Sowulo – Niht (2025)

26 Aug

I still remember listening to Mann for the first time. It felt like an intense outpouring of male emotion in all its raw forms. I was stunned by it, overwhelmed. The 2022 album Wurdiz had a slightly different energy. It started with that same emotionally overpowering wall of sound but the impressive vocals of Micky Huijsmans brought more balance to the songs, a female perspective so to say. And the theme of that album -fate – also made room for different perspectives which reflected in the music. It made room for softer songs, even a tender ballad. This makes Wurdiz a lovely album, beautiful to listen to.

And now we have Niht. The Fifth Sowulo album altogether and the third one in its current Anglo-Saxon orchestra form. Just as on the previous albums, composer and lyricist Faber Horbach takes us back deep into the dark ages and beyond. Back to the times of the Ingvaeones, the Germanic North sea tribes. The

Angles and Saxons in particular. And again, the end result is stunning.

The intro Niwe Mōna sets the tone. Tribal, enchanting but raw with a touch of inner pain. Seolfren Sicol then kicks in with the punch we are used from Faber. Strong, powerful and full of emotion. Micky and Faber sing the lyrics together as a two-man choir. Their voices blend really well together, Micky adding hugely to that already impressive mix of clean and distorted layered vocals that Faber always uses.
But to my pleasant surprise the music then eases back, giving Sowulo’s music a new dimension that I haven’t heard on their last albums that much. The driving percussion and strong vocals are still at the core of this song, but there is suddenly room for some subtle harp playing, some beautiful clean harmonies by Micky and Faber, some lovely cello, some impressive sweeps of the carnyx. And the chorus is seriously catchy. I’m liking this. I’m liking this very much.

Āsteorfan is an equally impressive song. It sounds like a whole orchestra and choir just entered the room. The carnyx joning in makes this tribal orchestra sound even more majestic. The composition itself keeps building up to something truly huge. Layer upon layer of vocals, strings, percussion and carnyx create that wall of sound that Sowulo is so well known for. Wow, this is something. Only downside is you need some headphones and the volume cranked up all the way to fully appreciate the potential of this composition (this is too massive and orchestral to be called a song). Somehow the mastering seems a bit flat. A bit safe. I’m missing something. A bit of a kick. The sound does not grab me by the throat when I play it as I’m used to with the previous albums. Maybe it is because I got the album in advance. I sure hope so, because the potential in the song is there. Faber clearly wrote it to be something massive, something huge.

I have the same problem at the start of Sōl ond Māni. The drums sound slightly overproduced. There seems to be too much effect on them and at the same time they sound clipped, therefore pushing the other instruments away. Especially the subtle percussion elements under it that I can only hear with my headphones fully blasting. But let’s not dwell on that, and listen to what we do have here. Another strong song oozing dark folk out of every note played. Listen to that impressive carnyx wailing over Micky’s vocals. Pure goosebump material. The drums do drive the song on by the way. Like a slow monster. Treading over the world. Unstoppable, scary, beautiful. A song that gets stronger and stronger the more I listen to it. Which goes for the whole album, actually. These songs are like good wine: they need to ripen. I started out liking them. Now at my eight or ninth listening run I’m truly loving them, despite the small remark I made about the mix earlier.

I have to focus on Micky Huijsmans at this point in the review. Faber has given her a much bigger -almost leading- role on Niht and I’m so happy he did that. She is glorious on it. Just listen to her powerful vocals on Sōl ond Māni. You really need some huge lungs and vocal chords to be able to hold your own against the wall of sound that Faber created while writing this composition. And she is nailing it, trust me. Yet, her voice is flexible enough to start small, to be fragile and breakable and as the song progresses she is blasting those notes out. Climbing up on top of that huge wall of sound. Wailing her heart out from the top of it. Becoming one with it. Well done, Micky.

