had a violinist for their first 2 releases: an EP, We Are Always Searching, and their first album, Lover's Requiem. The violinist was Kerith Telestai, who also provided the female vocals on those first two releases. She recorded using both electric and acoustic violins, and played live using her electric, which I believe is a Zeta Strados Modern. She said in an interview that her playing was influenced by bands such as Jars of Clay and Dave Matthews Band. Her violin parts are fast moving and provide mostly texture and accompaniement. She does have some solos, as on the song "Beyond the Hourglass," but for the most part the violins are mixed rather low in their songs.

Kerith, sadly, left the band in 2007, along with her husband, the former bassist Brian Telestai. Kerith really gave I Am Ghost a unique sound, that set them apart from the rest of the bands in their genre. They have since continued to use female vocals, but have not continued to use any more violins.

Recommended songs: "We Are Always Searching," "Beyond the Hourglass," "The Denoument," "Our Friend Lazarus Sleeps"

This is the song that got me into I Am Ghost:


And here is a video of Kerith in the studio recording for Lover's Requiem:

Winterdome

Winterdome is my personal favorite out of metal bands that use violins. These folks from Hannover, Germany have the most innovative violin parts I have ever heard in metal! Their music is a combination of folk metal and doom metal, featuring grunting vocals and narration, all in German. They feature an acoustic violin, which is played live as well as in the studio by violinist Lisa Hinnersmann. Although they are a folk metal band, I feel like their violin parts are really unique, as they aren't overtly folky but have more of a graceful and flowing feel to them. The violin plays a very prominent role in their music, and I feel like Winterdome was not just a metal band that decided to throw a violin in there as an afterthought, but they must have intended for the violin to play an integral part in their music.
Their latest album, Weltendammerung, has 2 discs: one is a storybook featuring narration between songs, and the other has only songs on it.
Unfortunately, I don't think this band is active anymore. Nonetheless, Weltendammerung is a real gem for anyone into violin metal.
Their album is definitely a worthwhile investment, and they are not a very well-known band either so if you like them, please support them, and tell your friends about them!


Official website: http://www.winterdome.de/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/winterdome

Recommended Songs: "Land der Nacht," "Ein Stiller Schrei," "Weltendammerung"

One of their songs (recommended: listen @ 480p):

Welcome

Hi, and welcome to Violins in Metal! I started this blog because I have been noticing more and more people on sites such as Yahoo! Answers posting questions about finding metal bands that use violins. As a nerdy violin player and metal fan, I have spent many years browsing the net in search of such bands, too, so I thought I would post my favorite examples of violins in metal and other similar genres of rock, as a resource for those who want to listen to this kind of music, and as a resource for violinists in metal bands who are looking for ideas on arrangements and writing their own parts.
I am a bit nervous, since I am not an expert blogger nor a very eloquent writer, but what better way to improve than to "just do it"? Anyways, I hope this is helpful to some of you! :)