FlyingFox AB & Doomstar Bookings present the Nordic Descent Tour 2024. Featuring the legendary Icelanders Sólstafir as they kick off their tour in preparation for their next full length studio album. They’ll be supported by psychedelic black metal maestros Oranssi Pazuzu across all dates. Hamferð will be joining the first leg of the tour from November 13 to November 24 and Season of Mist band Helga from November 26 to December 9.
With a full catalog of truly exceptional timeless hits to perform, as well as some much-anticipated new music, the atmospheric Icelandic rock n´roll sound that is uniquely Sólstafir always delivers to those who bear witness to their epic sets that take you on a journey through the ice and snow, fire and lava and breathtaking soundscapes of their homeland.
What sets the Nordic Descent Tour 2024 apart is the celebration of cultural heritage through language, with each band performing in their native tongues, offering audiences a profound emotional and auditory experience. This tour represents more than just concerts; it is a journey through the heart of Northern musical tradition and an invitation to explore the depth of its timeless allure.
As the night wraps in mist and melodies, let the Nordic Descent be your guide to the soul-stirring world of northern soundscapes. This is your opportunity to witness the confluence of landscapes and soundtracks, where every note tells a story, and every silence speaks the language of the fjords and forests.
“We are hugely excited to be joining Sólstafir and Oranssi Pazuzu on this run of European shows in support of our debut album ‘Wrapped in Mist’! We can’t wait to play this material live on our first European tour alongside such incredible musicians. It’s a big world…“ HELGA proclaims, as they prepare for their first tour following their debut release Wrapped in Mist on Season of Mist.
Nordic Descent Tour 2024:
13 Nov: Groningen, NL @ De Oosterpoort
14 Nov: Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
15 Nov: Maastricht, NL @ Muziekgieterij
16 Nov: Brussels, BE @ Botanique
17 Nov: Bielefeld, DE @ Forum
19 Nov: Lille, FR @ Le Splendid
20 Nov: Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
21 Nov: Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
22 Nov: Dublin, IR @ Opium
23 Nov: Glasgow, UK @ Queen Margaret Union
24 Nov: London, UK @ Electric Brixton
26 Nov: Paris, FR @ La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
27 Nov: Rennes, FR @ L’Antipode
28 Nov: Toulouse, FR @ Metronum
29 Nov: Pamplona, ES @ Sala Totem
30 Nov: Madrid, ES @ Sala Mon
01 Dec: Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 2
03 Dec: Milano, IT @ Alcatraz
04 Dec: Pratteln, CH @ Z7
05 Dec: München, DE @ Technikum
06 Dec: Vienna, AT @ Simm City
07 Dec: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
08 Dec: Leipzig, DE @ Taubchental
09 Dec: Berlin, DE @ Metropol
Tickets are on sale now: https://solstafir.is/live
In November of 2023, HELGA released their debut album Wrapped in Mist on Season of Mist. Helga’s sublime voice mirrors the refreshing resonance of chapel choirs, punctuated with the soulful spirit of the birch and pine of her sanctum. With this debut album, she is joined by Cameron Gledhill & Cai Sumption on guitars, Ryan Fairclough on bass, and Sami Javed on Drums – forming the band HELGA. Together, they paint a captivating and emotive landscape, merging melodic baroque with an Opeth-esque climax, subtly interlaced with black metal traditions and ethereal vocals.
Order here: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HelgaWrappedInMist
Stream: https://orcd.co/wrappedinmistpresave
Track List:
Skogen mumlar (4:23)
Burden (4:57)
Water (3:55)
If Death Comes Now (3:58)
Farfäl (4:34)
Alive Again (3:35)
Vast and Wild (4:04)
Som en trumma (4:26)
Mountain Song (5:34)
Wrapped in Mist (6:41)
Total runtime: 46:07
Once, sequestered away in the far reaches of Swedish
hinterland, a shrouded girl wandered alone through
interminable forest. Chanting psalms amidst birch and pine,
her choral voice drifted like birds through an evening mist.
The chapel choir she sang with had gifted and honed her
voice, but woodland and lake would always be her church.
Her name – Helga.
Alas, despite her reverence for fjäll and forest, a beckoning
had begun to stir deep within Helga’s heart. A longing,
yearning to be heard and to share the majesty of song.
Gathering books and belongings, Helga bid farewell and
emerged from the wilderness that had nurtured her since
she was a child.
