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Holy Blood - Waves Are Dancing review



Reviewer:
7.6

12 users:
8.42
Band: Holy Blood
Album: Waves Are Dancing
Style: Black metal, Folk metal
Release date: 2004


01. Intro
02. To Heaven
03. The Spring
04. Jerusalem
05. I Flow Towards The Fate
06. Baptising Of The Rus'
07. In The Last Battle
08. The Fair
09. Waves Are Dancing
10. Outro

Christian and Viking?

The formula of Viking Metal is quite simple, mix some Death-Black Metal with Folk music and Viking-era themes, it's been done before and it will be done further on.
And so here I have a so-called Viking Metal album, which the sole difference that these guys support Christianity, isn't that contradictory? How can you be Viking and support Christianity? Pagan Gods are anything but Christian, but I'll leave that issue to the experts in the fields, I just gave my 2 cents there.

Anyway, these guys come from Ukraine, and they have all the things you could expect from a Viking Metal outfit, grand chants, female vocals, folk instruments (such as a flute) and harsh vocals (this time in the form of a shriek-scream).

The flute sets the "Viking" mood in almost every song, tracks are usually fast paced and reminded me of Melodic Death Metal mostly, all songs are sung in their native language, which I assume is Ukrainian, but as I'm a Spanish native speaker, it really looks like Russian to me.

Anyway, as I was saying, the best way to dissect the band is taking Melodic Death Metal, some shriek-ish vocals, group chants and a flute, mix it and serve cold.
Songs are fine, but they tend to repeat themselves, making the album somewhat repetitive, is not like there's a marked difference between each song, and that is the problem with the album.

Nevertheless, this is pretty enjoyable for anyone who really appreciates Viking/Folk Metal, so stay tuned and watch out for this band, their next release could be the Ukrainian Metal revelation.

Written by Undercraft | 15.12.2005




Comments

Comments: 4   Visited by: 51 users
03.07.2006 - 12:56
Torelli
I don't get were you get this hole viking thing from. The lyrics are mainly about God and faith. When it's comes to the music, just beacuse you mix some folk elements doesn't mean that it is "viking" metal. The vikings era is a part of ukraines history, so of course thet have som elements left in their folkmusic witch comes from that era. And actually you can be a viking and a christian, as europe begun to "accept" christianity around that time. So I'm sure alot of vikings were christians. Besides, so are the viking culture not all about religion.

Ok, enough about the complaining. Good review, I agree with most parts of it, but I think the songs "to heaven" and "waves are dancing" stands out from the rest of the tracks. It has a nice intro and and outro, btw.
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05.11.2006 - 17:16
Rating: 10
Ernis
狼獾
I really doubt if it is sung in ukrainian.....well...I have read the lyrics in russian and I even understand some lines so...I guess it is russian after all....

Tere is this impression that "OH! Viking fucking METAL!!! It's all about the goode olde PAGAN GODS, killing christians and whatever crap else..."

Completely wrong...I do not deny that vikings killed christians...I guess they killed anyone in a place where they could get some money, jewels or anything material....religion was the last thing they worried about...

Torelli is right.....vikings became advanced in economy and trading rather fast....so...the connections with other countries became more frequent and it is natural that vikings adopted christianity as well...it is all right if you have many gods....so...there is nothing wrong if you accept Christ as well....there are Thor's hammers with Christ crucified on it....the wooden churches in Norway have many pagan features, the ornaments etc....

Vikings were indeed a part of Russian history....in fact...their prince married Byzantine emeror's daughter....and if I remember correctly, they accepted christianity without any huge problems...

About this album....I love it....adorable eastern-block metal....
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27.12.2007 - 03:02
Rating: 10
Vinnie R.
Chido Chido
God! This album is so good!!!!! All the lyrics, the music...everuthing is in right place!
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27.12.2007 - 22:06
VPeter
as a Folk metal lover I of course know them and unfortunally I find them one of the worst out there.
this album is really bad.
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