OK we carry on. Full Mōna is another epic song with a lovely catchy chorus to cheer things up a bit. I predict this will become a live hit during concerts, just like Wulfwiga
Miċele Steorran is sung by Faber, but with a lot less effect on his voice then he normally uses. His sound is clean on this song and I like that. It suits this tribute to the stars, this celebration of the night. Faber once wrote and recorded Alvenrad because he wanted music he could play to celebrate the pagan year celebrations. This time it feels he wrote the music to honor the powers of the moon and the magic of the night sky. It seems to celebrate eternity and the darkness that goes with it. The further I get on this album, the more it feels like a ceremony to me. A celebration of the night. And through its darkness also a celebration of life.

The next highlight is Nihtēagan. It starts really beautiful with an intimate moment between Faber, Chloe on harp and Micky. The contrast between the subtle harp play and the raw emotional harsh vocals of Faber make this such a powerful moment. This is so well composed. Before you know it the sound of the nyckelharpa grabs you, sweeping you into a grand chorus of orchestra and choir. Again Micky shines in a beautiful solo moment. And again I wished the mix was a bit more dynamic so her vocals would really cut through the music, making her outpourings really hurt inside, because I can feel the music was meant that way. It was written by Faber to touch something deep inside of us, in a truly spiritual or emotional way. This is where Faber Horbach excels. It is not the first time that I have called him a classical pagan folk composer and it most likely will not be the last time. His compositions have the same strength, the same grand power that songs like Land Of Hope And Glory by Edgar Elgar also have. But then in a tribal, pagan way.

Talking about classical pagan music, we now come to one of my highlights on this album. A solo for carnyx. And what a solo it is. This beautiful instrument gets its moment to shine. It is truly stunning to hear all the possibilities this beautiful instrument has. It growls, it screeches and it tears at the moon. Its howls are beautiful and disturbingly eerie at the same time. It can sound beautiful, full and harmonious like a horn at one moment; growling, gnarly and angry like a wolf the next; or even impressively high-pitched like an elephant’s cry in the night. And all that with a human touch, a deep sadness in it. Absolutely beautiful and disturbing at the same time. No wonder the Germanic tribes used the carnyx as a war instrument. Imagine what would happen if you have a 100 of these things wailing at you while you wait for the things to come. But played like this, by Faber, it’s an instrument of beauty. A prehistoric voice brought back through time, crying out from the ancient depths of history in all its beauty.
Faber, thank you for that!

Eald Mōna beautifully picks up on this. To me it feels like a march. A tribe on its way to find the light again; marching into a tunnel of darkness; one by one; looking for the new moon; to drag it out of its cave and have the circle start all over again. There is a beautiful sadness in this song, a melancholy in the melody that I really like.

Swefnian has beautiful lyrics. Without music it reads like a poem. Overall, you can hear that Faber has grown as lyricist, just as he has grown as a composer. Niht is a beautiful album, taking the intense power of previous Sowulo records, and adding even more layers to it, leaving me longing for more every time the music finishes. Luckily, Niht is just a chapter in the cycle of life; just a moment in time. There are many more moons to come. Many more moments to grow. I cannot wait what the next cycle will bring for Sowulo, but until then I will happily have Niht ‘cycle’ its rounds in my CD player, time and time again! To celebrate the beauty of music, to celebrate the beauty of the night -and most importantly – to celebrate the magic called life.

Cliff

Editor: Iris
Cover Art: Faber Horbach
band photography: Henk van Rijssen (FB)
live photography: Cliff de Booy

Sowulo can be found here:

Laguz – A View From Down Below (2024)

30 Jul

In one of her latest blogs Kati Rán wondered what the future holds for pagan folk. Well, judging by the music of new bands like Noiduin, Furda and STFUR, the future looks really bright. Dutch band Laguz is another new star on the pagan folk horizon. And their debut album A View From Down Below certainly deserves an in-depth review. And we here at CeltCast predict this band to have a very bright future ahead of them.

