Video Premier: Death, Magic, Doom: Edenfall Unveil Folk Horror Epic, ‘Oaken’

Folk Horror quintet, Edenfall, have released the second single and music video from their forthcoming album To Gaze Longer at the Earth, due for release later this year. Following on from the critically acclaimed The Wild Hunt which was released last summer, their new single Oaken continues the band’s mythical opus.

Hailing from the historical city of Gloucester, the band was formed in 2009 by Rob George (Guitar) and Clare Webster (Lead Vocals). With influences ranging from My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost to Winterfylleth and Agalloch, the band’s sound is a delicate balance between the mournful melodies of Gothic Metal and the atmospheric arias o?en found in Pagan / Atmospheric Black Metal. Lyrically, the band are heavily influenced by the history, folklore and the landscapes that surround them: Oaken is no exception.

WATCH IT HERE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNpZxxPlszw

Their new single focuses upon the close relationship between man and Mother Earth; something that has been lost over the centuries. With a meditative pace and an ethereal quality, it endeavors to capture some of the magic that was lost in its tale about a lonely wanderer and their spiritual encounter with the natural world.

The music video for Oaken, filmed and directed by Mark Wickson, plays homage to some of the folk horror classics such as The Wicker Man with its themes of nature worship and unsettling ritualistic customs. According to Dawn Keetley, “folk horror reanimates the notion of the ‘peasant’ or ‘primitive’, the local and isolated community, as the repository of (o?en orally-transmitted) folk traditions and rituals.” In the narrative context of Oaken, we witness a willing human sacrifice which, to an outsider may seem barbaric and savage, yet holds a deep reverence within the community and culture in which it was performed.

Ironically, as filming for the video commenced the band found themselves caught up within their own web of superstition:

“When it came to filming the narrative elements of the music video, we ventured to a public woodland just outside of a small village within the Cotswolds. We are used to having the odd look from passers-by when we are filming or doing photoshoots in public spaces, but most people are usually just curious about our creative endeavors; this time, it was a little different! We had attracted some attention in the local village and we soon found our activity being written about in The Oxford Mail and The Cotswold Journal; two local newspapers, and even being linked to alleged animal sacrifices in the woods!”

An occurrence like this would usually be quickly linked to satire, but on this occasion we can clearly see that superstition can still run rampant even in the modern day. Inadvertently, the band and crew found themselves in their own folk horror plot, playing the part of a mysterious and threatening outsider. Whilst the human mind is rational and intelligent, perhaps there is still a part of us that will always choose to favor the mysterious and unknown over reason.

Oaken is now available on Spotify, Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms.

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Photo Credit: Beccy Dancer