The NAPALM AWARDS returned by popular demand after a long hiatus to honor our long list of talented artists. Our virtual award, the RIEDLER, will now be awarded to its worthy recipients. It was a close race, but one band in particular shone through, as you will soon discover:

In the category of Best Album 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE! Congratulations is in order. Third Age of the Sun is BATTLELORE's third studio release and may be described as a heroic Fantasy Metal masterpiece. The band's recent line-up changes didn't hurt BATTLELORE, but rather paved the way for positive musical developments. Tomi Mykkänen's versatile vocal approach, for example, not only pefectly harmonizes with Kaisa Jouhki's melodious voice, but his growls also add much color to the arrangements. Even Kaisa's own vocals seem to have become more powerful and have acquired a more emotive and an even more elfen-like quality. "Third Age of the Sun" is much more melodious and sweeping than its two predecessors and it becomes obvious that variety and BATTLELORE's delight in playing is at the forefront of this album, which delivers yet another wonderful and epic sound experience consisting of 13 new tales that revolve around Middle Earth. More impressive and atmospheric than ever before, this release will undoubtedly spirit away the listener to a world full of energetic tension and magic!


In second place, DRACONIAN's Arcane Rain Fell. The Swedes returned in 2005 with their second release. Not unlike their debut "Where Lovers Mourn", it too presents a world of desperation, pain, beauty, and solitude. This is Gothic/Doom Metal: gentle and pleasing, bitter sweet and cutting, and very recognizable through the perfect vocal interaction of Lisa Johansson and Anders Jacobsson. Acoustic lines and driving guitar riffs, as well as changes in tempo and symphonic elements work together to create a dark world full of melancholy. Atmospheric keyboard lines and heavy riffs give way to the increased emotion espousing from frontman Anders--from calm harmony to excruatiating pain--while Lisa's gentle vocals work to bring back the sombre romanticism.


Last but not least, LEAVES' EYES came in third with Vinland Saga. Vocalist Liv Kristine and Co. (a.k.a Atrocity) embark on a mystic journey. Leif Erikson’s legendary voyage to Greenland in 1000 A.D., which consequently ended in the discovery of America according to many historians, is depicted by LEAVES' EYES through atmospheric Metal, Rock, and sensual ballads: a story engraved in a colorful bandwidth of musical styles. Classic rock compositions ensnared in strings and kettledrums, loving flowing harmonies, and hammering metal arrangements, can all be found on Vinland Saga.

In the category of Best Production 2005, the winner is:

Once again BATTLELORE with Third Age of the Sun. Second place goes to LEAVES' EYES for Vinland Saga, and third place goes to both DRACONIAN's Arcane Rain Fell and KORPIKLAANI's Voice of Wilderness an album from a band that has always known how to capture the essence of life in Finland and embedd it in their music.

Voice of Wilderness is the Finnish woodsmen way to continue their tradition of allowing the listener into their world. The band is not at all squeamish about getting to the point, and anyone familiar with KORPIKLAANI's compatriots Finntroll or Ensiferum knows what this mean. The music is as wild and raw as the land itself, and instead of cosy campfire romance, fast and intoxicating songs, supported by violin, flute, and Jonne's unmistakable vocals, invite one to dance around this fire. Influence by "humppa", the tracks gallop along and one soon imagines the band before them, wildly celebrating in the forest; in the midst of Finland's cold and gruff nature. The melancholy of dark winter days finds no place here. He who freezes, drinks and frolics to the melody of the fiddle. KORPIKLAANI brings us quality Folk Metal that tells tales and praises beer. The coarse romance of this album transforms any peaceful evening before the fireplace into a roaring celebration 

  

In the category of Best Cover 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE's Third Age of the Sun, followed closely by LEAVES' EYES' Vinland Saga, and DRACONIAN's Arcane Rain Fell.

In the category of Most Original 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE's Third Age of the Sun, followed by KORPIKLAANI's Voice of Wilderness, and SALTATIO MORTIS' Des Königs Henker.

With Des Königs Henker SALTATIO MORTIS delivers an album that will not only have fans of the medieval rock genre listening attentively. Professional and well structured, the seven players set out to emphasize the natural strength of the guitar and medieval instrumentation and to not always sound "medieval". Their unabiased handling of new and old elements and their determination not to repeatedly adhere to one particular proven formula for success (i.e., bagpipe plus guitar), but rather to further develop their unique style, is what makes SALTATIO MORTIS special and timeless. "Des Königs Henker" breaks away from electronic and computer-generated elements with the clear exception of the guitar. The sterility of artificial sounds no longer finds a place in the dynamic and impulsive collection of tracks that is Des Königs Henker.

