Northern Oak was a folk metal band from Sheffield, England. The band formed in 2006 and their debut album, Tales From Rivelin came out in 2008. The band then released two live studio EPs entitled Into The Attic, 28 July 2009 and Northern Oak, before releasing their second full-length album Monuments in December 2010, to acclaim from a number of underground music publications such as Metal Hammer Magazine, Zero Tolerance Magazine, and Terrorizer. They disbanded in 2016. Northern Oak used traditional instruments alongside a modern heavy metal instrument setup (electric guitar, bass guitar, drums), with flautist Catie Williams utilising the flute, the alto flute and the recorder in various songs. They also used a keyboard to synthesize other traditional instruments such as harpsichord, church organ, bagpipes and the triangle. The band's name came from their location (in Northern England) and the English oak tree, which was symbolic of their appreciation for nature and the English countryside. History The band was founded late in 2006 by Chris Mole, original keyboardist Elliot Sinclair, original vocalist James Harris and founding drummer Daniel Loughran. Over several months of practicing and development, the band began to assemble a setlist and swiftly produced their first demo, entitled Rivelin. The band performed their first gig in 2007. Shortly afterwards the band was joined by another new member – flautist Catie Williams. At this point the band began to explore a much more folk-heavy sound, due to Williams' experience of and participation in the English folk music scene. Soon afterwards, recording began on what would become the band's debut album, Tales From Rivelin. During this period the band played their second show at Under the Boardwalk, this time bidding farewell to Loughran, who left the band due to leaving Sheffield. As the band worked on getting the album finished and printed, some other line-up shifts occurred – a new drummer (Jesse Harrison) and bassist (Kimberley Sears) joined the band, as did a new vocalist (Carl Aspinall). Aspinall's tenure was short-lived due to his other commitments, however, and he was soon replaced by a long-time friend of the band, Martin Collins. Tales From Rivelin was released in March 2008 and garnered some positive press, including two positive reviews from Terrorizer magazine and Zero Tolerance magazine. One of the tracks from the album, 'Madness of the Feral Moon', also appeared on Iron Age Records' Volume 1 compilation alongside bands such