Adfeilion bring the war drums on "Rhyfelwyr"

Adfeilion - Rhyfelwyr

Released: 01 – 08 - 2025

Adfeilion’s Rhyfelwyr is an album that was only released a few weeks ago and was sent to me courtesy of the good people at Aonair Records. It’s been a while since I dipped my fingers into this style of music, a sound that’s rooted in Celtic origin and heritage, and an album that channels a sense of place through its tonal language and traditional, rhythmic structure. However, after one full listen of the album, it’s clear that the band are creating music that feels intrinsically tied to its landscape and its kindred spirits. While the instrumentation is grounded in folk-inspired metal there’s more to the band than just that.

At just over half an hour, the album wastes little time in bringing you right into a time of old where battles are won, and blood is shed. From the battle cry of the opening track, Taranis, the guitar work becomes the core of the record, alternating between heavy old school riffs and expansive, melodic lines. The riffs are often built on synchronized patterns that evoke folk traditions, all set against the percussive drive of modern metal. The more I listen to the album the more I hear influences of albums gone by. Early Amorphis, around the Tales From The Thousand Lakes era and Irish bands like Cruachan and even Primordial resonate beneath Rhyfelwyr’s beating heart.

The drumming on the record is impressive too, especially on tracks like Dawnbreaker and Hallowed Glade, where it echoes the imagery of war and ceremonial marches, which aligns with the album’s title, Rhyfelwyr  which means “Warriors” if I’m not mistaken. The bass guitar is less prominent in the mix here, but provides a crucial low-end anchor to everything, locking the band into a tight and deliberate groove, and that’s a key word here, groove! There’s a gallop and a cadence to Adfeilions sound that’s infectious.

Structurally, the album follows a narrative arc with the opening tracks bursting with immediacy and battle-like intensity, while the closing pieces withdraw from confrontation into something more meditative, and less battle-hardy.

Adfeilion have managed to fuse the weight of modern metal with the spirit of their Celtic heritage, producing an album that is both musically rigorous and culturally resonant. As I already mentioned earlier, it may be a little short, duration wise, but the energy and spirit it radiates makes it an album that is well worth a listen.

https://aonair-records-adfeilion.bandcamp.com/album/rhyfelwyr