AUGUST 18th 2023
MIDGARDSBLOT FESTIVAL
DAY 3

Review by: Marius Rafoshei
Photo Gallery By: Polina Kulikovskikh
Day 3 - http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/midgardsblot-day-3/

Day three was upon us, and the sun was shining. Off we went to a later start, for a day at Midgardsblot that would prove to be another “better than last”. Today Loke was done with messing with the technical sides of things, instead we got some overlaps in program / bad planning that would take away from the whole experience. Still looking back at it, it was another good day at this fantastic universe they have created at Borre. Today was promising to take us from folk rock’n roll to the blackest of metal, starting off the 30 years celebration of Viking legends and on top of it give us a taste of the highest north. Speaking of taste, I got my feel for the catering at last.

Sun is shining and the saxophone is blasting. Yes, the sax. Gangar might not be the most metal out there, rather it is an eclectic mix of rock’n roll, some blues, and plenty of old tunes. They call themselves folk rock’n roll, or as they say, “we take traditional tunes from the archives, and then we mess them up”. Which is exactly what they did, for me and other Norwegians in the crowd a sing along of Har du vondt i magen, an old children’s song was a favourite. Not to mention a modern interpretation of Halling. All in all, an energetic start of the day. Perfect in the sun, with a smile and a beer. For those whom like folk tunes and a mixture of the old and new – this was a good start to the day on Midgardsblot. As evident by the dancing child in front of me during Synnjavinden, another traditional Norwegian tune.

As Gangar was coming to an end I was quick to run into the Gildehall to get a proper seat for what was promising to be rather different – Katarina Barruk, a Sami that sings tunes of her homelands in the far north of the Scandinavian peninsula in the ancient language of Ume Sámi (Ubmejesámiengiälla). It is easier here to point out the mood, of standing in a reconstructed Viking age hall listening to a representative of the Sami singing songs drawing on the traditional joik to deliver a heartfelt homage to her lands, ancestry, and the struggle for their survival. Wearing in her hair traditional ornaments to honour her mothers and their mothers, slowly and intensely building up a performance that touched the audience.

Like Drums? We got you said Skald. They are a pagan power force that asked, “like drums?” and then went all in. If you have only heard them on album, you are missing out, as live the beat of the drums truly shakes your core and forces you to join in on the ecstasy meted out with precision from stage. Where I would say the drummer takes the centre, pounding his drums and the chanting vocals lifts you spirit. In what felt like being on a longship setting forth to new lands to conquer. We also got the encore of the day, where they returned to truly draw out the last energetic reserves of an ecstatic audience with the warning to not let Fenris loose and pounding into the favorite Til Ragnarök.

For me, after Skald the Norse more ambient project Vevaki was like “jumping after Wirkola” as the Norwegian saying goes. A wonderful band, lovely tunes, but I was still feeling the previous drums and I noticed part of the audience felt the same way. Sad, as the softer melodies and beautiful soundscape is more than worth the listen. - If only they had been put in another timeslot, or on another the stage. Instead of on the small stage they would have been a perfect fit for the Gildehall. Still, people did enjoy it, while for me this is where organization and planning somewhat came in the way for what could and should have been great and turned it midrange. I will take it on my earphones as I walk through the forest next time. I promise.

Intermesso: The procuring of food

In between Vevaki and the next band I felt the pangs of hunger and saw it was time to (finally) test out the catering at Midgardsblot. Again, this is Norway so the prices are high – but surprisingly not so high as one could fear, and the food on offer gave us plenty of choices. Kebab or sausage of moose? Yup. High level catering? Yup. Burritos? Of course. And as I settled for: tasty Thai chicken in red curry sauce, for a cost / amount level that left nothing wanted. Filled my belly and provided the energy that would be needed in a short while as Einherjer was set to play.

Einherjer opened up with Norrøn Kraft – Norse Power, and more fitting it could not have been as this was a show of force of a band that celebrates 30 years as a mainstay of Norwegian Viking Metal. I had put myself in the middle of the crowd, awaiting the chaos that was sure to come, and at no point did I regret my choice. As the moshpit expanded in front of me, to the right of me was a man with a bloody nose, and to my right people in full 11 th century war gear were headbanging to tracks such as Mine Våpen Mine Ord and The Blood and the Iron I knew that Midgardsblot truly was on top, rocked and dragged through the Viking age and mythology by a band that knew their audience and their craft and held us all in their palm of their hand from start to finish. It did not take long for Ragnarök to erupt in the audience, and it was brilliant, while the tunes melted together in one experience that I will be sure to remember.

From one extreme to the other, this day it was not Loki and his sound issues afoot, rather a bit of overlapping schedules and soundscapes. Blackbraid was on the small stage and at the minute Einherjer was done, they started up. I, like most of the audience jogged over to catch the technical black metal that delivered snaring drums and guttural harsh screams, a mixture of the raw with more melodic riffs interspersed. But again, for me subjectively, it was another “jumping after theclimax”, still during the set as the previous sensory inputs had had time to digest, I was loose and open for a good headbanging session. And I was clearly not alone.

Time for the mainliner of the day, Faroese mix of metal genres and Viking lyrics: Tyr. A warm welcome from the audience as the peculiar sound of Tyr starts. It feels almost like a form of chanting and drive forwards with the combination technical guitar work, old Faroese, Norwegian, and other Nordic country songs mixed and transformed into the metal landscape. Regin Smidur was, as always, a crowd pleaser. and of course, the headbanging friendly tracks appeared, such as their Hail to the Hammer. All of it delivered by frontman Heri Joensen, speaking Norwegian with a lovely Faroese accent as he guided us through the show. A combination of stagecraft, love for the guitar, and publicum friendly songs. A fitting closure of the day.

We had to leave a bit early, giving a wonderful experience of wandering down the pathway through the woods hearing the last tunes of Tyr behind us. And, as was commented, noticing just how clean and good the sound continued to be. Just before being picked up by the taxi, I turned around for a last look back at a festival lit up by the stage. Looking out over the festival area it struck me how I could see the modern tents and Valhalla stage at one end – the medieval tents at the other, again a direct echo of the different feel and layout of Midgardsblot.