Metal, the music that we love, comes in many forms. Some of them link seamlessly together, others tend to stand alone in powerful glory. One of the weirdest subgenres is probably folk metal, which itself varies wildly in content as “folk” has a different meaning in different countries of the world. Tonight, Paganfest in Manchester brings together an unforgettable night of music and unbridled energy performed by an eclectic mix of folk metal bands and enthusiasts from all corners of the world, creating a vibrant atmosphere that resonates through every chord and drumbeat. The camaraderie is enhanced by many crowd members being in fancy dress and the pirate theme is very evident – all the Tall Men In Hats tonight are wearing tricorns or bandanas, frogged jackets abound, there are many wenches and there’s even a parrot or two. Can’t help wondering how some of the cutlasses and pistols got past the metal detectors on the door though! 

Italy’s Elvenking kick off the proceedings. They manage to blend together all the trappings of power metal – black armbands, facepaint, pointy guitars – but with a twist of Celtic due to the presence of a violin. They have been together since 1997 and in that time they’ve released eleven albums with a twelfth in the pipeline for later this year, so they have an immense roster of songs to draw on and cram into their short but sweet 40-minute set. They run up and down the years, starting with ‘Throes of Atonement’ from their most recent release in 2023 and going all the way back to 2007’s ‘The Divided Heart’. The vocals are clean, the power chords are magnificent and the violin adds just the right touch of jiggy to the proceedings. Singer Ayden (like all good metal bands the members only have one name and it’s not necessarily their given one!) tells us that Manchester is like a second home to him as he has relatives just up the road in Lancashire. The crowd reception is mildly enthusiastic, if a little bemused, and they are a great way to start what promises to be an interesting night of music.  

After a quick changeover, The Netherlands’ Heidevolk take to the stage with a more Viking-themed performance. They have better hair and beards, and are the first band of the evening to showcase the choral chanting that later becomes somewhat of a feature. Their USP is that they have twin vocals but rather than the clean vs growling contrast usually found, both are clean and the melody in the singing very much enhances the power of the music. Despite the double kick drums adding speed, the beat is entrancing and there are touches of sea shanties and a rhythm to row to. Some of the songs are performed in their native Dutch, which adds a frisson of extra interest to them. All the band members sing at some point; during ‘Schildenmuur’ they rely on the simplicity of just drums and vocals to produce a sound that vibrates around the room and is quite similar to the Mongolian throat singing performed by bands such as The Hu, in that it resonates with something deep inside the body and stirs the soul. Overall the music is catchy and stompy, with some excellent guitar parts, and it brings big grins to many faces in the crowd. There is fist-pumping, and although a pit doesn’t really form there is a definite ebb and flow of movement that chimes with the sounds on offer. This is a band that has been plying their trade for over 20 years and it shows, the performance was flawless and very enjoyable indeed. 

For the full viking experience however we are reliant on the next band, Týr. They may not bear the stereotypical hair and beard (Hagar The Horrible has a lot to answer to in our modern-day perception of what a Viking should look like!) but they are the bona-fide real deal. This is a band formed in Denmark but hailing from the Faroe Islands, named after the Norse god of war, and relying heavily on Norse mythology in the lyrics. The set opens with ‘By The Sword In My Hand’ from their 2009 release “By The Light Of The Northern Star” and encompasses most of the 9  albums that they have released in the 25-plus years they have been in existence. Hammers and dragons abound in the lyrics, and they too enjoy a good old stomp here and there. They are more Serious Metal than their predecessors tonight, with riffing and soloing up high in the mix. They even do a bit of synchronised headbanging, and the crowd responds enthusiastically. There’s a couple of standout moments – ‘Hail To The Hammer’ is a romping powerhouse of a song and ‘Sinklars Visa’ (from their 2008 release “Land”) is an acapella choral chant that has an almost operatic feel to it and again captures the primal instinct within. Surprisingly amongst all the power there is even a whoa-whoa chorus and the instrumental intro to closing track ‘Hold The Heathen Hammer High’ whips the crowd into a roiling frenzy. Týr are yet another band that has perfected their craft over a long career, and they produced a set of epic proportions that delighted the assembled masses.  

