SKÁLD | GRÓA WILLING

GRÓA WILLING

There is nothing quite like the pagan/neofolk/black metal stylings of Ottawa’s Gróa Willing. Yes, there are countless black metal bands that incorporate folk into their songs. The difference with Gróa Willing is that they are literally the opposite of this – they are a neofolk/pagan band first and a black metal band second (a distant second at that). This is not a thing. If it is, I’ve never heard it done before. Is it cool? Yes. Is it strange? Yes. Does it work? Absolutely, resoundingly YES! You aren’t getting the icy tremolo picking, blast beats, and sprinkling of folk à la Windir or Kampfar here. What you are getting is full-fledged neofolk/pagan compositions stained here and there with the cold bleakness of black metal vocalizations.

Gróa Willing were the perfect choice for this opening slot as they share the same musical and narrative ethos as the headliners: Norse mythology, pagan traditions, and ancient runic themes. Their set included songs such as ‘Alder Burl’, ‘Sails Of Sessrúmnir’, ‘The Hunted’, ‘Einheri Oath’, ‘Vegtamskviða: The Baldurs Druamer’, and their 2025 single ‘Runes Of The North Star.’ An incredibly moving set that I’m certain garnered them some new fans.

SKÁLD

The buzz in the venue was absolutely electric after the stellar performance from Gróa Willing. I’m uncertain if this was the first-ever Skáld performance in Toronto, but it certainly felt like the anticipation reflected that. It can’t be overstated how perfect the venue was for this performance; the state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, along with ample stage space for all the instruments and set pieces, was something to behold. Kudos to Noel of Inertia Entertainment for ensuring the band was given the tools they needed to truly bring this ceremony to life. This tour served as a massive celebratory run bridging their previous eras (Vikings Memories and Huldufól), while also teasing material from their upcoming album Ørlǫg.

If I hadn’t pinched myself after every song, I could have sworn I was transported to some windswept fjord in ancient Scandinavia. The organic, tribal-heavy thump that underscores the majority of their songs reverberated through the venue like thunder, while polyphonic choirs, ethereal whispers, and the soaring vocal melodies of Marie Potosniak pierced directly through the guttural throat singing of Mattjö Haussy.

Tonight, we witnessed a musical essay delivered by a collection of individuals who live and breathe the traditions and culture of their millennia-old kin. Through the use of historically accurate instruments such as the tagelharpa, nyckelharpa, and shamanic frame drums, Skáld are distinct from the epic and sprawling compositions of Wardruna, Heilung, and Danheim. The verse-chorus structure of their arrangements makes their music and performances immediately engaging, energetic, and a touch more accessible than the music of the aforementioned holy trinity of Nordic atmosphere.

SETLIST
‘Heiemo Og Nykkjen’, ‘Ódinn’, ‘Ek Skal Riða’, ‘Troll Kalla Mik’, ‘Myrkviðr’, ‘Mánin Líður’, ‘Sækonungar’, ‘Ó Valhalla’, ‘Ljósálfur’, ‘Draumakona’, ‘Norðrljós’, ‘Yggdrasill’, ‘Himinbjǫrg’, ‘Níu’, ‘Hafgerðingar’, ‘Jörmungrund’, ‘Ratatoskr’, ‘Hross’, ‘Elverhøy’, ‘Grótti’, ‘Herr Mannelig/Run’, ‘Gleipnir’

AFTERTHOUGHTS…

In a world choked by concrete and plastic, music and art are the last true portals to our primal past. Tonight, Gróa Willing and Skáld cracked that portal open, offering a fleeting but much-needed escape. The result was a spiritual cleansing… a raw celebration reminding us that beneath the artificial monotony of modern life, the umbilical cord to our ancient roots remains unsevered.