I would never really expect to discover new, kick-ass metal from an iTunes recommendation (I download the latest Suffocation album and they somehow think I might enjoy Chris Daughtry?), but when I saw a spotlight on indie metal on their mainpage this morning, I had to take a gander. Much to my surprise, there was some good stuff there, if nothing that your average in-the-know headbanger wouldn’t already be familiar with- Converge, All Shall Perish, Darkthrone, Boris, etc.- but I was particularly intrigued by one band I’d never previously heard of before: Nekrogoblikon, whose debut album, Goblin Island, I’ve subsequently discovered to be totally, completely, mind-blowingly awesome.

What can you say about a band that have inserted the word “goblin” into 91% of their song titles (“Army of Goblins,” “Goblins Ahoy,” “Goblins Are Better Than Trolls,” “Goblin Christmas Armageddon Part I,” “Goblin Christmas Armageddon Part II,” etc.)? Obviously, these dudes i) have a great sense of humor and ii) LOVE fucking goblins.

Of course, that would just seem like stupid gimmickery if Nekrogoblikon didn’t know how to rock, and rock hard. But their brand of technical, melodic death/folk metal happens to be infectious as all get out. Guitarists “Timbus” and “Meowlix” can shred with the best of them, the keyboards by Nicholas Von Doom and “Mork” (gotta love a chick who takes her cues from the hairy ape we know as “Robin Williams”) are catchy without ever seeming too poppy, and the vocals, by “Lord Duddy,” mix vintage death and black metal with fantastic skill. They even pay homage to the great In Flames (“The Goblins of the Black Rain”).

And that’s the difference between Nekrogoblikon and, say, Lordi: they aren’t just acting silly, but clearly have a genuine affinity for this kind of music. With a little luck, soon metalheads everywhere will be prisoners on Goblin Island.

-AR

Visit Nekrogoblikon’s MySpace Page.