Band:	Heidevolk
Album:	De Strijdlust Is Geboren
Style:	Folk metal
Release date:	March 11, 2005
Guest review by:	MétalNoir

01. Krijgsvolk
02. Vale Ouwe
03. Het Gelders Volkslied
04. Winteroorlog
05. En Wij Stappen Stevig Voort
06. Furor Teutonicus
07. Het Bier Zal Weer Vloeien
08. Gelre 838, Wychaert
09. Hengist En Horsa
10. Wodan Heerst [limited edition bonus]
11. Het Bier Zal Weer Vloeien [special version] [limited edition bonus]
12. Vulgaris Magistralis [limited edition bonus]

Yeah, yeah, folk metal is a boring and unoriginal genre, billions of bands are popping out of the earth everywhere, blah blah blah SO WHAT? It's still an awesome genre and there are still bands out there who succeed in making this style their own and make something new and original: Dutch combo Heidevolk is one of those bands.

To be honest, I wasn't very enthusiastic when I bought this album. In fact, I bought it because it was the only folk album I could find in the store.... And I thought it sucked when I listened to it the first time, cause I was expecting blast beats and shrieks. But after a couple spins, I realized there was some serious riffing in there, as well as catchy choirs and even thrashy bits and parts (Hengist en Horsa's ending almost sounds like Slayer). The drums are very good even though the rhythm is slow and heavy most of the time, and there actually are blast beats here and there, and they simply seem more enjoyable due to their rarity. And, most of all: no keyboards AT ALL. The genre is overcrowded with keyboards and the best melodies are usually played on synthesizers, and that's a shame, but not with Heidevolk: melodies are played with a weird instrument called an electric guitar... Folk instruments are subtle and don't cover the sound of the guitars: as a matter of fact, most songs don't use any traditional instruments.

The excellent and powerful riffs start out on track 2, Vale Ouwe, which has a Finntroll-esque part right in the middle, and go on to the kickass song Furor Teutonicus, which is one of the catchiest on the album. Next comes the folkish choirs and acoustic guitar of Het Bier Zal Weer Vloeien. That song really sounds like it's been part of The Netherlands' folklore for ages, but it's the band's own composition. The album ends with the fastest and most technical track, Hengist en Horsa, which only lacks growls to be a "real" viking metal song. The leading melody is catchy as Hell and the galloping drumming makes it perfect for going to war.

The bonus tracks on the 2008 edition shouldn't be forgotten, since they all are incredible, especially the last one, Vulgaris Magistralis. This one grows on you more than any other one on the album, with its warcries that go along with the heavy guitars. The bonuses also include a re-edited version of Het Bier Zal Weer Vloeien, this time with violin instead of seagulls.

On the whole a surprising album that can't be overlooked if you're tired of commercial keyboard-fond black/folk metal.