Author Andy Pountney
For a grateful change the trip over the Pennines to Manchester was significantly less fraught resulting in arriving perfectly just after doors opened at 6PM, (door times seem to get earlier and earlier these days) to check out the merch,… Continue Reading →
‘Deriving from the cold forests of Sweden……’ states the press release, and that was enough for me to stop reading and put my hand up for the review, relishing the thought of some grim Scandinavian black metal. I should have… Continue Reading →
In recent years there has been a proliferation of interest in Nordic Mythology and associated neofolk with names such as Wardruna, Heilung and Danheim now being well established in alternative music circles. Vévaki will undoubtedly be joining that list in… Continue Reading →
As the seasons turn and the days become more autumnal, so my musical taste changes and I find myself seeking out more sombre, darker music and as it turns out this album fitted the bill perfectly. I first listened to… Continue Reading →
The Gaerea debut album back in 2018 feels like a lifetime ago now, with the world having seemingly stopping for a couple of years due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, during that time Portugal’s Gaerea have dragged themselves from the dark… Continue Reading →
Having blasted into the black metal underground back in 2015, followed up by a self-titled debut album, Nordjevel were soon laying waste to venues far and wide including slots at Bloodstock and Inferno which was where I was converted to… Continue Reading →
As I’ve mentioned previously, one of the nice things about this festival is that it is not just about the music, it is so much more. On the final day, I took the opportunity to explore the Midgard Vikingsenter a… Continue Reading →
Friday began with me taking in some of the Mimir seminars as well as exploring the artefacts in the Vikingsenter museum. The bands kicked off for me with Endezzma. I’ve had the opportunity to catch them a few times and… Continue Reading →
Thursday morning was restful and saw me taking a stroll around the burial mounds, soaking up the atmosphere before Vargvrede opened the music for me in the Gildehallen. I was familiar with their studio work and I had always been impressed, not… Continue Reading →
Although Midgardsblot is labelled as a metal festival, it is far more than that. This a gathering of like-minded souls upon the sacred Viking burial mounds of Borre, Southern Norway, assembled to honour the local heritage and culture, as well… Continue Reading →
Jo Quail doesn’t do things by half, and here she has raised the already high bar even higher with her most ambitious work so far. By way of a quick introduction Jo has been mesmerising crowds for several years now… Continue Reading →
Ah that bittersweet feeling of the last day of a festival. Still a whole day of great music and festivities to be had, but also that knowledge that this is the last day and then it is back to “real… Continue Reading →