By Mystikus Hugebeard
Ah, the Viking Age. One of the most mythologized eras in history, and a bottomless well of inspiration for cool things like video games, shows, books, tattoos, and bad things like obsession over ancestral purity, shockingly racist ideologies, and lutefisk. But the best thing of all, and most importantly, music! Which leads us to Danheim (Literally “Danish Home”). Danheim is the solo Nordic folk project by Reidar Schæfer Olsen, and Heimferd is his first full album in four years, which might as well be an eternity. Danheim is usually very prolific, with eight albums released between 2017 and 2021, with about a gazillion singles released during and after those 4 years. Furthermore, Danheim is one of the more well-known Nordic folk artists; he has numerous collaborations with, to name a few, Gealdýr, Sigurboði, Heldom, and has, like Wardruna, been featured on the History Channel’s Vikings. In other words, Danheim is something of a titan of the genre—is Heimferd worth the wait?
Danheim’s music, and by extension Heimferd, is a sonic extension of the version of the Vikings that has embedded itself within people’s imagination and contemporary media: an intoxicating image of a powerful and mysterious people, plunged into a captivating world of violence and mysticism.1 Most might immediately connect Danheim’s sound to Wardruna (not unjustifiably), but that paints a rather flat picture. The music is cinematic in a way that calls to mind a less avant-garde Heilung, it vibrates with a slightly electronic, tribal weight that, at this point, belongs more to Danheim than any of his peers (but one might still compare it to Vígundr or Heldom), and it’s atmospheric and densely layered like, well, Wardruna. But I believe it’s the simple immediacy of Danheim’s that has made him the Nordic folk titan that he is. It’s just so easy to fall under the spell of electronically augmented droning chants set to the rhythm of deep, beating drums, heard in some form or another in nearly every song on Heimferd.
…and yet, there sadly wafts an air of shallowness across Heimferd. There is an unfulfilled relationship between Heimferd’s sound and its songwriting. Heimferd’s stellar production and the variety of instruments create a captivating soundscape, but so rarely do songs breathe or evolve in a way that gives the songs life. This is felt all throughout Heimferd. “Heljar Skuggar” and “Rúnmyrkr” each utilize engaging, distorted chants in the vein of Heilung, but feel stagnant, without peaks or valleys. Songs are often lacking in stakes or tension, the worst of which is heard in the lifeless “Valvejen” as it flits loosely between tagelharpa melodies and excessive downtime. For songs meant to sound almost hypnotic in their droning, much comes off as forgettable, like “Kominn Dagr” as it switches from monotone chanting into a toothless tagelharpa melody, neither section given ample time to grow or make an impact. Clearly, Danheim places a lot of emphasis on atmosphere, and Heimferd is indeed viking-y at a distance—but up close, there is little to sink your teeth into.
This is not always the case, however, with a handful of songs towering above the rest. The vocal-heavy closer, “Yggdrasil II” (a sequel to “Yggdrasil” from 2018’s Fridr), has a quiet majesty to its rhythmic and beautiful chorus. “Vindfari” is an unassuming song that really sneaks up on you, as the drums march behind a simple chanting melody with a peculiar, percussive vocal delivery to some words that adds unique character to the song. Heimferd’s best song is “Haukadalur,” though. This song moves and breathes like a living thing, as distant haggard exhalations augment a powerful beat which heralds a coarse, dancing tagelharpa. These songs have such richness to their melodies, making the most of Danheim’s accessible and engaging style. It feels as if this has been my experience with every Danheim album: two or three genuinely stellar tracks that speak of an artist capable of amazing things, surrounded by songs that sound great but leave little impression.
