Folk metal theoretically is an interesting genre. Being European, however, the folk metal I am exposed to often consists of the lowest common denominators of both styles. For truly interesting folk metal, I have to look a little further from home. Chun Qiu hails from China and sadly only released a single album, but it is a really good one. A bit of a slow burner that needs more than a handful of spins to reveal all its secrets, but that only contributes to the longevity of the album. For an interesting, but not too ham-fisted blend of heavy metal and traditional Chinese music, look no further.

Chun Qiu is a supergroup of sorts, their members having been involved with the likes of Tang Dynasty (guitarist Kaiser Kuo), Overload (drummer Diao Lei) and Suffocated (guitarist Kou Zhengyu). They don’t really sound like any of those bands though. ‘Spring And Autumn’ consists of largely mid-tempo heavy metal – though with frequent pronounced gallops – and highly creative clean guitar parts. The latter might warrant the prog moniker, though the songwriting is not particularly complex. Instead, ample space is given to the folky melodies and the excellent vocal performance of Yang Meng, which finds the middle ground between resigned melancholy and an almost yearning feel.

Melodically, ‘Spring And Autumn’ should not sound too alien for Europeans and Americans. While the sonic tapestry here is quite uniquely Chinese, the traditional and classical music of the country has a surprising amount of overlap with traditional heavy metal melodically and especially rhythmically. Ultimately, that might be why the album is as good as it is. It feels like the folky melodies and the distorted guitar riffs have been written in conjunction with each other rather than trying to force the traditional elements into a heavier context. In addition, the music is highly dynamic, with almost every track featuring contrasting sections that go together surprisingly well.

After hearing ‘Spring And Autumn’ for the first time, the longer tracks impressed me most. ‘The Last Page’ has some incredible rhythmic delay work over a subdued riff, ‘Born Of The Storm’ manages to squeeze a surprisingly large number of different atmospheres out of only a handful of riffs and the incredible ‘The Subcelestial’ is a dynamic masterclass in contrasts. Out of the more concise tracks, ‘Legend’ and ‘The Huntsman’ are probably closest to what a westerner would expect from folk metal. Opener ‘A New Day’ has an amazing chorus melody, while the acoustic ‘Between The Mountains And The Sea’ closes the album in a shoothing fashion.

‘Spring And Autumn’ is a fantastic introduction to the fusion of Chinese folk and heavy metal. It is quite impressive how natural the arrangements feel, while none of the musicians ever gets in somebody else’s way. If anything, they leave as much room as they can for the vocals, which is rare enough in contemporary heavy metal. Circumstances prevented Chun Qiu from releasing any other albums, save for a live recording ten years after the release of ‘Spring And Autumn’. But as it stands, their only album is more than enough evidence for the skill in their compositions and arrangements. Also, it is surprisingly accessible for non-Chinese listeners.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Subcelestial’, ‘A New Day’, ‘The Last Page’