Blood Sacrifice Shaman is the latest offering from Mongolian folk metallers Tengger Cavalry, and it’s a fairly good listen, however it does feel somewhat stagnated at times.
What Tengger Cavalry is doing is amazing; there’s not many other bands playing folk metal in a similar style to what they do, so it’s refreshing to hear an oriental twist on a genre that has become fairly oversaturated and filled with a multitude of similar-sounding bands in recent years. However there isn’t much variation between the songs and it just feels like there’s something missing from the album, so whilst everything does sound very tight and together, it’s difficult to maintain full interest throughout.
It’s a shame, because Blood Sacrifice Shaman reeks of potential. The band clearly has a lot of talent but when each song follows largely the same format and flows in a similar way to every other track on the album, it doesn’t make for a tremendously engaging listen. Everything is quite catchy and will get your foot tapping, but that’s pretty much it.
The raw materials are there and the foundations have been laid, but it hasn’t been extended on past that. Blood Sacrifice Shaman is a good album, but it could be so much more.
5/10
