HRH Vikings Festival II 2019 Headliner Announced:

The Norse Wind is Rising: HRH Vikings Festival II Announces Their Initial Shield Wall. The Second Coming is upon us: All hail HRH Vikings II.

HRH – Europe’s leading residential provider – debuted HRH Vikings last weekend: a stage-storming, genre-crossing, alloy of five – count ’em: FIVE! – forms of metal: Battle, Nordic, Pagan, Black, & Death.

After this triumphant first cycle, HRH‘s Jonni Davis aims to build on the bridgehead: “HRH Vikings draws talent from five tribes. We’ve shown we can bring them together, giving our community what they want: the music they love, the bands they’ve chosen, a festival experience that even weather gods can’t turn into bogland, and of course the vibrant fellowship that we’ve built through HRH. HRH Vikings’ second cycle will be bigger and better still. Take a look at the bands we’re already announcing and remember: there’s more still to come!

Headlining HRH Vikings II are: Finntroll, Heidevolk, and Moonsorrow – three major Scandinavian bands, with strong takes on folk metal, sung in their native tongues.

Finntroll hail from Helsinki in Finnland, and skilfully weave together black metal and folk metal. Like the fearsome trolls of legend, Finntroll embody ferocity and the grotesque. They also blend melodic elements from Finnish and Scandinavian folk music with the brutal, driving sound of black metal. Stirring stuff for HRH Vikings II!

Heidevolk, a Dutch pagan metal band, were formed in Arnhem in Netherlands. Back in 2002, as the band’s website proclaims, few could have envisioned the bright future that the Norns had in store for them! The band’s brand of folk metal celebrates pagan life, sacred and profane, drawing on folklore, fronted by trademark tag-team male vocals and harmonies.

Moonsorrow are a Finnish pagan metal band, formed in Helsinki in 1995, specialising in what they call “epic heathen metal”. The band are legend for their lengthy songs, long, slow introductory riffs, atmospheric soundscaping and stacked-up power chords with thunderous percussion.

A fine trio of headliners to spearhead the HRH Viking II invasion!

Also announced in the first wave of fan-chosen bands: Skálmöld (a Viking/folk metal band from Reykjavík, Iceland) – Cruachan (a folk metal band from Dublin, Ireland) – Elvenking (an Italian folk/power) – Skyclad (a British heavy metal band with strong folk influences) – Deadwood Lake (British black metal band, known for melody, atmosphere, and emotion) – Fen (British post-black metal band, from the fens of East Anglia); not to mention: Rannoch, Shadowflag, Deus Mori, Elderseer, Fjords, and Wyrdstæf.

More bands yet to be announced!

Once again, the O2 Academy in Sheffield will resound to the sound of HRH Vikings: a great venue in the City of Steel, with quality hotel accommodation just an axe’s throw from the venue. The spirit of Valhalla descends on Sheffield in celebration of fierce song, fellowship and revels aplenty. HRH Vikings II will be a 2-day, 2-Arena Adventure, taking place at the O2 Academy in Sheffield on 30th November and 1st December 2019.

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About Louise Swift

I first went to a gig in 1981, Gillan at Leeds University. I've been a regular gig goer ever since. I haven't kept count of how many gigs I've been to over the intervening years, but it's a lot! My favourite bands are AC/DC then, in no particular order, Anti-Nowhere League, Slaughter and the Dogs, Towers of London and Dirt Box Disco. I tend to like Glam/Punk and rude offensive lyrics, not sure what that says about me but as Animal would say 'So What!' The question was recently put to me - did I write for any online publications? My reply - No, but I'd like to! Planetmosh was suggested and I found myself offering to review Aces High Festival. Easy peasy I thought! Well not quite, if a jobs worth doing it's worth doing well! I had sixteen bands to research. I found I actually enjoyed that and it kept me too busy to be making lunatic comments on Facebook! ;) Then I felt a bit inadequately qualified. I mean, who am I to comment on others, when my musical expertise extends to being able to play a mean Greensleeves on the recorder and a passable Annie's song on the flute! Haven't picked up either instrument for years! What I do have, however, is over 30 years of experience as a gig goer, so I can comment on what I like and what I don't! It's only my opinion and, if I don't like a band it doesn't mean they are bad, just not to my own liking. I admire anyone who has the guts to get up on that stage and have a go!