When talking about the origins of Pagan Metal in Germany, one name definitely comes to mind: Falkenbach. This project by Vratyas Vakyas has been active for more than twenty years now and is commonly regarded as a trailblazer and prime mover of a musical genre that combines epic heroism and Germanic mythology as well as Norse-tinged folklore and metallic aggression in a perfect blend – and all that far from the worn-out clichés of a so-called "Pagan Metal scene."