May 30, 2022 — As seasons turn and summer draws ever nearer, this latest New Moon is the last before the heathen celebration of the Summer Solstice. Soon, warmer months will truly be upon us. In this bi-weekly, lunar-spun round-up of Kurgan-approved releases and news, James Paterson ably reports about music from colder climes focusing on a wide range of metal, neofolk, and world artists like surprise-finds OTYKEN and Pawl D Beats, plus more.
May 16, 2022 — This Full Moon Fortnight might not be rich as some of our previous, but do not let that dissuade you. With new music from artists ready to release new albums like Munknörr and Vévaki, to the thrashing metal of Irdorath, and the announcement of The HU’s second album, there is enough to keep you busy till next time. Besides, today marks a special occasion for those versed in lunar lore, as the eclipse is known as the (super flower) blood moon because of its spectacular, reddish appearance.
May 14, 2022 — Evil West is the newest game to be created by Polish developer Flying Wild Hog, best known for Hard Reset and the popular Shadow Warrior franchise. Revealed in 2020 at the annual Game Awards, the game’s publisher Focus Entertainment has drip-fed details to keep players excited.
April 30, 2022 — With the New Moon aligned to block the sun, signaling the start of summer and spring as per ancient rituals, this particular Black Moon coincides with a lunar eclipse, thus the movements of the night’s sky are making for potent natural forces. Kurgan Compass™ recommends readers shy away from moon magic because the eclipse energy is so intense as we move forward into May. That aside, the abundance of the past two weeks’ releases has been spectacularly potent in its own right.
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April 22, 2022 — Is it just me, or are stealth games inherently silly? Any genre that features grown men crouching and crawling around in the shadows, sidestepping like a demented crab escaping from a rock pool is not one that can be taken seriously. The silliness doesn’t stop there, however. Each game features guards with the memories of goldfish and copious patches of long grass to hide in (why do sinister organizations never do any mowing?)
April 16, 2022 — The first half of April has brought tons of musical excellence by way of the dawn goddess as she dances forth under the Pink Moon. Spring-time full moons were unique events to our ancestors and in heathen cultures. Known as the “Pink Moon”, it is so named due to the blooming of wildflowers in April — hence, the name is somewhat misleading as the moon won’t actually appear pink. Read on for the rundown.
April 1, 2022 — As the new moon of April occurs on the first date of the first month of magical spring, the forces of folk and metal team up once more to gift the world with a variety of artistic endeavors and some rather epic music. With such a bountiful bevy of recently-released material, we put veteran music journalist James Paterson to task with articulating the finer points of today’s neofolk and metal rundown.
March 31, 2022 — Syberia: The World Before is a game all about history, albeit not in purely narrative terms, even though its dual storylines are set in both the 1930s and at the turn of the millennium around the early 2000s. Rather, it is in its gameplay mechanics and structure that this latest installment in the adventures of Kate Walker reveals itself to be a video game firmly stuck in the past — in a few good ways.
March 28, 2022 — For many players out there, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the pinnacle of video game RPGs. Based on the applauded literary works of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, there are few games in history that can attest to the success of this widely-regarded masterpiece series. With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt next-gen update looking to come out this summer, this is one super-boosted upgrade you will not want to miss. FULL STORY »
March 22, 2022 — The darkfolk flair of Sweden’s Andreas Axelsson’s Nattramn project has time and time again taken inspiration from the poetry, language, and culture of the Nordic people, with most of his previous releases focusing on the characteristics of the mysteriously enthralling Elder Futhark runes.
March 16, 2022 — In the depths of dark nights, we can always rely on turning to the moon for bathing in the eerie light that gives life to the darkest corners of the earth. The new moon has graced us with a hoard of new, impending releases from the ever-expanding worlds of neofolk and metal. Read on as James Paterson details the latest from Wardruna, Kjell Braaten, Sun and Moon Dance, Sabaton, and more. FULL STORY »
March 5, 2022 — Confession time, Adrian Burrows had never played a game in the Shadow Warrior series, so he approached the latest, third entry with a sense of trepidation. Would he understand what was going on? The simple truth is no, he had not the foggiest. But, with a game as big and bonkers as Shadow Warrior 3, it did not matter. Get ready to trap yourself in, turn your brain off, and have a blast as Burrows shares his experience.
March 2, 2022 — The full moon has given us plenty to listen to across the neofolk and metal genres. The early March moon has brought a variety of songs ranging from a remake almost a decade in the making, to new singles from debut albums, thus we are glad to let you know this ‘Full Moon Fortnight’ has a little something for everyone. Robert Kohls reports of Týr, Forndom, Walk Kauz, Herknungr, and more.
February 22, 2022 — Few bands can weave a sense of culture and space as coherently and forcefully on a first effort as Bloodywood has. Distinctly at odds with a genre that is settled between the cultures of Europe and the steppes, the Indian folk metal fusion of Bloodywood’s Rakshak debut album.
February 16, 2022 — As the moon transforms into its full, rich, hunter’s form, so too does our biweekly bill of headlines with a bevy of new releases from folk and metal acts like Bjorth, Månegarm, Kjell Braaten, Sabaton, Danheim, Vinnie Camilleri, and Annie Hurdy Gurdy. Read on as James Paterson reports of the past two weeks most notable releases.
February 12, 2022 — Swedish folk music artist Andreas Axelsson’s earlier Fornsken project underwent a rebirth last year, leaving behind the name Fornsken in favor of a new neofolk moniker, namely that of Nattramn. Speaking recently to Kurgan Compass, Axelsson explained the nature of his project’s newfound identity and the nightly beast to which Nattramn owes its name.
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