Dark Britannica series

I used to be a huge music listener, but am not so much any more, I think I got bored of a lot of bands and realised that they all sounded like permutations of one another. I've been craving really bold, dark and daring music, and that's hard to come by. The collection was exactly what I was looking for, I stumbled across it by accident while looking for music by Andrew King, and I'm so happy I found it. It's a perfect treasure-trove of the most deliciously creepy and modern-sounding folk music (mostly from the UK, though I think there are some bands from other countries as well). The collection has four parts: John Barleycorn Reborn (2007), We Bring You a King with a Head of Gold (2010), John Barleycorn Reborn - Rebirth (2011), and Hail Be You Sovereigns, Lief and Dear (2012). The first one is definitely the best, but they're all very very good, although there are some tracks that are just too weird and unlistenable, composed of weird electronic noodling and noises like Pink Floyd's 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals...' However, most of the songs are incredible and foreground the most dark and unsettling themes of traditional songs: death, murder, violence, birth and rebirth. The song 'John Barleycorn' is on here in three (I think, unless I missed some) renditions, and I've never before appreciated how eerie it is. All of these artists give traditional songs a radically modern edge without losing track of their roots. This is definitely not just a conventional, pretty collection of old songs performed with traditional instruments and bland voices; it's wonderfully and astutely executed, combining old themes and new sounds in a truly gripping and remarkable way.