For the second day of the energetic Midgardsblot, we had a lot of surprises. The day started with JORDSJUK playing in Gildehallen, delivering a powerful black metal sound charged with amazing vocals interpreted by Mannevond, also vocalist of CRAFT and KOLDBRANN. An inspiration to a lot of Norwegian black metal singers during this new era, their performance was very exciting. I hadn’t seen this band before, so it was a truly appreciated discovery and definitely an addition to my playlist. The show even had a small mosh pit near the stage, and there was corpse paint all around, truly an amazing way to start this hot day!
After a black metal experience, we moved to the Valhalla Stage to witness the Finnish band ORANSSI PAZUZU, which was awaited by the whole audience of the festival. Many were dancing and enjoying their show; there was a very positive reception of the band among the festival goers. Even during a warm summer day, people didn’t bother stopping dancing and refreshing themselves with some drinks while enjoying a Moose Kebab or Reindeer pizza. After a small break, we moved back to the shadow and beautiful scenery of the Gildehallen, this time to enjoy the performance of the amazing solo multi-instrumentalist LILI REFRAIN from Italy. Her daunting voice echoed across the feast hall and invited the audience into her unique performance. She explained to the audience how her music was made and how her performance was delivered. After that, she continued with her show and interpreted: “Ichor,” “Sangoma,” “Terra 2.0,” “Mami Yata,” and “Travellers.” Her performance had been long-awaited since her last appearance during Midgardsblot 2023, where she surely enchanted the community and had now returned as a highly anticipated guest for this year’s edition of the festival.
We then moved forward for a dose of death metal, this time by HYPOCRISY. The headliner of the day stepped onto the Valhalla Stage, and people delivered in the mosh pit after a very hot day. They delighted the audience with amazing songs like “End of Disclosure,” “Let the Knife Do the Talking,” “Eraser,” and “Fractured Millennium,” amongst other great tracks. Their incredible technique and connection with the audience really set an energetic atmosphere for the second day of this amazing festival. With their mysticism, pyramids, alien-themed artworks, amazing lights, and visuals, you could completely get immersed in their performance. The incredible guitar solos and vocals by Peter Tägtgren really made this band stand out through the years in the death metal scene, making it a big influence for bands in their genre around Sweden and all around the world. HYPOCRISY is a huge band acclaimed and loved for their distinct sound and amazing guitar riffs, definitely an outstanding performance from the headliner of the night, one of my personal favorites of the genre, and a unique Swedish band.
The second day came to an end, but first we enjoyed the magical ASTRAL SEID. We entered a trance-like folk electronic dance floor where people were prepared to dance along and have fun during this amazing show. The performance started with hand drums and beautiful vocals by Runahild and Gustav Holberg, creating an emotive, exciting, and meditative atmosphere, later joined by Johnny Hexx on drums and vocals. Personally, witnessing this show inside the Gildehallen really gave you the feeling of the essence of this festival. The performance turned into a very deep and personal music experience as the drums beat away, and people started forming a big dance floor inside the party hall. Connecting with their friends, they formed small groups of dancers where they grabbed hands and danced together, jumped, and sang along with the band. The energy the music brought to the audience really made the show an amazing Viking party experience. To close the night, people returned to their camps or went to the bonfire for some extra drumming sessions, singing, and warming up before going to bed and resting for the exciting day ahead.
Jordsjuk
Oranssi Pazuzu
Lili Refrain
Hypocrisy
Astral Seid
Text & photos by Lola Valkyrie
