Scythia – “Fierce Riders of Scythia” [Free Song Download]

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The Skinny: Formed in late 2008, Scythia is not your older brother’s metal band. Unless that band had an oboe of death, echoes of thunder, and a knack for writing folk metal tunes. So what is Scythia? At the most primitive level, it is epic storytelling set to modern progressive metal. With a whole lot of dynamic, intense goodness, of course.

Taking its name from vocalist and guitarist Dave Khan’s infatuation with a painting of Nordic/Russian warriors riding bears while brandishing swords, Scythia not only “gives the painting musical significance,” but it is also “the name of an ancient empire spanning from the Caucasus through Russia, and even into eastern Scandinavia. The melodies used in our music have a very ancient, sometimes medieval sound, so I wanted to attribute them to an ancient civilization,” says Khan.

And for all the folk metal skeptics out there, Scythia offers insight into the style’s true ingenuity and greatness. “Folk music is definitely more ambient, pure, and beautiful. Metal is intense, raunchy, and driving. The use of both in songs, combined with dynamic contouring, has the ability to take the listener on the kind of journey that rises to mountain peaks and descends into valleys, in a sonic sort of way,” says Khan.  [ END ]