Just a few notes into opening track Io Evohe and I already know one thing fur sure. A View From Down Below just oozes neo-pagan folk. All the ingredients are there: An almost drone-like hurdy-gurdy tune, supported by rattles and percussion giving this song a real archaic, tribal feel; background laughter that instantly pulls my imagination into an enchanted forest; a mesmerising hand flute mimicking the sound of an owl, luring you in, weaving in and out of the music like morning mist jumping from tree to tree in the wakening forest. Or are they night spirits returning to their boroughs? And these are only the first few seconds of the song! Vocals come in, chanting, giving the song a spiritual feel even strengthened by the throat-singing backing vocals. Yet the rhythm of the percussion, the flute wondering through the sound like a breeze in the air, the laughter in the background make Io Evohe sound light and lovely and captivating. It sounds like we are in for a feast, and this is just the intro to the album. I’m already intrigued. What will be next?

While my mind is still floating on the last enticing notes of Io Evohe, the first notes of the second song Bacchanalia already kick in. Totally taking me by surprise but also fully engaging me in the album at the same time. Well done by the brothers Kasper and Samuel de Vries who recorded and mixed this album together. Gone is the mysterious feel of the intro. The sound is now open, with lots of space for all the instruments. A sound that Laguz maintains throughout the whole album.
The band leads me down into a beautiful Balkanesque instrumental tune. One after another, all the instruments take the lead. Their solos, melodies and improvisations luring me in deeper and deeper. With my headphones on I’m totally emerged in this wonderful melody. The notes are constantly dancing together, interacting, calling, responding, flowing in and around each other like leaves falling down in a breeze. I’m really loving this. Overall, the song feels open, friendly and light, but don’t be fooled. A sudden break takes the sound from a lovely Balkanesque-meets-SeeD vibe into a rawer Rastaban Arise feel, just to flow into a catchy Twigs & Twine-like sound… …and then the song becomes a beast of its own. Dark, klezmer-like violin improvisations give me the first shivers of excitement. As the flute leads us back to the main theme — now fully matured — I know we are in for something good. Something really special.

The third song How Curious the Light Behaves confirms that. Again, I get that whiff of klezmer as I listen to the chalumeau intro. The longing oozing out of every note that is played. How Curious The Light Behaves is inspired by a poem and you can hear that. Vocalist Samuel de Vries has the voice of a bard, full of emotion and warmth. The perfect interpreter for this beautiful Irish poem by an unknown writer. The band accompanies his words brilliantly. Their notes wrapping around his words like a cloak. Strengthening their meaning, becoming a poem itself as the song goes and goes. The instrumental break is a thing of beauty. It starts as a beautiful duet between recorder and chalumeau, but one by one, the other instruments flow in, and a choir brings it all to a wonderful climax before the song falls back into its original form. Just a voice, a violin and a guitar. Well done! This is something else.

By now I really want to know who this band is. Where did they come from? How can a debut album be this good? Time to dive into their Biography:
‘Formed in 2012 in the south of The Netherlands, Laguz started out as an acoustic pagan-folk band, inspired by folkloric traditions, early music, and artists like Faun and Loreena McKennitt. Over time, their sound has grown into something deeper and more atmospheric, but still grounded. Music that looks back, without getting stuck in the past.
Their songs are mostly original, though they occasionally rework traditional pieces. The lyrics flow between English and other European languages, and the themes often touch on nature, pre-Christian spirituality, and old ways of being. Their name, taken from the rune Laguz, reflects that spirit of flow—emotional, intuitive, always moving.
In 2023, they released their first single, Minne, and followed it up a year later with their debut album A View from Down Below — a moody, intimate journey through Mediterranean heat and northern forests.‘

Well… I don’t have much to add to that. Their biography sums the band up perfectly. Several band members were or are involved in other bands and projects, mostly party folk and folk metal bands, so they are definitely not new to the scene and you can hear that. But although they brought the experience of working on those other project with them, Laguz is certainly not the sum of those other bands. There is not a heavy or party note in sight here! No, Laguz is something unique. Although clearly oozing pagan folk with every note they play, I cannot point it down to another specific band. Laguz has their very own sound. They sound like Laguz! And that’s the biggest compliment I can give them. And I’m only at song three, there is so much more to come!
To Mimir, for instance, is a beautiful harp ballad, again starting small but ending in a grand sound.
There is Treelore: a ‘power’ ballad that reminds me a bit of Emian’s Spirit trail. Especially because singer Samuel de Vries and Danilo Lupi (Edea, ex-Emian) have the same type of sound.

