The church in flames, their God became a Goddess, So beautiful was she in her fierce rage…
Band: Beenkerver
Album: De Rode Weduwe
Country: The Netherlands
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Release date, Album: 1 March 2024
Introduction
A Dutch black metal band, Beenkerver, have been making a name for themselves in the metal scene with their intense, atmospheric music. Coming from the Netherlands, a country rich in folklore and legend, they draw on these dark tales for inspiration and weave them into their sound.
And I sound like an old broken record, but I’m a bit of a sucker for history and folklore related lyrics and albums. So the band and its albums are off to a great start for me because it’s solely based on Dutch folklore. Before we start with the album itself, I want to mention the artwork of the album, which is made by Bram Bruyneel. It looks like something out of an old fairy tale, and it is a perfect match for this concept album.
Album breakdown
Beenkerver’s second full album is called De Rode Widow, which is Dutch for The Red Widow. This is a concept record that wraps itself around The Red Widow of Gelderland mythos. In it, we follow an unjustly accused woman who was executed only to return as a ghost dressed in red seeking revenge against those that wronged her. Such a story of unfairness and retribution echoes throughout the entire album and makes for a compelling and haunting journey.
Tracklist:
- De Rode Weduwe
- Breng Mij Haar Hoofd
- Vel Over Been
- Vergane Rozen
- Haar Wraak Is Prachtig
- Oktober
- De Biecht Van Een Blinde
The Drumming on Track Three Deserves Special Mention
Track three, Vel over been, stands out on this album because it showcases some serious musicianship by Beenkerver. The drums are particularly impressive, they have complex patterns played hard and fast which give an unstoppable sense of momentum to the piece while being executed with precision timing. Equally, stunning are the vocals; from guttural growls to piercing screams, these different techniques express all the raw emotion behind what happened with The Red Widow.
Highlighting Track Five: Haar wraak is prachtig
Haar wraak is prachtig‘s (Her revenge is beautiful) title alone should be enough to make anyone excited (for those that can read Dutch, that is). It’s about the revenge Sophia (the red widow) got on the town. Below you’ll find the translated lyrics of the track.
The earth trembled, the sky turned blood-red
The houses collapsed, the whole village in distress
The church in flames, their God became a Goddess
So beautiful was she in her fierce rage
Soon everyone knew, Sophia’s revenge was here
Full of regret and mourning for this woman’s death
The bailiff watched as the village was destroyed
By forces, he did not know, an awe-inspiring end
Her vengeance was great, her fury broke house and hearth.
The sky tore open and spoke full of hatred
Her vengeance wonderful, a murderer succumbed
But the bailiff hid in cowardice and left the region.
Sophia’s rage was not yet extinguished
Came from hell, too far to dream away
Her goal was revenge out of madness, pact with evil
Her own house in flames, the villagers banished
And so only the sheriff remained out of harm’s way
He had fled as perpetrator, coward, rotten
The lyrics, as you can see, are very well written and tell a great story. It also happens to be my personal favorite song. I think it tells such a great story through the music and the lyrics, which are a perfect match. And the story of revenge is something timeless and the myth about the Rode Weduwe sums it up perfectly, a wrongly accused woman has a lust for vengeance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, De Rode Widow is a well put together album and then some. It’s not just a collection of songs but somewhat of a world on its own. It uses a known folklore story from The Netherlands and the band makes it their own.
This LP invites you into The Red Widow’s story where we can feel every ounce of pain or anger before finally sharing in her triumph too. So, after that’s all said and done. Go listen to the album yourself and form your opinion, the only thing I can do is recommend you the album.
BMZ rating: 7,5 out of 10
Support Beenkverver here: https://beenkerver.bandcamp.com/album/de-rode-weduwe
Your thoughts on Beenkerver’s latest album, De Rode Weduw?
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