Reader of the Runes - Divination

After Elvenking recovered from the emo missteps of the mid-2000s, their sailing has been pretty smooth. Reader of the Runes - Divination doesn't break away from the upbeat folk-metal Celtic dance melodies of the band's past, but as we've seen from past departures, that's probably just as well. Inside of that sound, it covers a lot of territory. The tracks take advantage of the Elvenking talent for strong, melodic singalongs: Divination's quicker tempo is one of my favorites of the first set of tracks, but Damna's vocals only get used to their full advantage by the time The Misfortune of Virtue, which has more of the quick vocal tunes on the choruses that he's good at. Eternal Eleanor is also a standout with a rhythm that shows off the heavier beats of Lanc, who started on the last album. By this point, listeners should expect a smooth production, and that's exactly what shows up here; the choirs, folk-fiddle, and Damna's singing fit together in a smooth sound. This album still has some power metal bombast, but everything's so tight that it sometimes doesn't get to stand up and shout as it should. Has Elvenking decided not to risk any more experiments with their formula after the disappointing "dark" albums? Not quite; for here at the end of the album we find the title track, a mini-concept inside the album that reprises the middle interlude track on the album within a song of its own. And with this final track dubbed "Book I", it's not too hard to conclude that a next album with a Book II is in the works.