This reminds me of my gramp's "mixed soup". Gramps threw different good ingredients into a kettle without chopping them, cooked the soup too fast and then we just ate it. Chewing the soup was sometimes a bit annoying, because of those big pieces, but it tasted so good, that it didn't matter.

Italian Elvenking's debut album 'Heathenreel' offer quite a mixed soup of goodies for every power/folk metal fans. With very Italian spices of course!

One can hear, that these guys want to mix a biggest possible amount of different things; particularly, the presence of Italian power metal. There's also a big portion of Skyclad-esque folk-spices (beginning of 'Hobs an' Feathers' could well be from 'Folkémon' (2000) !), pinch of Nordic heathen spirit and lyrics give off forest-dwellers' poetic romanticism. As Fredrik Nordström (In Flames, among other things) mixed this record, the soup is getting rich...

This pagan dance is opened by a very medievalesque, foresty intro 'To Oak Woods Bestoved'. After this singer Damnagoras and his happy fellows shout "HEY" and goings-on starts. The first real song 'Pagan Purity' already tells a lot of these goings-ons; glorious guitar melodies and choruses sung in a group are abound. 'The Regelity Dance' offers a medievalesque intro with violins, impressive power metal melody, sharp turns/curves and vocal parts sounding like a raging boar.

Damnagoras' vocals are varying, occasionally sounding like he, while running in a forest, had sat on a anthill of angry ants. The singer, who is raging with the ants does fine with his job and there's no trace of boring over-doing. Two female vocalists visit on 'Heathenreel' and guitarist Jarpen gets to show some of his vocal skills. So this part also has enough spices.

There's enough melodies to share with other bands and playing is great. Sound is quaranteed Luigi Stefanini/New Sin quality and mixer is a true master of his profession. A very beautiful foresty cover reflects the album's moods perfectly.

This soup have been collected from the ingredients so good, that anyone who likes them can't be without taking pleasure from the end result, at least on some level. There is plenty of surprises and ideas for every single song! Savor and chew this with devotion and for a long period of time. When one gets over a confusing first impression and ain't afraid of slightly snarling goblins, doors and gates to oakwoods are open. And the oakwoods is a good place to be.

Reviewed by Mikki
04/18/2002 20:32