Heidevolk – Batavi

Releasedate: 02-03-2012; Label: Napalm Records
By: Martine Goffard

Since last week, we can listen to Batavi, the last album of the Dutch band Heidevolk. The folk band has a unique personality due to the sincere love of the members for their country. On four albums, Heidevolk has probably no more than three or four songs about partying. It’s not that kind of band. They are more interested in presenting the folklore and history of their region. It’s a fact that the Dutch culture is not very well known outside the Netherlands. Heidevolk finds the right (Dutch) words to present it to you so you will soon check the possibilities to visit Gelderland.

With leather clothes and animal skins, the band continues to revisit the past and put history in music. This time, they take us in the Antiquity, in the year 70 to be exact. The whole album describes how the Batavian folk, after submitting to the Roman Empire and fighting for it, finally fought for his freedom. This is the gloomy story of an exploited population who had shown proofs of her loyalty. But Rome is an ungrateful master and the pride of the Germanic tribes is stronger than death. It’s not the first time that the band broachs the subject, the fans will remember Opstand Der Bataven on Walhalla Wacht. There’s not a glimpse of light in this story. The point of the album is obvious, it’s a history lesson. Let’s not forget the brave folks who gave their life for their identity and who forged the ground of our nation. We are used to see such stories in historical movies, Heidevolk writes songs about it.

Musically, there’s a huge Amon Amarth feeling in all that; the regularity of the drums, low, heavy, like the move of troops and in the themes as well. A song like Cry Of The Black Bird would fit perfectly in there. There’s a call to arms in many songs like in Het Verbond Met Rome « Broeders vereen u » or « Germaanse broeder Vecht met mij » in In Het Woud Gezworen. Heidevolk, it’s also the voice duo of Mark Bockting and Joris Boghtdrincker. You don’t even need to use your imagination. You just look at them and you see the Batavian chieftains ready for battle. By the way, Mark and Joris have such a pair of lungs that they can directly concentrate on the message and act the song without worrying about their voice capacities. The folk touch is present in the violin and the acoustic guitar. Veleda, the acoustic song is the best example. Simple and full of melancholy, this is the most poetical and sadest part of the album. The mist on the moor, the scent of the heather by a cold morning, the taste of a beer between friends in a local inn, this is Heidevolk.

Line up:
Joris Boghtdrincker – singer
Joost Westdijk – drums
Reamon Bloem – Guitar
Mark Bockting – singer
Rowan Roodbaert – Bass

Links:
Heidevolk Facebook