Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Heidra Awaiting Dawn Company: Mighty Release: 2014 Genre: Heavy, black, death, folk Reviewer: Greg Watson

Offers up an almost literary journey

Winners of the fourth installment of Mighty Fight Night and a record deal through Mighty Music, Denmark's Heidra offers up an almost literary journey set to the tunes of black metal, folk and power metal. Feeling more like an epic audio book than a record, "Awaiting Dawn" takes the listener onto the front lines of a war of power. The script features giants, undead wraiths, werewolves and many other fiends told in an inspiring and frightening way. The album is truly epic on all levels. What's even more incredible is the way that Heidra congeals their favored styles into a sound that lends even more strength to the story they tell. Incredible melodies, choral passages, blistering guitar riffs, angry and heartfelt vocals all come together to provide a deep aural experience. Tracks like "Betrayal", the titular "Awaiting Dawn" and the incredibly epic "Into Cursed Lands" will have you emotionally invested in the storyline as well as pumping your fists to music that matches the intensity and emotion of the lyrics. Singer Morten Bryld delivers heartfelt, inspiring clean vocals as well as blackened, vitriolic blackened and death vocals. This contrast really lends itself to making the band stand out on their own accomplishments. Musically, the diversity of the styles allows for multitudes of variety and ever changing soundscapes. To go from hellish riffing to melodic and beautiful acoustic pieces is just another aspect of this evolving puzzle. The more you listen to this album the more you find things you missed previously. Heidra have definitely crafted a style that is their own and has staying power for years to come. May the "Power of the Gods" shine down!