Artist: Heidevolk
Title: Batavi
Type: Album
Label: Napalm Records
Heidevolk is one of the hoard of heathen acts comprising Napalm Records’ increasingly enormous Viking army. Compared to some they are pretty good, even though they are from The Netherlands. For those unfamiliar with our continental enemies brethren, Dutch bands (aside from the omnipresent– but only inHolland – Golden Earring) mostly haven’t made an impact elsewhere. This is because Dutch people sound like Donald Duck when they talk. [the author currently resides inHolland and the editor can only assume his comment is ironic or a plea for deportation]
Despite this handicap, Heidevolk are on their fourth album, and produce what can loosely be described as Folk Metal, i.e very little folk and a great deal of Metal. The current album even flirts with AN ORIGINAL IDEA. “Batavi” is NOT about beer and longships. Instead it chronicles the struggles of the Batavian people against Roman invaders.
Sadly, this intriguing proposition has not been followed in photos. They look like any Viking band – with the exception of guitarist Reamon Bomenbreker, who looks like any Viking. Where are the captured legionary banners? The pig fat hair spikes and severed heads? Their website carries pages on Norse mythology but no druids. It is a tantalizing prospect, currently unfulfilled.
It is also a canny idea. Who knows what Batavian tribal music of the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD sounded like? The answer is –nobody! It transpires from “Batavi” that it sounded EXACTLY like Viking Metal. Well, who can deny it?
Opener “Een Nieuw Begin” starts! No you did not misread that. It starts! extremely suddenly, catapulting the listener into the action like a ballista bolt. Oddly enough the album eventually stops! just as abruptly. Whether this is by accident or design is uncertain, but then the Dutch do tend to be pretty abrupt. The opening track thus suddenly flings the listener into an epic prehistoric world, where chants, big choruses and guitar hooks were evidently de rigeur.
When Heidevolk (a reviewer would normally say “get going” or “kick off” but “Batavi” starts and stops at mid throttle) they are pretty good. They tackle the limitations of the Dutch language by using two vocalists. Rather than the usual pairing of a grunter with a squawker, Mark Splintervuyscht and Joris Boghtdrincker, can both sing and work well in tandem to produce manly mid-range medium-paced metal macho moods, with only the merest hint of duckiness.
Second track “De Toekomst Lonkt” is fast and epic with a great verse, cracking chorus, and racing guitar. It is a pity it is sung in Dutch, robbing the Metal world of a damn good chant-along. “Het Verbond Met Rome” is less successful, pairing half time guitar with incongruous fast thrashing.
“Wapenbroede” returns to Heidevolk’s main strength; slow to mid-tempo hero Metal with epic choruses and a cracking singalong mid-section. They even manage a bit of violin and some high harmonies. “In Het Woud Gezworen” bashes along satisfyingly, the half time vocals underpinned by carefully deployed thrashing and a chorus which would be catchy if comprehensible.
“Valeda” is a violin and classical guitar afterthought, included because of the “folk” tag. Pleasant, but they didn’t bother to put vocals on it. The snappily entitled “Als De Dood Weer Naar Ons Lacht”, mostly shows that Dutch is a bad language to write in, but also that Heidevolk can write melodies. The latter theme is continued on “Einde Der Zege”, which includes an excellent guitar and drum romp, with some slower chanted choruses.
Final track “Virjgevochten” showcases everything good about the Viking Metal genre. The opening riff is a classic, and the mid-tempo verses perfectly suit the twin vocals. Then it fades out and for some reason that’s it. Both the song and the album deserved much, much better.
In summary “Batavi” is a fairly good Viking Metal album, with some cracking songs.
However there are major gripes. As Splintervuyscht and Boghtdrincker sing in tandem almost constantly, we don’t get to contrast their individual styles, and their epic style restricts the album to a constant mid-pace. As is the current norm, there are no real guitar solos, but without either lead vocal or guitar the album feels impersonal and sorely lacks individual flair. Choosing to sing in Dutch is not authentic for the period and a barrier to the non-Dutch speaking world (which is everywhere exceptCuracao).
“Batavi” also lacks original touches, or concessions to a promising theme. Nothing in the music evokes the prehistoric era, and nothing else distinguishes them from other Viking bands. As the album is released in March there is still hope they might embrace the Batavian theme as a direction, but does the world really need to see Reamon Bomenbreker’s glowering, anvil-chinned visage improved by a centurion’s helmet?
Actually – yes it does. I’d pay to see THAT!
(7/10 Graham Cushway)
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