Heidevolk - Walhalla Wacht

Probably every Dutch metalhead, but at least every metalhead from the province Gelderland, will know the band Heidevolk. These guys are known for their Dutch Pagan Folk Metal in which they express their passion for nature, Germanic mythology and the history of Gelderland. These six guys show that there is more a Dutchman can be proud of than cheeses, windmills, tulips and winning the UEFA European Football Championship back in ’88.

Sometimes I find it hard to judge this band, because I honestly don’t know whether this concept is a joke, or not. Maybe it is because of the Dutch lyrics that I previously didn’t took them that seriously, but with Walhalla Wacht this discussion isn’t worth it. The album is their second full-length and their fourth release ever. While listening to this album you’ll hear that everything sounds very mature. The band has evolved to an oiled machine with much variety in their well-thought songs. The production of this effort is great, the songs are really nice and they’re now signed by Napalm Records, so they can reach more people than before. 

Song by song they create a perfect atmosphere with melodies which will stick in your head for a long time. The best example for this is the song ‘Wodan Heerst’. This 8-minute long masterpiece has everything in it; catchy melodies, beautiful vocals, a nice “hey”-part for their live show and different tempos. The only negative points about this whole CD – for me – are the voice-overs during seven of the ten songs; “You’re listening to the new Heidevolk album Walhalla Wacht”… Yes, I know!! Furthermore I’ll recommend this album to everyone who likes Pagan Folk Metal, lives in Gelderland or is curious, because of this review.

“Het bier zal weer vloeien in ons Gelderland. Op winst in de strijd, op vlees en jolijt. Kom laat ons nu drinken op ons Gelderland!”