Paganfest 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio
Ensiferum, Turisas, Eluveitie, and Tyr at Paganfest April 29th, 2008
May 12, 2008
On Tuesday, April the 29th, the rock and roll capital of America was invaded by an army of Scandinavians, Vikings and pagans. This traveling entourage of folk-metallers arrived from the shores of distant lands such as Switzerland, Finland, and the Faroe Islands on April 25th in Toronto, and will be swathing a path of destruction across North America until their final battle on May 22nd at the BB King Blues Club in New York City. The bands wielded all manner of ancient and modern weaponry, from accordions, to hurdy gurdys, to flutes, to electric guitars and modern drum sets.
Eluveitie
This self-proclaimed “new wave of folk metal” hails from Switzerland and comprises eight members, most playing multiple instruments. Complementing the typical heavy metal instrumentation were a hurdy gurdy, mandola (similar to the mandolin), tin/low whistles, uilleann pipes, violin, gaita (a type of bagpipe), and Irish flute. Singer Chrigel Glanzmann’s clean, growled and occasional spoken-word lyrics are sung mostly in Gaulish, a precursor to Gaelic. The band performed with incredible energy and passion, which quickly passed along to the crowd.
Týr
Named after the one-handed God of War, this Scandinavian quintet from the Faroe Islands (an autonomous province of Denmark) doesn’t employ any folk instruments; however, their music is strongly rooted in Nordic folklore and Viking mythology. Týr's melodic, mid-paced and highly technical music was a welcome break from the frenzy of the other bands on the ticket.
Turisas
The second-to-last main stage act of the evening travelled all the way from Hämeenlinna, Finland. Turisas plays rousing “battle metal” (the name of their 2004 debut album). Each band member was dressed in full battle garb, complete with face paint and furs/leather, looking ready to pick up the various battle accouterments displayed on the stage at any moment should a Viking raid ensue. Turisas’ folk instruments of choice are the violin and accordion. The highlight of their show was a rousing folkified cover of Bony M’s 1978 disco hit “Rasputin.” The song has been a standard at their live shows, so much so that they recorded a studio single in 2007 due to overwhelming demand from their fans.
Ensiferum
Closing the show was another Finnish band, Ensiferum. Members of this four-piece displayed their folk/Viking roots by wearing kilts and displaying a banner of a Viking longship. Their music is more akin to melodic death metal, although folk melodies play a very strong role. Singer Petri Lindroos screamed his vocals with the passion of a true Viking warrior, bringing the crowd to new levels of elation, and making for a satisfying closer.
Lunarium
Although not part of the main tour, another band worth noting is Lunarium, who travelled all the way from the dark shores of Waverly, Ohio. A newly signed band to a new label (Farvahar Records), they are quickly making waves in the metal world, both in the US and overseas. The band describes its music as “Ale-Swilling, Trollslaying, Angry Celtic Metal.” Although no folk instruments are used, the band dresses in full medieval garb, and employ fantasy and medieval themes in their lyrics. Despite being relegated to the side stage and overlapping with Týr’s performance, the band drew an impressive crowd. Their 25-minute set was far too short, one of the highlights of which was Ale, a rollicking Celtic drinking song. The band had not originally intended to play the song, but gave in when several members of the crowd began chanting for it to be played. Information on Lunarium, along with their tour schedule, can be found at their MySpace site.
The battle wages onPaganfest offers entertainment for fans of heavy metal music, as well as anyone interested in mythology, paganism or European folk music. Up-to-date information on the bands and remaining tour dates for the North American leg of the tour can be found at the Paganfest 2008 MySpace site.
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