Heidevolk Batavi
By: Chris Davison
So, sure, we're used to hearing Finnish and
Swedish bands knocking out the whole “folk metal” stuff. I've seen pretty much
all of them live at one time or another, and it's generally easy to spot those
that have an actual interest in issues of heritage and pagan pride, rather than
those who have converted swiftly on from the last passing fad or trend in Heavy
Metal in search of a quick buck (or, maybe something else that rhymes with buck
that they can quickly acquire). There are now literally hordes of folk metal
bands, and I've even seen some home-grown English bands that have tried it with
unconvincing backing tracks streamed from a MacBook, while the singer pounces
about in a knitted hat. You all know the drill, right? You add a “Celtic”
flourish to a standard metal song, and dress up in armour. It may also help to
hold up a flagon of “ale” in between songs. So, where do Heidevolk fare in the
scheme of things? Are these the kind of guys to be riding in a dragon ship, or
are you more likely to catch them playing Dungeons and Dragons?
For those of you not in the know, Heidevolk
are already a little different from the crowd, in that they hail from Holland
and have decided to sing in Dutch. Apparently, from a linguistic perspective,
Dutch is the closest language to English, though I am completely unable to
understand anything they are singing about. There are plenty of clean singing
sections, which sound rather heroic, (though to be fair, they could be singing
about mowing the lawn, and I'd be none the wiser), and plenty of chanting and
occasional harsh growling. There is also a lack of traditional folk
instruments, and all of the music presented here is relatively memorable
standard extreme metal, complete with quickly strummed guitars, quick and
efficient drumming and pummelling bass attacks.
I have a couple of earlier Heidevolk
albums, and it's fair to say, I think, that Batavi
has increased the heavy metal quotient, while turning down the dial on folk-metal
conventions. For one, this album is a much darker proposition than the fairly
lightweight offerings on “Walhalla Wacht.” “In Het Woud Gezworen,” for example,
has an acerbic, cutting tone that brings to mind the finer moments of Britain's
sadly defunct Sabbat at their prime, while the clean singing tones do indeed
bring an epic feel to the music.
As to whether Heidevolk are actually now a
folk metal band? That's a tricky one. They are clearly influenced by their
heathen roots and the tales of their ancestors, but in musical terms, I don't
hear any of those clichéd melodies any more, and that's all for the better.
Perhaps then, it's just fairer to say that this is just a damn fine album from
Dutch gentlemen with an interest in their past. There are no stone cold
classics to be found here, but it's going to while away a pleasant hour or so.
Solid.
Zombiefication Reaper's Consecration
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