“Singing in small local bands I’d experimented
with songs in both English and Swedish,
but sometimes English just felt misplaced,
you know?
Like a betrayal of where the song is coming
from, where I am from.
I love languages, exploring the meaning of
that which I don’t know.” -Helga
Journeying west in 2019, Helga settled across the North Sea
in the old Viking town of York, North Yorkshire.
Surrounded by pub-filled streets of cobblestone and
restored Roman walls, York was host to droves of cameraladen
tourists and scholars of two thriving universities.
These strange anachronistic surroundings would pave the
foundation for a myriad of rueful reflections and musings, a
far cry to the world Helga had left behind.
Previously, Helga had joined forces with Icons Creating
Evil Art and released two solo EPs, Nebulous (2018) and
The Autumn Lament (2019). Inviting tribal drums, ominous
strings and throat singing in accompaniment on songs such
as Mörker and Haunted, it was evident that her artistic
transition was compelled to darker pursuits.
Meanwhile…
Not far away, three childhood friends (Cai, Cameron and
Ryan) stared across a table at one another spellbound.
Playing together in various bands, such as ‘People as Places
as People’, since 2009, they knew they had found
something special.
“One day Cameron stumbled upon Helga’s
advertisement saying she was looking to put a
band together. As soon as we heard that
ethereal voice, we knew we had to move
mountains to somehow be a part of this
project.” -Cai
Following several brief stints with different drummers, the
band soon found its final element in the form of precocious
poly-instrumentalist, Sami Javed. Teaming up with
producer Luiz Felipe Netto, the quintet was complete.
The rest – as they say – was history.
HELGA was born.
Summoning a plethora of layers and genre, HELGA
culminated their premier album Wrapped in Mist into
dirgeful lamentations of mortality and mental health,
punctuated by formidable drums, spectral strings and
chugging riffs.
The album’s opening track, Skogen Mumlar (The Forest
Murmurs), transcends forthwith into emotive dreamscapes
that leave hairs trembling on goose-pimpled skin. Ennio
Morricone echoing as the intro’s muse.
“We draw on many different influences, from
Swedish folk to progressive metal, post-rock
to black metal to pop.
Distilling this into a single genre is a
challenge.” – Cai
But as the journey through Wrapped in Mist transpires,
songs such as Farväl (Farewell) reveal HELGA’s black
metal and darker sensibilities. Bewitching through this
myriad range, the album’s waltzing coda flirts with a
melodic baroque that crescendos with Opeth-esque climax.
The inception of Wrapped in Mist promises to plunge
HELGA deep into the spotlight of mesmerizing live
performances following release. From the hills and forests
of rural dwelling, this is a band destined for a future worth
following.
Production:
Drums recorded by Bob Cooper at Chairworks Studios
Guitars & Vocals recorded by Tom Peters at Trapdoor Studios
Mixed & Produced by Luiz Felipe Netto
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege
Recording Lineup:
Helga Gabriel (Vocals)
Ryan Fairclough (Bass)
Cameron Gledhill (Guitar)
Cai Sumption (Guitar)
Sami Javed (Drums)
Additional Musicians:
Damian Bolotin (Violin on Skogen mumlar, Vast and Wild & Wrapped in Mist)
Antonio Guerra (Grand piano on Mountain Song & Vast and Wild
Mafram do Maracanã (Percussion on Skogen mumlar & Wrapped in Mist
Bruno Migliari (Double bass on Mountain Song, Skogen mumlar & Wrapped in Mist
Luiz Felipe Netto (Acoustic guitar on If Death Comes Now & Wrapped in Mist, additional electric guitars, keyboards and string arrangements)
Ayran Nicodemo (Violin on Mountain Song, Skogen mumlar, Vast and Wild & Wrapped in Mist)
Bruno Serroni (Cello on Farväl & Vast and Wild)
Joe Zeitlin (Cello on Farväl, Mountain Song, Skogen mumlar, Vast and Wild & Wrapped in Mist)
Cover Artwork:
David Thiérrée (Artwork)
Ester Segarra (Photography)
Per Wiberg (Layout)
Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HelgaWrappedInMist
Stream:https://orcd.co/wrappedinmistpresave
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/helgadalarna
https://www.instagram.com/forestchildhelga/
https://helgamusic.bandcamp.com/