Lunaria is another lovely song. Starting nice and catchy, but developing into a beautiful pagan folk pearl. Big, bold, full of details, but always open and pleasant. The song feels like a Northern forest brook streaming through an Eastern Mediterranean paradise garden filled with butterflies. Gentle, calming, pleasant, but once you start to really listen there is so much sparkling detail in there. Like candy for the ears.

This album just flows and flows and flows. Every song gets its time to grow into a beautiful entity. Nothing is rushed. No note sounds out of place and all the musicians are to be commended for their skills. They feed off of each other. Each solo seems to flow out of the previous one, as if it’s an endless dance of notes and skills. Laguz’ music ‘travels’ from note to note, from place to place. And we are but Nomads traveling with it. Drifting on the calm power of this beautiful, poetic CD.

Cliff

Editor: Iris
Album cover: Kasper de Vries
Photography: Karlijn Groenendijk

Laguz can be found here:

Reviewer’s note:
Those of you who’ve already bought this album may have noticed that my comparisons and descriptions are different from those that the band give in their comments liner notes that goes with the CD. That is because I always listen to an album first, without reading any information, to be as open-minded as possible. So the comparisons are my own. They are my interpretation of the music Laguz makes. They are my own dreams an thoughts. But that is the cool thing, isn’t it? That everybody will dream their own dream while listening. It is also the magic of A View From Down Below, that the band managed to take make me dream. Trust me, these songs will take you places. So close your eyes and start dreaming. Flow away with the melodies. May it take you to your own place of peace and beauty. Just as it did with me.

BmB – Ge Vindt Wel Een Taal (2021)

01 May

I have to come clean straight away. This album review is way overdue. In 2021, Wouter Kuyper sent me a copy of his – then – latest project, BmB, asking if I would want to listen to it and maybe review it if I liked the album. I did like it, but before I got around to writing the promised review life got in the way and I started my review sabbatical. A couple of weeks ago, Ge vindt wel een taal found its way back into my CD player and I fell in love with it once again. High time to finally make good on the promise I made Wouter 4 years ago.

The album starts with De nachtegael / nachtegaelgavottes, a suite of gavottes des montagnes, and it’s really interesting in many ways. First and foremost, the lyrics are in Flemish and they feel really recited, as if singer Luc Plompen is singing out a poem. Highly unusual in the balfolk world, but also really cool. Luc’s voice is perfect for this kind of sung recitation: it’s full of emotion, cuts trough the music and is slightly hoarse. Perfect to captivate any audience. The music is kept really simple: the notes seem to flow quietly while Luc is singing, but they dance like a butterfly in the sun when Luc falls silent. The song sounds slightly klezmer-like in its playfulness. A really cool start to this album that sets the tone perfectly.

The playfulness is kept in the second song, Is dit wel niet een vreemde gril. I love the Flemish language. It’s a version of Dietsch, the language we Dutch people are named after, but somehow Flemish developed into a richer, more poetic version in comparison. You can feel centuries of culture and history in it. It’s also pronounced softer, more pleasing to the ear than Dutch, and it suits the music very well. Is dit wel niet een vreemde gril sounds so playful because of it. Again the notes seem to dance around just like a group of butterflies in the sky.

Déjeuner sur l’herbe is the first instrumental song, a waltz in 3, and a lovely duet between Nick van Uden-Luteijn on accordion and Wouter Kuyper on bagpipes. Ge vindt wel een taal is a balfolk album, but it works equally well as a pure listening album. It’s the perfect album to dance to, but also to relax to after a long day of work, or to start your day happy and in a good mood.