Danheim has ever been frustrating for me, and Heimferd reaffirms that feeling. His infectious soundscape sufficiently conjures a Viking-age atmosphere and energy, but with base songwriting that so rarely transforms the music into something lasting or impactful. It’s strange, because my first listen of Heimferd was the most positive one, and I think it’s because Danheim’s style of Nordic folk can be cathartic in a way not many other artists within the genre are. But on each subsequent spin, when I listen closer, probing, pleading for depth, I’m left wanting. Heimferd is the distilled essence of the modern perception of Vikings, but with little drama or tension. It’s fun, but ephemeral.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: official | bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025
#25 #2025 #Danheim #DarkFolk #Gealdýr #Heilung #Heimferd #Heldom #Neofolk #NordicFolk #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #SeasonOfMist #Sigurbodi #Vigundr #VikingMusic #Wardruna
By Twelve
Neofolk is a special style of art. It encompasses the achingly simple to portray stunning complexity. Everything is done with earnest emotion, and often the onus is on the artist not to simply entertain, but to transport the listener, through time, through places, and through very states of being. When I first learned of Kati Rán and her debut full-length release Sála, I was heartened by a single line in its promo copy: “Recorded in a barn in Húsafell, Iceland”—and I didn’t read further. Authenticity is at the heart of every excellent neofolk album, and “recorded in a barn in Iceland” is arguably as authentic as it gets. How does Sála deliver on this promising foundation?
Sála is an expansive album, both in size and scope, which allows Kati Rán plenty of opportunity to showcase her exceptional abilities as a musician and songwriter. Dense layers of traditional instrumentation (I’m aware of a cello, nyckelharpa, and kravik lyre, but there is surely more than that) make way for soaring vocals and choruses, while rhythmic percussion propels the listener forward into its oceanic tales based in Norse mythology. Certainly, this is the case for the album opener and title track, a seven-minute foray that’s almost cinematic in its vision, thanks in no small part to exceptional choral singing, a feature that will be a recurring theme throughout the album. Sála also sees several guest appearances, including members from Gaahls Wyrd, Heilung, Gealdýr, and Völuspá. The result is an album that is incredibly ambitious, but again, with a very promising foundation.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best moments of Sála are the most emotional ones, and it’s here that Kati Rán’s vocal performance shines. In particular, “Himinglæva” is a stunningly beautiful showcase of her talent, both when singing in English and Icelandic. It treads the fine line between “too slow” and “too emotional” expertly, and acts as an album highlight. On the slightly speedier side of things, “Kólga | 16” uses phenomenal acoustic touches to augment another cinematic performance that takes the listener straight into the stories that inspired it. At its fastest pace, “Segið Mér” chants, pounds, and orchestrates its way into some of the most memorable moments of Sála, at times reminding of Eluveitie’s Evocation albums. Across the album, Kati Rán demonstrates more and more sides to her sound, keeping the listener guessing and alert right through to the last song.
I’ve talked a lot about how Sála is brilliant and expansive in its scope, but its size is another story. With thirteen tracks, there is already a lot to digest here, but the fact that the album clocks in at eighty minutes makes it a lot to take in, and unfortunately prone to wandering. In particular, “Blodbylgje” slams the brakes on Sála’s exceptional start—sixteen minutes long and slow, the song itself is lovely, but awkwardly placed in terms of the album’s flow. The ten-minute-long “Unnr | Mindbeach” is less of a culprit, but does have some meandering moments as a result of its similarly comparatively slow pace. There is a truly exceptional album inside Sála, but as it is presented, it’s hard not to think that there was an opportunity for a leaner, more focused journey here.
I cannot stress enough, however, that there are no bad songs or moments on Sála—or, indeed, that this is one of the strongest debuts I can remember hearing in a while. Kati Rán absolutely delivers in creating a moving, powerful, and memorable album that stands among those of her most talented contemporaries. It is clear that this is the result of a long effort of care and devotion, and I can only hope that the journey does not end here. I need more of this music in my life.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Svart Records
Websites: kati-ran.com | ranarvegr.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ran.musician
Releases Worldwide: May 24th, 2024
#2024 #35 #DutchMetal #Eluveitie #GaahlsWYRD #Gealdýr #Heilung #IcelandicMetal #KatiRán #May24 #Neofolk #NotMetal #Review #Reviews #Sála #SvartRecords #Völuspá
Gealdýr - Jötunheimr (Official Music Video)
https://spectra.video/videos/watch/f8b315b9-1569-4d4c-bb9d-c8df4e8058bc
I love Gealdýr.
Gealdýr's music tends to *almost* put me in a trance whenever I listen to a song. Any song.
VIKINGS vs SAMURAI
Angry Metal Guy
🏴☠️Ⓐ⛧🌈
Haamu