Heidevolk – Velua

Releasedate: 20-03-2015; Label: Napalm Records
By: Basak Günel

Heidevolk is a pagan/folk metal band from The Netherlands. Formed in 2002, the band can be counted as one of the most popular bands in the pagan/folk metal genre. The lyrical themes of their music are inspired by nature, the history of Gelderland, and the history of Germanic mythology. The band is back with a brand new album called “Velua”, which tells stories and myths from The Veluwe, the mythical and utterly beautiful woodlands in the Netherlands.

Musically, what surprised me the most about this album is the fact that we see a less folk-ish but much heavier and straightforward side of Heidevolk. This was quite clear from the band’s previous record “Batavi”, which showed the change of the band’s sound from ‘folky’ to heavy. With “Velua”, this change is even clearer. The highlight of the album is definitely the e-guitars that will make you headbang and of course the traditional double male vocals, which form the essence of the Heidevolk sound. It’s also worth mentioning that the new vocalist Lars, who joined the band at the end of 2013, has fit in the band really well considering this album is the first album that features him. Lars’ diverse singing definitely added another dimension to the band’s sound, making it ‘darker’ and quite different.

When it comes to the highlights of the album, the songs “Winter woede” and “Urth” will definitely entertain the fans of ‘old’ as well as ‘new’ Heidevolk. Apart from this, “Het dwalende licht” and “Een met de storm” show us the ‘heavier’ Heidevolk with a darker sound. One song that needs to be mentioned is “Vinland”; this song is not related to the theme of the album but the band simply wanted to thank the fans around the globe and reminisce their first experience to North America.

“Velua” is a nice Heidevolk album; the songs are catchy and carry that traditional Heidevolk sound. However, despite a few songs that show the band’s evolvement, I felt that the album was average; the band could have experimented a bit more to make the sound/album more outstanding. Furthermore, considering that the album is strongly related to nature and myths, a more natural atmosphere throughout the record would have been even better. It is not my favorite album of the band but as with all Heidevolk albums, the stories are interesting and it is especially recommended for heavy metal lovers; it’s straightforward and fun!

Line-up:
Mark Splintervuyscht – vocals
Lars NachtBraecker – vocals
Reamon Bomenbreker – guitars
Kevin Vruchtbaert – guitars
Rowan Roodbaert – bass guitar, backing vocals
Joost den Vellenknotscher – drums

Tracklist: 01. Winter woede 02. Herboren in vlammen 03. Urth 04. De hallen van mijn vaderen 05. De vervloekte jacht 06. Het dwalende licht 07. Drankgelag 08. Velua 09. Een met de storm 10. Richting de wievenbelter 11. In het diepst der nacht 12. Vinland

Links:
Heidevolk Facebook
Heidevolk Official