BmB playing Déjeuner surl’herbe at Cadanza 2018

Les vignerons / Le ménage a trois is in French and although I don’t understand the lyrics, they still give me that warm hug the whole album is giving me. It proves that Luc is the perfect singer for this delicate, ever so slightly melancholic, but oh so playful music which oozes authenticity. It feels old yet modern at the same time. On one hand, you have the poetic approach that makes it sound rich in history. The sound of the bagpipes gives me instant medieval vibes. You feel like you’re in a medieval court swirling and laughing at a feast that will carry on all night. On the other hand, the accordion pulls you into the now, as does the production. The sound is so crisp and clean, perfectly done. The music keeps its open, simplistic feel during the whole album. You don’t need much to make beautiful music. A voice, an accordion a chalumeau or some bagpipes , that’s all you hear in most of the songs. No drums, no bass, no special effects, nothing. Just the power of those rich instruments filling up the room and your good mood. Simple, really impressive and so lovely all at once; a brilliant album, as I have come to expect from Wouter Kuypers – who you off course also know from his other balfolk project, Wouter en de Draak.

Another strength of BmB is that they keep the listener interested by adding little surprises. A recorder comes in at track 5, the BmB-wals. Marching drums walk in at track 7, Prince d’Orange (making this the first time I noticed any kind of percussion on this album). Bagpipes suddenly take the lead on Kievit and just when you are easing into the end of the album, thinking you have heard it all, Niki van der Schuren joins Luc with the most perfect Yorkshire accent to change the whole feel of the album for a moment. A fun clash of English pub folk and the timeless melancholic troubadour folk that BmB have been playing all along. And I haven’t even touched the perfect harmonies from the three gentlemen you hear on Lou diziou bè / bourrée a Ribeyrolle. It makes Ge vindt wel een taal into what it is: a very enjoyable, well-made record.

The order of songs is also perfect. We go from a waltz to a tricot, from a jig to a polka, from a mazurka tot a bourrée. The rhythms change constantly to keep you interested: from slow but light to fast and cheerful, but always with this reminiscent, timeless feel and with that ever-so-slightly melancholic feel that is so typical for the sound of the accordion, chalumeau, bagpipes and recorder and that is also an intricate part of the French and Flemish language.

Throughout the entire album I could see balfolk dancers swirl and turn before me when I closed my eyes, but I could also see those butterfly notes dancing, making this a wonderful album not only for dancers, but for everyone who enjoys good music. Have a glass of wine, settle somewhere in the sun with a good book, or just sit on the couch an close your eyes. This is the perfect album to calm you, yet bring you into the best mood possible. Ge vindt wel een taal is a beautiful CD that absolutely deserves its moment in the spotlight with this CeltCast review – even if I’m 4 years late.

Cliff

editor: Iris
Pictures 1,3: Kees Stravers (FB)
Picture 2: Obed Brinkman (IG)
Video: BmB at Cadanza

You can find BmB here:

Irdorath – Live In The Woods (2025)

13 Mar
Album cover: Irdorath-Live in the Woods

I still remember the first time I heard Irdorath. I was coming home from work and my partner Anna had been listening to the quarantine edition of Castlefest the whole day. “You have to watch this band I just saw.” she said. “You will love them.” So I sat down, turned to the section she told me about and there was this band in the middle of the woods, dressed like Corvus Corax, already mesmerizing me with their spoken intro… and then they started playing. Anna was right. I loved them. More than that, I sat there with my mouth open for the whole 40-something minutes the video lasted. The music, the best mittelalter rock/fantasy power folk I heard in a long while. The setting, deep in the woods, perfectly lit with fire bowls all around them. The decoration of the set, The narration, the camera work – it all worked. And I was not the only one: the whole live chat exploded. It was there and then that my love for this amazing Belarusian band started. Within weeks I had all their albums and wrote a full album review covering their whole discography up to that point.

Fast forward five years, and a new song from Irdorath popped up in my Spotify Release Radar. It was part of a new live CD. Listening to it on my crappy Bluetooth speaker I already noticed it sounded different then I was used to from the other Irdorath albums; more open. Looking at the tracklist, I hoped it would be that famous Castlefest performance . It really looked like it. So full of anticipation, I put on my headphones the next morning, pressed play on Spotify… …and was as blown away as I was the very first time that I saw them! THIS, dear readers, is a must-have album!

It all starts with the opening track, Storm. The low drone gives you a mythical vibe straightaway. The cello lines are pure beauty. The sprinkles of percussion brightening up the intro finish it all. So beautiful. And then, after 50 seconds, the band kicks in! Now make sure you that you listen on headphones the first time you hear this album. And don’t be shy with the sound. You want to experience this to the fullest. You want to drown in the sound. You want to be overwhelmed by it all. And trust me, you will be. So headphones on and here we go!

