Folk metal masters Huldre have, after a decade of pushing the Danish musical scene in the direction of deep woods, damp mires and devout superstition, decided to call it quits.
Instead of lurking off in the shadows though, they decided to be as extraordinary as they could be, and put on a couple of exclusive and exquisite shows. And sold out, did I mention that?

“It’s fantastic that you’ve all come here tonight! We hope you’ll have a party, but I see you already are, so that’s fine.”
- Nanna Barslev (vocals)

When arriving at Pumpehuset, I saw the longest line I’ve ever beheld at this venue, stretching out before me. 'Aw, crap' was apparently a thought on many people’s minds, as the minutes ticked away, and the show was just about to begin. We were soon set to rest however, as violinist Laura Emilie Beck came out of the building, and reassured us that the concert wouldn’t start until everyone was well inside.
Well inside, sweet tunes greeted us on the first floor, with Søren Weiss Kristiansen (Pectora) managing DJ duties before, between, and after bands. On the small stage was a long table for merchandise (sadly, the Tusmørke shirt I was looking for, was only left available in small sizes - when will I learn to look in time..?), both for the main event of the evening, and for Heidra, the band delivering the support of sorts. Rather, we should probably call it half-time entertainment, because the schedule was thusly laid out, that Huldre was playing a set of songs, then as they took a break, Heidra would come on and play, after which Huldre was back for another set, finishing off the event in style.
I had come to believe that there would be an Intet Menneskebarn set and a Tusmørke set, but instead the band mixed songs from both albums in both sets. The main thing to take away from this, is that they played every song they’ve put out. Every. Single. Song.

Well up on the second floor, we saw a concert hall quickly filling up with excited people, and after some gentlemanly sneaking, pushing, and excusing, we made our way towards the stage end of the room - a stage bedecked with the very woods the band so often visits in their songs. Needless to say, we felt right at home.
Vaageblus got to open the show, with its alluring and meditative smoothness before the tougher metal part of the sound kicked in. There was some trouble with Lasse Olufson’s guitar in the start, but thankfully they managed to fix this in time of him entering the song. Or maybe that’s why the calm part felt prolonged? Either way, great opening, and straight from the start, we were all in the right mood. What followed was a nice mix of songs, going from slow to fast and back again, keeping the show dynamic and interesting, as well as unpredictable, as the sets weren’t in fact just the two albums from start to finish.
Supporting this was a competent and good-looking light show, and a very good sound mix, which kept the music likeably heavy, but still giving room for those lofty melodies carried by Barslev’s vocals, Beck’s violin, and Troels Dueholm Nørgaard’s flutes. The hurdy-gurdy drowned a little bit when the drums, guitar, and bass kicked in, but it put down a nice floor-tone, especially in the calmer sections of the concert. What couldn’t be placed in the calm section, was Mørke off the latest album, which was the track that finished off the first set.

Now you can go read the Heidra review for continuity, and we’ll see you back here in a bit, ok?

As with Vaageblus in the first set, we were slowly and calmly eased into the second set as well, this time around with Beirblakken.
Not that we really needed an easy way in - the hall was packed from the first note, and everyone was ready to go straight back into party mood, right where they had left off before. I didn’t see as much organised dancing as I’ve noticed in the past at this band’s shows, but that certainly didn’t mean things were standing still. Mainly the middle of the floor was roiling with a happy moshpit, which may have had some dancing in it, but it was too chaotic to really tell. There were a few crowdsurfers, and even a couple of them ended up on stage. They were welcomed with a smile by the band, and thankfully none of them outstayed their welcome - as soon as they had their bearings, it was straight back out into the expecting arms of the crowd!
Not surprisingly, the sing-along was strong this evening. Sure, Huldre has made a few songs where it is fairly obvious that we could and should play a part in. Hindeham, Varulv, and Fæstemand are perfect examples of these, but the singing was certainly not limited to them - basically every song, with the obvious exception of Spillemand, was sung and/or shouted along to, with accompanying rounds of applause and all the rest.
And there was of course dancing, chaotic as it was, and here once again I’d like to focus on Spillemand, the instrumental track that always brings a bit of extra action to the party! I’m quite sure Barlsev did her usual stunt with going into the crowd at this point, because she was gone from the stage, but exactly how on Earth she managed to get into, and subsequently out of, the wild throng, I will never know.

The rest of the band was lively as well, with Beck giving free reins to her warm and wild nature, and the others chugging and swinging along as best they could. If there were any sad or bad feelings about this being the end of things, I’ll commend the band for certainly not showing in any way or form. But it was the end, and nothing made this clearer than having the dark and melancholy Skærsild as the final musical part of the evening.
While being uplifting, warm, and fun on the whole, every song played also set in stone what a loss this means to the Danish music scene, and heck, to the music scene as a whole. I mean, fair enough, two albums was all that we got, but as each and every song played out, it was remarkable to hear how not a single track felt out of place or unwelcome. How is it, that every song they’ve put out is hit material? Every. Single. Song.

After the concert was done, everyone moved back downstairs, where the party continued long into the night, Kristiansen once again controlling the flow of music, and members of both bands mingling with friends and fans alike. Why did it have to end? I don’t know. But when it had to end, this was definitely the way to do it! And we did get ten good years, two albums, and a truckload of wonderful live concerts that’ll stay with us long into the future!

Setlist:

Set 1:
Vaageblus
Skovpolska
Havgus
Hindeham
Underjordisk
Skifting
Nattesorg
Tæring
Knoglekvad
Mørke

Set 2:
Beirblakken
Ulvevinter
Trold
Varulv
Jagt
Brandridt
Gennem Marsken
Spillemand
Fæstemand
Skærsild