Heidevolk is a folk/viking metal

Folk metal

Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...

 band from the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. The lyrical themes of their music are inspired by nature, the history of Gelderland

Gelderland

Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...

, and the history of Germanic mythology

Germanic mythology

Germanic mythology is a comprehensive term for myths associated with historical Germanic paganism, including Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon mythology, Continental Germanic mythology, and other versions of the mythologies of the Germanic peoples...

. All of their lyrics are in their native language, Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

. Heidevolk's name translates in English as "people of the moorland".

History

Heidevolk was founded under the name Hymir in 2002 by six men inspired by nature, Germanic mythology, folklore and the history of Gelderland. They had a common desire to create music that intended to capture their fascination for these subjects. They came up with the name Heidevolk while walking through the Veluwe

Veluwe

The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....

. The band started performing live in 2003. Ever since 2003, the band has released one demo, three full-length studio albums, and one EP.

Their third album, Uit oude Grond

Uit oude Grond

Uit Oude Grond is the third studio album by the Dutch folk/viking metal band Heidevolk, which was released on March 26, 2010.-Track listing:# "Nehalennia"# "Ostara"# "Vlammenzee"...

, was released to generally positive critical acclaim, with one writer calling the album "A hugely enjoyable release combining aggressive metallic riffage with tastefully-entwined traditional folk instrumentation and melody".

Discography

• Het Gelders Volkslied (demo, 2004)
• De Strijdlust is Geboren
  De Strijdlust is Geboren
  De Strijdlust is Geboren is the debut studio album by the Dutch folk/viking metal band Heidevolk...
  
  (full-length, 2005)
• Wodan Heerst
  Wodan Heerst
  Wodan Heerst is an EP by the Dutch Pagan/folk metal band Heidevolk. The first track is a track on Heidevolk's following studio album, Walhalla Wacht. The second track is a remixed version of a song featured on Heidevolk's previous release, De Strijdlust is Geboren; it features more violin than the...
  
  (EP, 2007)
• Walhalla Wacht
  Walhalla Wacht
  Walhalla Wacht is the second studio album by the Dutch folk/viking metal band Heidevolk, released in March 2008...
  
  (full-length, 2008)
• Uit oude Grond
  Uit oude Grond
  Uit Oude Grond is the third studio album by the Dutch folk/viking metal band Heidevolk, which was released on March 26, 2010.-Track listing:# "Nehalennia"# "Ostara"# "Vlammenzee"...
  
  (full-length, 2010)

Current members

• Joris Boghtdrincker – vocals (2002–present)
• Mark Bockting (Mark Splintervuyscht) – vocals (2005–present)
• Reamon Bloem (Reamon Bomenbreker) – guitar (2005–present)
• Rowan Middelwijk (Rowan Roodbaert) – bass guitar (2006–present)
• Joost Westdijk (Joost den Vellenknotscher) – drums (2002–present)

Former members

• Jesse Vuerbaert – vocals (2002–2005)
• Niels Beenkerver – guitar (2002–2005)
• Paul Braadvraat – bass (2002–2006)
• Sebas van Eldik (Sebas Bloeddorst) – guitar (2002–2011)
• Stefanie Speervrouw – violin (2007–2008)