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Elvenking - Heathenreel review



Reviewer:
8.5

210 users:
8.32
Band: Elvenking
Album: Heathenreel
Style: Folk metal, Power metal
Release date: 2001
A review by: Undercraft


01. To Oak Woods Bestowed
02. Pagan Purity
03. The Dweller Of Rhymes
04. The Regality Dance
05. White Willow
06. Skywards
07. Oakenshield
08. Hobs An' Feathers
09. Conjuring Of The 14th
10. A Dreadful Strain
11. Seasonspeech
12. Penny Dreadful [Skyclad cover] [Japanese bonus]

Debut album of these young Italians, Heathenreel bring us Folk metal at is finest form, by mixing melodic speed metal with folk influences and some medieval sounds Elvenking created something really interesting here.

The interesting thing about this debut is the variety in the vocal department, it goes from the typical power-metalish voice of Damnagoras to some nice death growls and a female singer, it really enhances the whole experience.

The music itself is very catchy, especially "The Regalty Dance" featuring a beautiful violin and "White Willow" with an incredible sing-along chorus.

But the highlight of the Cd is a brilliant and epic song "Seasonspeech" features 4 voices (clear voice, death growl and 2 female) and every voice is a season (winter, summer, fall, spring) arguing, a really great song! One of the bests songs I've ever heard!

So, if you like power metal with folk influences (flutes, violins, etc..) you should get this one, is a very good album with a lot of good ideas.

Written by Undercraft | 26.10.2003



Guest review by
schwanderen
Rating:
9.2
Elvenking - Heathenreel

"Elvenking"? What a lame name... I popped the cd in the stereo and this enchanting, luring folk tune flowed out.
I sat there, staring at the cover art, and the entangling tune combined with the cover suddenly made perfect sense to me. I had the feeling of breaking forest edge and being allured into untrodden territory. Then all of sudden, with an impact that would haunt me to this day, "Pagan Purity" kicks in. I almost fell of my chair... The tranquility was replaced with ecstasy, and there was no way back, for I was already deep within the woods of the kings. The tranquility never returns, and yet it does, just in a different form. One quickly adepts to Elvenking's flow, and the tranquility returns in form of endlessly catchy choruses. But the idea remains, of luring the listener into a place where he believes himself "safe" and then runs him over from head to toe.

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published 24.06.2006 | Comments (3)


Comments

Comments: 2   Visited by: 36 users
25.09.2009 - 12:29
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I think i need more listens to get myself into...there are some moments...
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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09.12.2009 - 16:13
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
I love Undercraft older reviews. Without filler, straight to the point.

Thats a fine folk metal work.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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