Nemoreus – Orcunadoras, Chapter One: Warrior

Nemoreus is a six-member Austrian folk-metal band consisting of; Fabian Zechmeister (vocals, bouzouki & flutes), Kai Auer (guitar), Stefan Hochegger (guitar), Maike Fink (violin), Stefan Jerabek (bass) & Adrian Weiss (drums). The band is not signed to any label yet, but their latest three-tracker EP has been distributed by Austrian-based, Running Wild Productions.

I first heard about the existence of this band after the release of their 2018 debut EP Silent Watcher, but I didn’t hear their music before their second release, Arnea from 2021. Their aforementioned first long player Arnea, received mainly positive reviews and great feedback. In 2023 they returned with this three-tracker EP lavishly entitled Orcunadoras, Chapter One: Warrior. It’s been recorded at ‘Grenma Studio’ in Budapest, Hungary and produced, mixed & mastered by Mátyás Botlik. This means that the sound feels present and close to ‘natural’ surroundings and atmosphere that is essential for this type of music.

Orcunadoras, Chapter 1: Warrior is a short introduction for what is hopefully to be a full-length studio album. Having only three songs and about ten minutes of music, it’s a short but pleasant listening experience. Nemoreus has always been known for their raw and rough sound. It’s a result of their use of hard-hitting riffs, varied passages with double bass, growly and clean vocals and melodic storytelling. These ingredients make this band special, capturing the hearts of fans worldwide.

Orcunadoras, Chapter 1: Warrior opens with “Das Rote Tuch”, a track in German language, with superb interaction between guitars, various folk instruments and vocals. This first track not only embodies the true spirit of this band, but also folk metal as a whole. Middle track is called “Horns of War” and as you can judge from its title, it’s a song in English, but this is not the only difference from the opening track. Thus, “Horns of War” is much slower and more soulful song, one can say it’s a bridge that connects first and last song. Speaking of last song, it’s called “Give us Rain”. It’s another song in English, a mid-tempo song, a very energetic one, due to the use of a whole range of different instruments; guitar, flute, bouzouki (?!), accompanied by some fiddle riffs and light growly vocals in contrast to the clean ones.

In summary; all three songs are rather top sound quality and despite of being on the same release, I can’t see any connection or a concept story between the three tracks. It feels as if the new EP were a bonus CD from Arnea, although this is to be viewed positively.

As most of you might know by now, I’ve never been a huge folk metal fan, but I must admit that Orcunadoras, Chapter One: Warrior had four spins in my stereo. Nemoreus are definitely an enrichment of the Austrian metal landscape. Now I want more, looking forward to the release of Chapter Two!

Meanwhile you can enjoy this release while awaiting for further news from Nemoreus. https://nemoreus.bandcamp.com/album/orcunadoras-chapter-one-warrior