One of the great pleasures I take in running this platform is the excitement of catching new bands and artists early, when they’re often at their most inspired and energetic. This excitement is amplified in young and niche music scenes like pagan folk, in which there’s more room for experimentation and personal expression, and when a new band (ideally) brings something new and unexpected to the table. This was the exact excitement I felt in March 2023 when I first stumbled upon a little French outfit called Bló∂ Dyr and their fresh-off-the-press EP, Reisa.

Celebrating their 25^th anniversary this year, Frigg have long established themselves as one of the leading string bands in Nordic folk. A small army of six musicians, what has always astounded me about the band is how effectively they use their numbers to their fullest capabilities, often times in their recordings sounding like there’s a full orchestra at their disposal. Their attention to orchestration and texture is second-to-none, and even when all three fiddles are chugging along at full steam, everything just fits into the arrangement. This rich texture of Frigg’s sound, combined with a relentless spirit for both innovation and tradition, is what sets Frigg apart as one of the most versatile and captivating bands of their generation.

Rooted in the "Nordic sound" that predates the rise of Scandinavian Black Metal, Nordein draws on a tradition that is both melancholic and uplifting, reinterpreting it in ways that transcend clichés often associated with folk-inspired music.

“The result of this introspection is an album that manages to at once retain the magic and soul of what makes the band so enchanting despite a more reserved and down-to-earth sound and approach to songwriting. In other words, even when you pare Dreamers Circus back to their bare essentials, they are still a one-of-a-kind ensemble. That’s something special.”

Birna is a gentle giant. It has a softness in its demeanor that allows the space for other emotions and expressions typically excluded from this style often called “dark folk”. I’m taken in by a sensitivity, and even a vulnerability, which runs through the the record compared to that icy veil of earlier albums. But make no mistake: much like the beast for which the record is named, the warmth of Birna does not sacrifice the teeth that Wardruna’s music has shown now for over a decade.