In the category of MUST HAVE 2005, the winner is:

TRAIL OF TEAR's Free Fall into Fear. These Norwegians had been known as a Gothic Metal band of the heavier kind that also included female vocalist Catherine Paulsen. But Catherine has since left the band and been replaced permanently by Kjetil Nordhus (Green Carnation). One may at first miss the female vocals of the past, but TRAIL OF TEARS are by no means the lesser for it. Musically, they have become faster and heavier. The vocals are more varied than ever before: from growls, to screams, to clean lines. Female voices are also to be heard as part of the ethereal atmosphere. TRAIL OF TEARS can no longer be categorized, as their style is much too rich and disparate, yet they manage to bring it all together in a highly interesting and perfect end result. Rhythm changes advance the tracks superbly--calm, even melancholic parts linger until the almost doom-like guitars and electronic whispering voices drive them away. In short, this album borders on the avant-garde and presents unique, high calibre Dark Metal, in part ala SAMAEL and ARCTURUS, complimented by ethereal passages and raw riffs.

Following closely behind, BATTLELORE's Third Age of the Sun takes second place, and KORPIKLAANI's Voice of Wilderness comes in third.

In the category of Best Lyrics 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE's Third Age of the Sun followed by TRAIL OF TEARS' Free Fall into Fear in second, and DRACONIAN's Arcane Rain Fell in third.

In the category of Best Band 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE followed by ELIS and DRACONIAN.

In the category of Best Live Band 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE, again followed by ELIS, and in third KORPIKLAANI.

In the category of Newcomer 2005, the winner is:

MIDNATTSOL. The German/Norwegian quintett delivered their long awaited debut album Where Twilight Dwells in 2005. The time of the midnight sun is the favored time in which Scandinavian tales are told, as they seem the most mysterious. It is by incorporating these legend of old that the young band crafts their impressive tracks, charmingly sung by Carmen Elise Espanaes (the sister of Liv Kristine, LEAVES' EYES). Through gentle ballads and fast free-flowing pieces, MIDNATTSOL revives the mythos of the North: the obscure forests and the clear, cold lakes become visions within their melodies, while one eavesdrops a haunting voice. The faster parts, reminiscent of the dances of trolls, are intermittently relieved by the pixy-like voices that place a pleasant veil over reality. Those appreciative of the northern culture will rejoice in this work, which includes one of the most beautiful pieces from Edvard Grieg, "Solveigs Song", intertwined within the track "Tapt Av Håp".

Second place honors go to VESANIA, a band that emerged in 2005 as the latest Symphonic Black Metal sensation. Yet the band is no novice when it comes to its underground passion. Both founding members Orion and Daray have already proven themselves as members of Behemoth and Vader, respectively, and gathered an ever-expanding fan base in their own right. Furthermore, their debut God the Lux does not adhere to the pillaging of every Black Metal cliché in the book, but rather presents a very professional, well thought-out album that is both varied and dark. Calming and at times menacing soundscapes that invite one into the tenebrous world of nightmares are combined with aggressive vocals and guitar riffs. Boredom is not an option, as the listener is engrossed in the depths of each track without them ever losing their excitement. Scandianvia's Black Metal throne has been toppled! VESANIA proves that evil has long conquered other lands.

Last but not least, naio ssaion takes third. This band made a name for themselves through their many triumphs in international band competitions and because their immense potential cannot be overlooked once these young Slovenians hit the stage. The debut album, out loud, is dynamic, full of fresh ideas, and although the band boasts of an impressive female vocalist, it does not fall into the Gothic Metal genre. Barbara's vocals have not only style, but also a charisma and intense energy that may be compared to that of Evanescence's Amy Lee. The band's secret weapon, however, lies in their alternation between heavy sounds and the use of the violin, which gives the music a style all of its own.

In the category of ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2005, the winner is:

Sabine Dünser of ELIS, followed by Kaisa Jouhki of BATTLELORE, and Ronny Thorsen of TRAIL OF TEARS.

In the category of TRACK OF THE YEAR 2005, the winner is:

BATTLELORE's Storm of Blades, followed by DRACONIAN's Death Come Near Me, and LEAVES' EYES Elegy.

In the category of Best Female Vocalist 2005, the winner is:

Sabine Dünser (ELIS), followed by Kaisa Jouhki (BATTLELORE), and Lisa Johansson (DRACONIAN).

In the category of Best Male Vocalist 2005, the winner is:

Tom Saxer (ELIS), followed by Tomi Mykkänen (BATTLELORE), and Ronny Thorsen (Trail of Tears).

In the category of Best Guitarist 2005, the winner is:

Peter Streit (ELIS), followed by Jussi Rautio (BATTLELORE), and Johan Ericson (DRACONIAN).

In the category of Best Bassist 2005, the winner is:

Tom Saxer (ELIS), followed by Timo Honkanen (BATTLELORE), and Niklas Sandin (SIEBENBÜRGEN).

In the category of Best Drummer 2005, the winner is:

Henri Vahvanen (BATTLELORE), followed by Moritz Neuner (LEAVES' EYES/ATROCITY), and Rene Marxer (ELIS).

In the category of Best Keyboardist 2005, the winner is:

Maria (BATTLELORE), followed by Silenius (SUMMONING), and Siegmar (VESANIA).