Dibbukim - Az A Foygl Un A Goylem Tantsn
It's very rare that some sort of 'specialized metal' comes along these days, since almost everything has been done already, but once in a blue moon... it does. Dibbukim are one of those specialized bands. Hailing from Sweden, they perform folk metal, but it is far atypical than what anyone could expect. The entire album is sung in Yiddish and performed in that very energetic, Jewish style. It's heavy, but only in the melodic sense. No angry chugs, no harsh vocals... just the guitars and drums mixed with the contrasting male and female vocals, which admittedly aren't the best in the world, but the sheer genius of musical concept overall is pretty fantastic and this small flaw is easy to overlook.
Tracks like "Hinter Dem Tol" are performed more in the traditional melodic metal sense with a focus on the shifting guitar riffs while the male and female vocals wail apart and together. It's the solos that really show off the Yiddish energy and are enjoyable and catchy, along with unique. Tracks like "Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen" feature some excellent mixture of guitars and keyboards, although the main focus of the music is on the guitars. How could one deny the technical joy of a track like "Czardas," which has almost a Santana feel to it. Other tracks like "Oyfn Veg Shteyt A Boym" are more organic in their sound and go for a mix of acoustic and electrified instruments that do quite well together; one can even hear the keyboard in the mix, though for those who really seek the keyboard experience should listen to the short "Der Tants," which unfortunately just isn't long enough.
On the downside, a lot of the music tends to the the same with the verses getting repetitive after a while, so one REALLY has to enjoy melodic folk, and specifically Yiddish music, to be awed by this. Yes, the band has done something incredible with their sound and 'Az A Foygl Un A Goylem Tantsn' is a very enjoyable ride- one that could be spun at a wedding or a metal concert (one doesn't see that versatility often). However, among the expectations of metal fans these days with folk metal, the lack of 'heaviness' of the music may turn away some listeners from the group. On the other hand, it is this direct lack of typical heavy riffs and growls that also makes Dibbukim so intriguing because it is far from being anything that is 'run of the mill' material.
Tracks like "Hinter Dem Tol" are performed more in the traditional melodic metal sense with a focus on the shifting guitar riffs while the male and female vocals wail apart and together. It's the solos that really show off the Yiddish energy and are enjoyable and catchy, along with unique. Tracks like "Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen" feature some excellent mixture of guitars and keyboards, although the main focus of the music is on the guitars. How could one deny the technical joy of a track like "Czardas," which has almost a Santana feel to it. Other tracks like "Oyfn Veg Shteyt A Boym" are more organic in their sound and go for a mix of acoustic and electrified instruments that do quite well together; one can even hear the keyboard in the mix, though for those who really seek the keyboard experience should listen to the short "Der Tants," which unfortunately just isn't long enough.
On the downside, a lot of the music tends to the the same with the verses getting repetitive after a while, so one REALLY has to enjoy melodic folk, and specifically Yiddish music, to be awed by this. Yes, the band has done something incredible with their sound and 'Az A Foygl Un A Goylem Tantsn' is a very enjoyable ride- one that could be spun at a wedding or a metal concert (one doesn't see that versatility often). However, among the expectations of metal fans these days with folk metal, the lack of 'heaviness' of the music may turn away some listeners from the group. On the other hand, it is this direct lack of typical heavy riffs and growls that also makes Dibbukim so intriguing because it is far from being anything that is 'run of the mill' material.
- Shpil Di Fidl Shpil
- Yidl Mitn Fidl
- Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
- Hinter Dem Tol
- A Mol Iz Geven A Mayse
- Csárdás
- A Mabl Fun Mashke
- Der Tants
- Khaloymes
- Oyfn Veg Shteyt A Boym
- Der Rodmakher
- Papirosn
Label: http://www.gmmusic.se
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
May 7, 2011
May 7, 2011
Next review:
Corpset - Ruins
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