Vanaheim – Roede voor de Borst
Release Date: 4th September 2026
Label: Fireflash Records/Edel
Bandcamp
Genre: Folk Metal
FFO: Ensiferum, Heidevolk, Finsterforst.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
On Friday, September 4th, Dutch folk metal heroes, Vanaheim release their long-awaited follow-up to 2022’s critically acclaimed Een Verloren Verhaal. Roede voor de Borst is a concept album set in the Netherlands of the 19th century. It tells the sad story of a lonely miller who had withdrawn from society. He only realizes how beautiful life can be when he is faced with certain death, rediscovering his will to live when it was too late. The miller dies regretting his wasted years and mourning what could have been, but ultimately finding peace in the knowledge that people had cared about him. The story is shared by vocalist Zino van Leerdam, Michael van Eck on guitar, Mike Seidel on bass, Rikke Linssen on violin, and Bram Trommelen on drums. Coen Janssen of Epica, Nils Fischer of Eluveitie also contribute to these six new tracks.
The journey begins in Geestenmist (Ghost Mist). The folky, piano and concertina-laden intro sets the stage, giving the track a peaceful, pastoral feel. However, it quickly builds in intensity, with plenty of heaviness from the rhythm and guitars. The harsh vocals in their native Dutch give this an authenticity that lends itself to the storytelling. The juxtaposition of the harsh vocals with the choir on the chorus have an almost cinematic feel. The choir, which sounds like it’s right there with him, follows the instrumental leads, while van Leerdam’s vocals are slightly offset. It has a nice, tight feel like they’re playing together at the pub. The tin whistle playing along with the power metal-ish guitars around 3:55 is a nice touch. The track picks up a bit of speed in the last minute and a half or so, with an instrumental break followed by a more dramatic choral section that adds to the dynamic, epic feel of this track.
Kroos en Slijk (Duckweed and Mud) kicks off more aggressively than the previous track, leaning into a more melodic death metal groove. The vocals in the first verse are more spoken than growled over the violin leads, giving it an almost conversational feel, as the miller is still confronting his situation. The chorus is quick and lively, with a pounding rhythm accompanying the choir and van Leerdam’s growls. The second verse keeps the more aggressive vocals before returning to the catchy chorus again. There’s an instrumental break with violin at the forefront, and then they slam on the breaks before slowly ratcheting the intensity back up. The guitar holds sway on the next instrumental break before the final, more emphatic, chorus. It was almost on the edge of frantic, mirroring the narrative themes beautifully.
The melancholy violin intro to Het Laatste Licht (The Last Light) establishes the mood, which is reinforced by the slower pace and the more intimate-sounding vocals of the verses. The choral elements in the pre-chorus are downright spooky, falling downward through the phrases before resolving at the chorus. It’s rather like they’re channeling their countrymen, Carach Angren, and I’m all for it. The chorus is slightly faster, but it’s very melodic, and I found myself humming along. The tempo speeds up about halfway through, and around 4:22, the guitars take the lead through a number of transitions before a dramatic key change and an epic ending.
Eendracht Maakt Macht (Unity Makes Strength) has a driving rhythm right from the start. At this point in the story, the people in the village are searching for the miller, and the sense of urgency in the music really speaks to this theme. The violin takes the lead in the verse, accompanying the pounding beat and van Leerdam’s growing narrative. The chorus has some unexpected but well done cleans, and if my ears do not deceive me, there’s some piping from Nils Fischer that adds some gorgeous texture next to the guitar. According to the description on the lyric video, the The Ijsel & Waal Choir stands in for the villagers in this track, and they really shine beginning around 5:11. The dynamics in this piece are excellent.
At first, De Overtocht (The Crossing) seems like it might be going in a different direction. It begins with the choir underlying these eerie whispers before taking off like a shot at around 33 seconds. Even the verses barely slow down to let you catch your breath, but that’s not to say that it isn’t dynamic. We get a few brief, dramatic slowdowns and buildups, some sweet concertina, and even a fiery solo. They’re several lines where van Leerdam was almost roaring rather than growling, and the cleans beginning at 4:40 were a surprise, but a welcome one. The contrast in his vocals are particularly good in this track. It’s hard to pick a favorite on this album, but there are so many cool things about this piece, it’s a must listen.
The title track, Roede voor de Borst (Rod to the Breast) opens with acoustic guitar and concertina, then dramatically ups the tempo. This is another track where there are so many things going on that I can barely keep up, but that’s not a complaint. The dramatic choral elements in the chorus give this track an epic feel that is fitting for the end of the miller’s story. The guitar on the solos is bright and intense, and the instrumental break beginning around 3:50 is a beautiful melding of the classical and the traditional. Linssen’s haunting violin almost seems to speak. Once again, van Leerdam uses a number of different techniques that make his vocals more expressive, adding to the theatrical air of the finale.
Overall, Roede voor de Borst reminds listeners why we loved Een Verloren Verhaal, and why Vanaheim was, and is, such an asset to the folk metal scene. The musicians are top-notch, the compositions form a cohesive whole, and the symphonic and choral elements are integrated seamlessly. I love a good choir, but it can easily overshadow the other aspects of the music. Vanaheim use the choral passages to great effect, like a Greek chorus representing the miller’s community. As I mentioned previously, van Leerdam’s vocals are not only brutal, but they are also passionate and dramatic. I also appreciate that Vanaheim told the story in their native Dutch, as is proper. The songs were a little on the longer side, but the dynamics kept things lively, and they have a story to tell, so I can’t be too hard on them. If you’re a folk metal fan, I highly recommend checking out Roede voor de Borst this Friday, September 4th.
(4.5 / 5)
