We already have Heidevolk in the Netherlands, but within a stones throw from my town there is another (Frisian) folk/viking Metal combo that
sounds a tad heavier and uses more harsh vocals. Besides that they use the
Frisian language which I also use at home. Sure there are some ancient words we
never use in common converstations, but that is only adding more authenticy to
the music.
After 2 EP's and one full length, this is the second complete album. A lot of
songs have lyrics about the Frisian history about king Radbod (Redbad in Frisian)
who was in charge around 680- 719 AD. Back then his kingdom reached from what we
now call the provence Zeeland following the coast (aprox 50- 80 miles wide) to almost up to
Bremen. I will not bore you with more history lessons or lyrical themes any
longer, lets talk about music.
After a short intro, the song "Koppen Yn 'e Mist" (Heads In the Fog) opens
aggressive and fast in a kind of Dimmu Borgir way. After a real old school heavy
metal riff, the track "Wolvetiid" fires away in the same tempo, but the song has
more clean vocals also. The music of the band is for a very big part a lot
heavier than a lot of other folk metal bands. The growls and grunts also see to
that, but with "Fredou" and "Hadagrims Fertriet" they wrote two soft songs,
which will not be the favorites of those who only want in heavy.
Personally I think it just makes the difference here, a little rest in between
the heavy songs makes the heavy tracks even sound better. "Fredou" is a kind of
folk shanty with accoustic guitar and accordion, accompanied by gang shouting. "Hadagrims
Fertriet" is a ballad with clean singing and again accoustic guitar. In between
there are some real heavy (death) metal tracks like "In Skym Yn It Tsjuster"
with excellent vocals and some subtle keyboards in the back, a surprising softer
part in the middle and an exalleration afterwards. "Keningsting" is a slower
groovier track with a nice almost marching rhytmn. "Stoarm Oer de Streamen" is a
typical heavy folk metal track which sounds heavy but also very catchy because
of the melodic accordeon parts and the galloping rhytmn.
Throughout the entire album the band succeeds in creating the right atmosphere
by adding the correct non typical metal instruments at the right time. On top of
that the guitars have nice melodic leads throughout most of the songs and the
production is very professional. This is one of the better bands in the folk (death)
metal genre, this music never dies! Fryslân Boppe..
