Suidakra – Book of Dowth

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Germany’s Suidakra style of music can be described as a mix of melodic death metal and folk influences – and if that sounds like Eluveitie to you, then that’s very understandable but not quite there. Where’s Eluveitie these days have a much stronger mainstream metal appeal (and have now started doing non-metal albums as well), Suidakra mostly stick to doing it heavy. They’ve also been around for a considerably longer amount of time, and whilst the band haven’t always played this fusion of melodeath and folk (some of their really early stuff is borderline black metal), they’ve certainly been doing the folk metal thing way before the current trend. Book of Dowth is the band’s tenth album in fourteen years, and the album does have that veteran sheen to it. The quality of song writing and musicianship displayed here shows a band that have been through their rough patches and have since fine-tuned their art. There’s variety here – Mag Hell is an acoustic folk ditty, where’s Birog’s Oath has a guest female vocalist crooning instead of the band’s normal vocalist – but it never detracts from the band’s heavier material. This is where the album feels experienced; the folk elements fuse flavour and variety into the album, but it is in no way forced, making for an album that flows very well despite the shifts in tone. It’s the heavier end of the band’s sonic spectrum that will draw in the most listeners though, and Book of Dowth certainly has plenty of good riffs and lead guitar, holding up very well as a metal album even without the folk elements. Whilst perhaps this won’t be the most essential folk metal album this year, its certainly recommended listening for those still eager for more from the genre. Fans of fellow Germans Equilibrium, and indeed the aforementioned Eluveitie will certainly find this very appealing.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Folk Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Suidakra