hiidenkonttibeta

If the first part of the Jaloklubi was a disappointment of sorts, the rest was a total opposite. Skyforger‘s set was probably the best metal gig we’ll see this year in Oulu – the audience was a bit larger than during Dawn of Relic’s set, and a lot more lively.

This Latvian band just plain rocks. Five bearded guys, dressed in Medieval-like clothing, singing in Latvian, playing their folk-influenced melodies with fast and heavy backing, and with bagpipes and kantele. This was also the first time I’ve seen anyone headbanging with bagpipes.

They call their music pagan metal, and their songs seem to be about the old gods and ways and rituals. I bought their album Pērkonkalve/Thunderforge after the gig. If it’s even close to the power they raise on their gigs, it’ll spend quite some time in my CD player.