FESTIVAL REVIEW: Rúnagaderung – The Runic Gathering – Saturday
Northern Extremity Promotions organised a festival over the Jorvik Viking Festival that would display some of the finest metal and folk inspired by history. Rúnagaderung – The Runic Gathering took place at Fulford Arms in York, and packed out with fans of music and the exploration of history and mythology from early northern Europe, it was an event that went without disappointment, and gave itself a special, unique quality. Saturday saw the festival being dedicated to some of the finest historically inspired metal bands, and after a successful Friday, expectations were soaring.
After Friday’s folk-laden feast, Saturday’s billing of Rúnagaderung was of a much more metallic and amplified affair. With a roster of folk/Viking themed bands, it fell to London-based metallers CALL OF FENRIR (7) to kick off the day, and despite a shaky start, the band ignited the day with a flurry of riffs and hails. Initially, nerves were apparent as Olivia Kennett‘s guitarwork felt sloppy and Adam Sherwood, who spent the entirety of the set up close and personal with the crowd, failed to connect with the crowd. And yet, as they progressed, the band grew in confidence and their quality began to shine. Riffs hit harder, Sherwood‘s charisma and charm connected with the growing crowd and a triumphant finale of Skål ensured that CALL OF FENRIR ended on a high and set up the rest of the day very nicely indeed.
WOLVENCROWN (9) have been criminally underrated in the UK’s black metal scene for some time now and at Rúnagaderung, the Nottingham quintet gave a performance of sheer quality, one which further bolsters their claim to the UK black metal throne. Riffs laced with venom combine with a thundering artillery of the drums that resemble a maelstrom whilst the added presence of keyboards help create a chilling atmosphere that is maintained from the first note to the last. Operating as a unit on stage, the band power through their set with the utmost ferocity and it was spectacular to witness.
Wielding a sword that just about scrapes the ceiling, RAVENAGE (8) take to the stage to unleash one of the most entertaining sets of the evening. With a little temporary line-up change, the performance didn’t falter. From start to finish the energy got everyone in the crowd geared up and in high spirits. The charisma of front-man Glyn Beasley was charming and made it a mission to deliver a brilliant set all round. Ending things with More Beer, it was a shame to see the outfit leave the stage, but the anticipation of what was to come next was high.
Since making their debut at Warhorns Festival last year, there has been much anticipation surrounding WYRDSTÆF (8). Given that Rúnagaderung will be the band’s second ever show, the level of quality on offer here was simply staggering to believe. A cacophonous wall of blast beats, shredding guitars and demonic shrieks deployed by the mesmerising Shaman blend effortlessly with ominous atmospheres provided by the band’s utilisation of ancient instruments, offering a sound that was sweeping as it was devastatingly heavy. It wasn’t a perfect performance though, as occasional technical issues in the tail-end of the band’s set threaten to shatter their impact, but these issues are just a blemish rather than a catastrophe. A strong and impressive performance from a band that will surely go from strength to strength.
OLD CORPSE ROAD (6) quickly followed onto the stage, and despite the efforts that were put in from them, something fell short of their performance. At some points the balance of sound was off leading to other elements of the songs getting lost, especially by the kick drum. Putting sound issues aside, it wasn’t a terrible set from OLD CORPSE ROAD, there was an enormous amount of energy put in from them, and they didn’t fail to deliver, it was just a shame that what was seemingly technical issues took away from what they offered.
Getting the crowd into one big party was SELLSWORD (9). The band fell nothing short of being possibly the most fun to watch of the weekend. These guys have already established a name for themselves, but for new listeners at Rúnagaderung they were quickly won over. The bands musicianship was impeccable, and it certainly added to the enjoyment of their performance. The Fulford Arms at this point began to pack back out, and rightfully so as SELLSWORD deserved the numbers. Like other bands of the day they did have a couple of technical issues, but they were covered up well and quickly forgotten about. An enjoyable set all the way through.
As headliners A FOREST OF STARS (6) take to the stage, The Fulford Arms was packed to capacity, a statement to the popularity surrounding the band in 2019. Thus, for the band, it bode the perfect platform for them to really justify the hype and for large portions of the set they achieved just that. Backed by a projector displaying bountiful psychedelic imagery, a nice touch given the band’s soundscape, A FOREST OF STARS give a performance that swirls from vicious black metal in one moment to trippy psychedelia the next. The breadth of their soundscape is easily their biggest strength and yet, as the set progressed, the band just faded. Sure, numerous technical issues didn’t help the matter but as the set concluded, it felt more like a whimper as opposed to a bang.
The second half of Rúnagaderung left an anticipation for 2020 already, expectations were exceeded and spirits were high from the Friday, but Saturday was something else. The music was incredible, fun, and still kept a nice balance by sticking to the historical themes. Considering this was the first year of Rúnagaderung, it was on a level of something that had been going for a couple more years. It will only see bigger things in the future.
For more information on next years Rúnagaderung follow the official event page.
