Wir laden zum Feste

Die Saat's third album is an entity of pure enjoyment for me. I get a pretty bad taste in my mouth as soon as the word 'folk' is used in conjunction with another form of metal, so this is actually saying something. Every band uses 'folk influences' these days, perhaps since bands like Finntroll, Moonsorrow, Korpiklaani, etc. have so firmly rooted themselves into the mainstream of heavy metal, resulting in, as always, a whole slew of people attempting to imitate the style for a cash grab. Because of this, the vast majority of folk metal is incredibly derivative, and there are numerous extremely common melodic and rhythmic elements that seem to appear in every one of these new bands. In addition to this, despite how 'folk' they all are, they don't seem to be heralding any specific 'folk', instead feeling that inclusion of acoustic guitar, nature sounds, and bouncy triplet rhythms makes them delightfully 'ethnic'.

This is why Die Saat's 'Wir Laden Zum Feste' is such a wonderful album. It takes all the stereotypes of folk metal and crafts them into something traditional, but not cheesy or derivative at all. And indeed, the Teutonic sound here is present in full force, sinking into every bit of the music, infusing it with a definite nobility that many folk bands seem to lack in favor of socially retarded drinking music. Die Saat is the sort of band that should be taking the place of Finntroll or Korpiklaani or any such cheesy acts in popularity, and deserves a great deal more recognition than it gets now. Can you imagine that 'Wir Laden Zum Feste', a work of such pure enthusiasm and unbridled passion, is limited to only a thousand copies? THIS is the sort of artist that should occupy Nuclear Blast, Spinefarm, or Century Media.

This music is a synthesis of folk, viking, death, and black metal with nods given to each section, but never one gaining dominance over the others. Keyboards are used, but only as an accent, not to dominate the music, taking precedence over the other instruments only in certain passages. The music is more percussive and heavy than the majority of folk acts, and a good deal of blasting and tremolo riffing is used, making this, at least superficially, more inaccessible than other such artists. And while the album is not nearly as overflowing with melody as your average power metal band, it's obviously the focus of the music, taking form in epic, sun-drenched keyboard passages or proud, erudite lead guitar. The riffing in general borrows from power metal, with plenty of palm-muted power chord strumming taking place, but it still seems well employed here. Vocals trade between low viking growls, higher folk shrieks, and clean passages backed with a choir effect that is used much more tastefully than on your average Blind Guardian album.

These are merely elements, though, and in this case, the whole is much, much more than the sum of its parts. The structure, writing, and harmonization of the instruments is possibly the most exquisite in folk metal this side of Moonsorrow. Each element is carefully crafted, with no filler used at all, resulting in music that is simple in parts yet complex as a whole, with contrasting elements blending with each other in a fashion so beautiful that most folk bands could only dream to achieve in power and majesty. Each note blends flawlessly with the next, and each is played perfectly, subtle leads and keyboards intertwining over robust, passionate rhythm section. Each song is excellent, but two in particular stand out:

'Hermundurenlied''s choir opening segues majestically into the central theme of the song, which boasts one of the most wonderfully engineered drum performances on the album. The subtle shifts of bass drums harmonizing with rhythm guitar create something ancient and exquisite, and the blasting sections are just as effective in presenting pure, undiluted elitism. This is music not entirely unlike Poland's Hellveto: it does not need to be understood by all, nor would the musicians want it: indeed, it seems to be music made by Germans, for Germans, and that no others could truly grasp the significance of all its nuances and beautiful design. Even the smallest details are used in spectacular effect, such as the tiny recurring high tom theme that occurs half way through the song, or the upward climb of 'Hammerheart'-tribute riffing.

The second, and by far the best track on the album, is the mighty 'Asatru', the most powerful viking metal song since 'One Rode To Asa Bay'. The individual pieces could be described: the incredible, slow instrumental majesty of the chorus and its doubled clean/growled vocals, or that portion moving into the unclean verse where rhythm guitars become a mighty Teutonic army of barbarians, but nothing would do justice to the pure, undiluted, gorgeous brilliance of this work. It is truly a classic of heavy metal music that each person should make their goal to hear at one point. Absolutely exquisite music.

'Wir Laden Zum Feste', so terribly unknown, deserves a great deal more exposure than it has received from the metal-listening community. Spend your time and money on this, not 'Ur Jordens Djup'; Die Saat is a group of artists that deserves your support far more than most. 'Wir Laden Zum Feste' is pure heavy metal art, and should not be forgotten by the public.