The Power & the Will

I'm not a particularly devoted follower of folk metal and its various offshoots. Often suffocated by the "everything but the didgeridoo" practice of throwing in too many distracting and/or gimmicky instruments, the riffs lose more and more efficacy, effectively becoming mere window dressing in the formula they should invariably be spearheading. That said, if there is one instrument that enjoys a near perfect track record when it comes to metal cross-pollination, it is the distinctive bagpipes. From Suidakra to even Grave Digger, bagpipes and metal go too well together to be discounted. Their unique, warbling timbre forms a melodic swath wide enough to bifurcate the densest of riffs, and Argentina's Triddana are one of the better examples of this I have come across.

Essentially the spawn of the earlier (and more well known) Skiltron, these guys utilize a formula that is endearingly spartan, one that can bear the load of both heaviness and melodic memorability, entwined together into one smooth listen. The Power & the Will delivers memorable anthem after anthem, with husky melodic croons flying high above a jaunty mixture of rock-infused licks and strikingly memorable bagpipe intervals. Technically there isn't a whole lot to these guys' sound, but these varied embellishments offer a good stripped-down alternative to more elaborate fare like Elvenking, Equilibrium and the like. Frontman Juan José Fornés is the best performance here for sure, outclassing his forebear Diego Valdez and making The Power & the Will a class above the debut for this reasoning alone. Constantly up to the challenge, he emotes from soup to nuts, ranging from tender ballad-esque numbers to the stomping, anthemic fare that dominates the record like "When the Enemy's Close."

Some scant keyboard use rounds out the atmospheric bits, but the bagpipes occupy the second line behind the vocals, trading off with the chunky, brickwork traditional metal licks and surprisingly tasteful solos. The guitars don't necessarily blow me away here, but they do play their part effectively and defer to the melodic aspect when necessary. Triddana are at their best when the aggression dial is cranked up a hair, along with the distinctive pounding gait conferred by the percussion. The best examples of this are "The Snake & the Pit," "Shouting Aloud" and "When the Enemy's Close." "Galloping Shadows" is a bagpipe-drive instrumental that contains a pocket of the best melodies on the record, while the closing title track feels more desperate and urgent, with the best vocal lines and refrains to be found here. It's a very consistent mix, with the only lacking number being "Death Blow," if only for the irritatingly overused vocal melodies.

The Power & the Will has to be the best example of this style I've come across, offering excellent and fun songwriting that helps mitigate what would otherwise be construed as samey and monotone material. Triddana's mutual prowess over the disparate strengths employed give them a sinewy, yet melodically tender backbone with which the husky drawl of the vocals sit atop near perfectly. There isn't much to complain about here, so if you are a fan of folk metal with riffs and a tight, fleshed-out formula, give The Power & the Will a whirl. I'm glad I decided to break out of my comfort zone to check this one out.