Last month I was in Berlin to see one of my favourite folk metal banks, Arkona, for the first time in over four years, back during Bloodstock 2019, and also meet up with several good friends in Berlin who I made during MetalDays last year. This was the first gig as part of a tour around Berlin and Poland which would include Alcest in Poznan, returning to Berlin for ROME before spending a weekend in Warsaw before heading back. Also headlining were Batushka, and supporting them was Latvian folk metallers Varang Nord, Swedish death/doom band October Tide, and Canadian progressive symphonic band Aeternam. I was impressed by all the supporting bands, particularly Varang Nord which set the mood for the evening to come, and October Tide who were electrifying, putting on a powerful performance for Arkona. Batushka did not disappoint either, even though this is the version of the band that purists malign after a controversy over who got the rights to the name five years ago. But now I will skip back one band in order to save the very best till last, a band I had waited so long to see, indeed wasn’t sure if I would see any time, and one that got me properly into folk and pagan metal right back when I saw them first in 2014 – Arkona.
Arkona were fantastic, playing many of their classics alongside tracks from their new album, which is darker than their previous output, something that is shaped by recent events connected with their home country of Russia (another reason why I was so determined to see them since I was surprised they could get to tour outside their homeland), which I assume people are aware of hence I will not bring that up further as I wish to keep this blog mostly free from political topics. I was grateful to get an opportunity to see them, and therewarded my faith immensely with a passionate, emotion-stirring performance to the crowd.
Top to bottom: Vrang Nord, Aeternam, October Tide, Batushka.
All in all a fantastic gig, and a great start to things that are to come.