HEATHEN FORAY

"The Passage" (Black Bards; 2010)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Austrian metal unit Heathen Foray (not to be confused with the British band of the same name) unleashes an aggressive assault suitable for any wayfaring minstrel or nomadic warrior to rock out to on their debut 10-track disc "The Passage."

Straddling the line between melodic death and folk metal, this clan does an sufficient job of hammering home the undeniable gallop necessary to conquer lands by (“Winterking”, “Dragon's Eyes”) while exhibiting the propensity to rip out soaring solos over dastardly death growls (“Chants”), yet fall a tad short by sounding a bit too formulaic to get past the point of cohesiveness and break through the mold, though a few tasty guitar riffs found here do instill some hope (“Fortress of Faith”).

For more information, check out  http://www.heathenforay.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

Back to CD Reviews Home

Back to RoughEdge.com Home

Copyright © 2010 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
Revised: 12 Mar 2024 13:10:06 -0500.