It starts with
a cheeky, sparkling riff of pure vintage hard-rock that remains hopelessly stuck
in the brain, the debut album of these jolly Dutch purveyors of a brand of folk-metal
that would rejuvenate a Methuselah! But
behind the apparent frolicking mood of these forest trolls there flourishes a
piece of work that is genuinely, heart-warmingly intimate: in thoughtful awe of
the cycles of nature, they draw from it comfort and hope. Next to roaring notes
ranging from folk-rock classics such as Jethro Tull (the famous flute still
working its magic) to more contemporary rhythmically fast and furious metal,
germinates the fertile soil of the lyrics, which offer numerous references to
Dutch history and noble stimuli. The
late-romantic spirit of Mahler is mentioned as a source of inspiration for the
entire work, while Thomas Mann and
Dante also add suggestive facets to the narrative. The
tracks are utterly surprising, addictive in their passionate blend of joy, good
humor and latent melancholy, the latter having its raison d’être not merely
because it is part of everyone’s daily life, but for being a moment of personal
redemption on behalf of those who suffer from some form of physical frailty. Among
infectious elves’ choruses, captivatingly cool keyboard solos alternate with freshness
to the energetic guitars: this is so far removed from the irritating run-of-the-mill
folk metal we are sadly too often plagued with; this is life-celebrating,
genuine stuff TO BE ENJOYED
NON-STOP! Delicious the artwork and booklet on the digipack version, I can only
imagine what the vinyl looks like... Alvenrad and the infamous Trollmusic label
are calling for an immediate “wodenization” of the modern world: join or die –
literally!
http://www.trollmusic.net/
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