The cello riff, the acoustic guitar, the drums and percussion are picking up speed. The shawm bagpipes join in make the sound even bigger, even more majestic. Then the main melody sets in, and I’m amazed of all the things I hear. The amount of space all the instruments have to breathe. The openness of the sound. The little details you can hear. Listen to that cello laying down the song’s foundation while the shawm’s main melody entices you. You can hear every single stroke, every single riff played. This is so powerful. Did you already turn up the volume on your headphones? I did!

We continue with Serca Raskolata. Again, the sound is so open and so dynamic. The whispered intro by Nadezhda, accompanied by a loud battle horn, are sincerely scary. The whole first verse of the song has a eerie tension running through it. Nadezhda is building the song up so well. From the whispered start to the full rounded sound she has, she can tell a whole story with her voice. I can’t understand a word she is saying but I feel it. THAT is the power of her voice.

Again, I’m struck by the cello solo that follows. Live In The Woods is actually an unplugged album when you think about it. Gone is the full rock sound I know from their previous albums Ad Astra, Dreamcatcher and Wild. No, Live In The Woods has an acoustic approach that is mesmerisingly beautiful, but just as powerful. The power lies in all the things they left out. All the effects, all the sound tricks. You hear the pure beauty of the instruments, of the music itself. And that is more then enough to blow you away.

When you decide to record music like this, there is nowhere to hide. You are fully exposed as a musician. Not something Irdorath have to worry about. Just listen to it all: the beautiful range of vocal technique Nadezhda has, from whispered and restrained to full belt. And Vladimir’s vocals dancing with her. His technical abilities are even bigger. From a deep supporting voice to a full lead just like Nadezhda, but he can add throat singing to that: deep and rasping, scary as hell in this song. He is almost rapping with it here.

Everything is great about this power ballad. The solos the composition, the structure of the song. The clever choice of instruments, of tone range, all of them in a different height so you can hear all of it. I’m long gone, drawn into the magical world of Belarusian folklore.

Yet the highlight of this album -in my opinion- is still to come, and it goes by the name of Dimna Juda. It also comes in the shape of Aliaxandra Grahouskaja. She has been a close friend of the band since their very beginning, and her part in Dimna Juda is just stunning. I loved this song when I heard it for the first time played by Waldkauz, but Irdorath brought it to the next level for me. And this live recording is the ultimate version. Can’t wait to hear it live myself now that Aliaxandra has joined the band.
The harmonies between the voices work so well in this song. The deep throat singing of Vladimir, Nadezhda’s mid range vocals taking the supporting role in this song, and then Aliaxandra’s improvised lead vocals. Rapping, long powerful swipes, full belts, and added to that all those vocal twirls and fringes that make Eastern European folk music so beautiful.
All three of them have such powerful voices; such big lungs, and they use them to the fullest. What a band; what a sound; what a song! I was honestly crying the first time I heard it again preparing for this review, such is the impact this band, these people, have on me. It happened again after Rusalka.

To be honest I’m tearing up again right now writing these words with Live In The Woods playing on my headphones.
It is because I’m so happy for Nadezhda and Vladimir that they could release this album. That this is their answer to all that happened to them in the past five years. I want to quote a bit of the band itself at this point, taken from the booklet that goes with the CD.
-”In the rush of 2020, when the world came to a halt during quarantine, we retreated to the solitude of the Belarusian forest, isolated from the world yet connected to nature’s spirit. Among ancient trees and under an open sky we recorded our forest concert]..[It was a moment of unity; of fire; song and nature, crafted with immense love for the land that shaped us.
Soon after, the streets of Belarus filled with voices yearning for freedom and we joined this peaceful protest]…[However our voices were silenced by imprisonment for daring to stand against injustice
For two years we were held, but the love for our home and art endured. This forest concert became more then a performance. It transformed into a powerful symbol. It was the last piece of art we created in Belarus. A love letter to a home we were forced to leave.”

