ALBUM REVIEW: Wederkeer – Heidevolk
For just over two decades since their formation, HEIDEVOLK have not only become one of the most widely recognised acts within the pagan/folk metal scene internationally, but today stand as one of the few acts who have been active since the genres mid-00s heyday who have stayed true to their musical roots. Where many of their contemporaries have either shifted away from their initial sound or become inactive over the course of the last decade, the Dutch sextet have retained much of what made them so impressive in the first place, with their blend of epic heavy metal with catchy folk melodies being as big a part of their sound today as it was in their early days, albeit with a few subtle death and black metal flourishes thrown into the mix for good measure. The band’s seventh album, Wederkeer, marks another creative highpoint, being not only their best album in recent years, but arguably one of their best works overall.
Hagalaz provides a cinematic start to the record, with huge drums, chanting vocals and punchy guitars that couple heavy metal riffs with brief, faster bursts, creating an urgent, melody-driven sound that possesses lots of energy, starting proceedings on a powerful note. Drink Met De Goden (Walhalla) introduces acoustic guitars and angelic string accompaniments, taking the grandiose elements of the opener and broadening the scope of that sound, and peppering the music with effective folk elements that complement the soaring clean vocals and slick leads extremely well. Klauwen Vooruit, with its thick, rhythmic guitars and steady beat, has all the hallmarks of a classic heavy metal track, with dancing leads, spartan flutes and singalong vocals providing a great folky flair. A decidedly more stripped back sound than on the preceding two offerings, it nonetheless captures their majestic qualities. Schildenmuur, a short, bombastic piece of music built around percussion and excellent vocal performances accentuates the sombre folk at HEIDEVOLK‘s core, removing all metal influences whilst retaining the domineering tone of their more forceful material.
De Strijd Duurt Voort adopts tight, speed-driven guitars, frenetic drumming and a darker feel, with the rich baritones and catchy leads anchoring this song in the immersive pagan metal of the album’s earliest offerings, marking a significant shift towards more layered song-writing that adds another interesting dimension to the album. Oeros, much like Schildenmuur, embraces rumbling vocals and thunderous drums, gradually seeing the music morph into an almost symphonic monolith. It even throws a power metal pomp into the fray, a great addition that elevates this track’s closing moments. Wederkeer – another short, folk-orientated piece built around acoustic guitars, violins and booming vocals – once again shows that even without their metal backbone, HEIDEVOLK are capable of producing captivating and stunning music. IJzige nacht opts for chunkier guitars and a more measured tempo, resulting in a muscular, mid-paced slab of heavy metal with a minimalistic approach to leads and subdued folk flourishes informing the track without directing it as significantly.
Raidho, with its weighty, chugging hooks and authoritative drum and bass undercurrent again sees the music sacrifice some of its grander components, allowing the magnificent vocals and polished solos to carry it more prominently. Ver Verlangen, the third folky interlude, seems more spirited due to its galloping, hypnotic guitars and heavy use of folk instrumentation, which makes for a brilliant break from the rest of the album. Holda embraces an ethereal guitar sound, with bombastic folk and vocal passages throughout, again placing the band’s epic qualities centre stage with fantastic results. It’s an engrossing track that manages to incorporate a wide array of musical flourishes, making for arguably one of the most adventurous songs on the album. Zoervuur, another brilliant track that makes full use of acoustic guitars, violins and sonorous vocals, brings the album to its conclusion in a very subdued but effective fashion, ultimately giving it more of an impact than if the band had opted for a metal closer.
Wederkeer represents arguably HEIDEVOLK‘s most expansive and imaginative record to date, with only a couple of tracks later on in the album, notably Ijzige nacht and Raidho, feeling more formulaic than the rest, though not bad by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a testament to the band’s skill as song-writers that their seventh full length also stands as one of their brightest moments musically, at times being on par with their best work. The various elements within the band’s music blend together more seamlessly than on some earlier records, and in much the same way that albums like Velua began to introduce extreme metal touches into their already eclectic pallet, Wederkeer manages to strike an impressive balance between its harsher and lighter moments, whilst also accentuating the broader mix of traditional folk music that has been at the core of their sound since the very beginning. It’s clear that even seven albums deep the band aren’t running out of ideas, and are willing to adjust their established formula in order to keep their brilliant sound fresh.
Rating: 8/10
Wederkeer is out now via Napalm Records.
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