The Viking theme is not yet exhausted, and next there is a set from the band whom many thought should have been headliners at this year’s Paganfests. Indeed, Finland’s Ensiferum (taken from the Latin and meaning “sword-bearing”) have headlined previous editions of the festival, but tonight they settle into the penultimate slot and seem happy enough there. The first impression of this band is that they are fierce. They exude both class and power, and they also have a kilt-wearing bass player which is always a plus.

Every note that they throw out is placed with devastating effect, and the crowd are now frantic as they try to keep up with the equally frantic pace of the music blasting out at them. One of the things to note about the Viking/Pagan/Folk metal style is that despite the harshness of the music it’s common for all the band members to sing and thus the vocals are superb. Ensiferum provide an unrivalled example of this, with both clean and harsh vocals melding into a masterclass of using the voice as an instrument. Rather than compare them to another metal band they could be up there performing a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta such is the skill and vocal virtuosity on display. Helicopter hair abounds, as there are also long instrumental breaks where the talent of each band member is highlighted (although thankfully there are no drum solos!) To someone who has not previously experienced this tour-de-force the music is breathtaking in its complexity that masquerades as simplicity.

‘Winter Storm Vigilantes’ is an epic tale of derring-do, and when keyboard player and vocalist Pekka stands centre-stage with arms aloft the crowd lights up like a supernova and the first proper pit of the evening writhes and undulates under the lights from the stage. ‘Lai Lai Hei’ is another song with a beat to row a longship to, and as they encourage not just a pit but a disco pit (you had to be there!) it’s obvious that this is a band who have won the hearts of this scurvy crowd. 

So to the end, and as the ducks on stage begin to inflate and rise to the ceiling the excitement and anticipation amongst the gathering of proto-pirates begins to ascend with them. Alestorm finally move us away from the Viking theme and over to the seven seas as they commence their set of pirate-inspired folk-metal. They hit the stage running, literally. They are a blur of movement as they weave about the stage trying not to bump into each other. Opener ‘Keelhauled’ (from their second album, 2009’s “Black Sails At Midnight”) is a bouncer of a song, and as kilts fly and the shortest of shorts are displayed the crowd is already dancing reels and whirling like dervishes. It could perhaps be said that Alestorm are a bit of a one-trick pony, but if that pony is a Lipizzaner Stallion then it transcends being a mere hack and becomes a honed and awe-inspiring watch. So even if this band rely on juvenile double-entendres and every song being pirate-themed they still draw you in and rock your socks off. And that’s the trick, underneath the silliness the heart of Alestorm is actually a really good band. They may come across as a bit shambolic but that’s all part of the spectacle, part of the performance because make no mistake, this gig was pure theatre. A shark head was donned for an unexpected cover of Taio Cruz’s ‘Hangover’ and somehow they have managed to find a genuine hurdy-gurdy player to join them on stage for the current run of Paganfest dates which is astounding and adds to the folky side of things perfectly. 

Somewhat astonishingly they are the youngest band on this year’s roster as they have been going for a mere 17 years and eight albums, but even that has given them a large enough back-catalogue that tonight’s 17-song set had a little something for everyone. What it mostly had though was fun. There are many ways to enjoy a metal gig but dancing a hornpipe or shitting your pants (as exhorted by frontman Chris Bowes during the intro to ‘P.A.R.T.Y.’) have to be amongst the most enjoyable. The crowd was not so much a pit as a rabble, moving to the music with a total lack of cohesion but at the same time becoming a part of something, a fellowship, just for a short while. The song titles let you know what to expect, there are a lot of drinking songs (‘Alestorm’, ‘Nancy The Tavern Wench’, ‘Drink’), and even more songs about boats!

Patty the hurdy-gurdy lady takes centre stage for lead vocals on ‘Voyage of the Dead Maurauder’ and it’s as good as any other operatic metal you might encounter. The riffs are thrown out like anchors, and caught by the crowd like a performing seal catches a fish. The shredding is fierce, the beat is insistent and the whole thing melds together into a plethora of good-time moments that take you outside yourself and back to a simpler time when there were mainsails to brace and pieces of eight to fight for. Even the ducks stayed erect for the whole performance (fnar) because when it comes to sheer entertainment an Alestorm show is hard to beat.  

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Alestorm + Ensiferum + Týr + Heidevolk + Elvenking