There is nothing I can add to these words. They say so much about Nadezhda and Vladimir, and they say so much about the band Irdorath. Because although Nadezhda and Vladimir are the main forces behind it all, it does feel like a band – it always has. That is the true power of this beautiful couple. Their willingness to share, to give and to love even in the hardest moments.
That is what shines through in their music, in their art. That is what makes this album so very special. And that is why we should support them with everything we have… …starting with buying this album.

Cliff

Editor: Iris
Photograph 1 & 2: Irdorath
Photograph 3: Merlin J. Noack
Photograph 4: Anastasiya & Pavel Kodis

You can find Irdorath here:

Noiduin – Korven Kolkon Kainalossa (2022)
Alinen (2023)

03 Mar

Noiduin is a Finnish dark folk band that I have been following since their debut EP Korven Kolkon Kainalossa came out in 2022. Fascinated by the sound of the jouhikko and Finnish folklore, founding member Jemina Kärvi started building her own instrument and writing her own music.
Over the last three years Noiduin has recorded two EP’s and 3 singles; they have gained more and more momentum among fans of Nordic folk music and the band itself has grown in numbers as well. The current line up consist of Jemina (Vocals, jouhikko); Henri (Vocals, jouhikko, kantele); Matilda (Vocals, jaw harp, percussion; Aila (Vocals, bowed monochord bass) and Mikko (Drums, percussion).
With a possible new album looming in the future it’s about time we finally guide you into the world of ancient Finnish musical folklore that is Noiduin.

The first notes on Tuulen Teitä, the opening song on the 2022 EP Korven Kolkon Kainalossa, immediately pulls you into Noiduin’s music. It sounds ancient, archaic, haunting and mythical. The sound of the jouhikko (a Finnish relative of the talharpa) is both eerie and beautiful. Using it as the lead instrument only accompanied by a wee bit of synths sweeps you right into the dark Finnish woods of 1500 years ago, when the Finnish people still lived their lives the old way, undisturbed by their Viking neighbours.
That eerie atmosphere is enhanced by Jemina’s whispered voice greeting the moon, the day and the air. The tastefully added choir and synth sounds make these opening bars sound as a blend of Cuelebre’s debut album and Waldkauz’s Mythos album but with a decisively Nordic feel to it. Especially the sound effects on the spoken word spells make me think of the Zwielicht (Twilight), the opening track on Mythos.

Now it’s in the nature of reviewers to look for comparisons in music. It is the easiest way to describe music to someone else using words. But with Noiduin that approach doesn’t work. They have their own unique sound. The themes, the instruments, the choirs and the vocals are all what you would expect from Nordic music. But the comparisons I’ve written down in my notebook while listening to Noiduin’s music are with Spanish bands: Cuelebre, Trobar de Morte, even Ritual Duir. The only exceptions where the Polish band Furda and the German band Waldkauz. So not a Nordic band in sight!

That’s because Noiduin just sounds different. They have their own unique style. It sounds ancient but fresh, with a cool danceable feel to it. Just listen to Karhun Synty. It has a tribal beat in it that instantly makes your feet wobble. A song like Käärmeen Synty from their second EP Alinen even sounds cheeky and fun. The rhythm urges you to dance. That infectious rhythm is carried through in the harsh spoken word vocals of Henri with a very cool call and answer section that is sooo catchy. Just like the vocals used by Furda. Jemina’s vocals dancing around Henri’s harsh vocals; sometimes whispered; sometimes harsh; sometimes in a yoik; sometimes in a full lead voice; sometimes even screaming are the icing on the cake.
In the whispered spoken voice sections or the subdued singing parts Jemina has the same tone of voice as Rose Avalon (Ritual Duir) and the beautiful ballad Suru could easily be on a Trobar de Morte album if it weren’t for all the Nordic instruments being played.

So Noiduin is not your typical Nordic folk band that builds layer upon layer of epicness. In an interview the band did with Jameson Foster on the Nordic Sound Channel, Jemina was asked if the band has a preconceived vision of how the sound of the music should be. I wasn’t surprised that Jemina and Henri said that the band doesn’t work like that. Jemina just writes songs based on how she feels, or how the lyrics inspire her. And you can hear that. Noiduin’s music sounds fresh, organic and free. I want to sing along with it, I want to dance and join in. These are songs rather than ritual experiences. And I’m loving it.

There is another reason why Noiduin isn’t your typical Nordic folk band. Reducing their (Finnish) music to the Viking aesthetic would not do justice to the uniqueness of the Finnish culture. Whereas the Vikings were a part of the Germanic tribes living in north-western Europe during Roman times, the origins of the Finns lie with nomadic tribes living in the north-eastern part of Europe and Asia, even as far as Siberia. This means their mythology, culture and folklore are totally different from those of the Vikings.
In their lyrics Noiduin explore that old Finnish heritage, just as their fellow musicians of Goi do.
The name Noiduin means: ‘casting a spell‘ and in their lyrics the Henri and Jemina continue the Finnish tradition of casting spells to help with everyday life or to connect with the spirits living around them. In the interview with the Nordic Sound Channel the couple explain that in Finnish folklore everything has a spirit, from the animals to the oldest caves and mountains.
In their lyrics Henri and Jemina sometimes use the spells themselves, sometimes they get in the skin of Finnish creatures, but in other songs Noiduin use the language of spells and spirits to share their own emotions. Uni, the opening ballad of Alinen is a beautiful example of that. Just read the translation as you listen to the song and you will know what I mean.

A Fresh Organic Feel
All in all I just love the music of Noiduin. Their use of authentic, self-build instruments. I love the organic feel of their songs. I love the contrast between the harsh spoken word vocals of Henri against the powerful female vocals of Jemina. Sometimes whispered, sometimes bursting out in full power, with just the right amount of edge to make her vocals work really well in this dark folk setting. The Finnish language itself is pleasant to listen too. The lyrics flow smoothly even if I have no idea what they mean without a translator.

I love the fun bits Noiduin adds to their music. The jaw harp ‘beat’ in Loitsu and Karhun Synty for instance, the double harsh vocals in Hiienn Hurtta or the native chant-like vibes I get from Nostatus. But I also love the simplicity of the band’s sound. The songs are kept simple and to the point, and the music sounds open. Every instrument gets enough space to shine within the overall sound without being drowned out by all kinds of synthesizer layers, sound effects or other things. All the instruments have room to breathe. Yet if you listen carefully there are all kinds of fun elements woven into the arrangements to enrich the sound: Added instruments, sound effects, clever use of backing vocals, and especially that rhythmical natural flow, that ritual heartbeat flowing through it all.

Jemina recorded and produced Korven Kolkon Kainalossa, herself on [quote] ‘the cheapest recording equipment available‘. Well, she can be really proud of those recordings as the sound is pretty good for a self-produced release. Alinen, also recorded and produced by Jemina, sounds even better. More crisp and open, which gives more room to all those cool musical surprises hidden in the music to enrich the songs. It’s cool to hear how much Jemina… No, how much the bánd have grown in just a years time.It’s pretty amazing actually.
You’ve seen the name Jemina a lot in this review. Although she is the founding member of the band,is credited as writing all the music on both EP’s, and is also credited for the lyrics together with her fellow band member and husband Henri, Noiduin does sound and feel like a true band, and not a solo project.

Fans of archaic dark folk bands like Furda or Cuelebre will love these two EP’s. But also fans of Folk Noir, Kaunan, or Waldkauz’s Mythos album will. Actually anybody who loves authentic archaic pagan folk should go and check out Noiduin’s music on Bandcamp. There isn’t a bad song on there! And while you are there keep an eye out for the new album the band is working on. If the new singles Nouse Maa and Päästa Minun are anything to go by then that next album is bound to be another dark folk gem.

Cliff

My thanks go out to Jameson Forster of the Nordic Sound Channel who did a fun interview with Noiduin. If you want to know more back ground information about the band be sure to check that out.

Editor: Sara Weeda
Photograph 1: Sami Teeri
Photograph 2: Hannu Juutilainen
Photograph 3: Noiduin

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