Heilung – Lifa lotungard (Live At Red Rocks 2021)
Heilung – Lifa Iotungard (Live At Red Rocks 2021)
Season Of Mist
09/08/2024
Running Time: 83:50
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
“Heilung don’t play shows. They perform a ritual.”
Well. That’s one of putting it. There sure is no artist like Heilung out there today! Even the word ‘artist’ seems inappropriate given that the central European collective (mostly Denmark and Germany) are comprised of performers ranging from vocalists, woodwind and percussion instrumentalists, as well as stage performers known as ‘warriors’! Like I say, there’s definitely no artist like Heilung!
Since their inception a decade ago, not many have reached levels Heilung have, having headlined festivals here in the UK, gracing the stages of Download and Glastonbury, as well as selling out tours world wide. Now, you the listener have the opportunity to check out this hugely unique experience live on record, taken from their 2021 performance at Red Rock Amphitheatre. They have recently (at the time of writing) announced a tour with UK dates accompanied by a handsome ticket price. Is any band worth that?! Right now, I’m on the fence. Will my perception be swayed after listening to this ?
Known for their visual iconography, I was curious to see how only having access to the audio would transpire. After all, their music has appeared on acclaimed TV series’ Game Of Thrones and Vikings. Would the music be enough or would the album suffer too much with the lack of accompanying stage? Let’s see.
Opening with a prayer, as is tradition, the mood is set. It’s austere and intimidating, yet you cannot turn away. You’re already strapped in and are ready for a ride through the darkest deepest depths of the human psyche. With vocal harmonies as deep as the Mariana Trench, and as heavy as a thousand suns, this is something else! No guitars or bass. Only percussion and vocals so far. Just like it would have been in the ancient Pagan lands of which the band are attempting to revisit and bring to life. They succeed in this! They’ve captured that vibe perfectly. Although it’s a language of which you may be unable to decipher, this speaks to your very primitive soul and the most primordial aspects of your consciousness.
Swords and spears smashing the ground piercing your ear drums and threatening to smash out of the speakers, accompanied by soul piercing shrieks and war cries. This was designed to strike fear into their enemies on the battle ground millennia ago. They still possess that fear-inducing quality.
I referred to capturing the Pagan essence in this record. That’s achieved again with the wonderful dispersion of pipes and woodwind instruments throughout this masterpiece. A musical paradox, it’s soothing and aesthetically pleasing, yet dissonant and unsettling. Yet you will always come back for more.
Just a word on the production. There’s good sound engineers, there’s excellent sound engineers. Then there’s the top 1% of which Heilung’s crew are comprised of. The attention to detail and precision required to pull this off is a true work of art in of itself, regardless of musical genre!
I haven’t referred to the album songs in isolation. No. This is a ride you’ll have to set aside 83 minutes for to get the full immersive experience from. It will be worth it though. No doubt. I thought losing the visual iconography would take too much away from the band. Definitely not! Though to get the full experience, this is one you need to set an hour and a half to fully appreciate and perhaps isn’t the most casual listen.
What else is there to say on this thorough modern masterpiece? I’m not sure any superlatives could adequately do so. So, I’ll round this off with a simple statement; I now have a ticket to the Manchester performance in April 2025!
TRACKLISTING
01. Opening Ceremony
02. In Maidjan
03. Alfadhirhaiti
04. Krigsgaldr
05. Hakkerskaldyr
06. Svanrand
07. Norupo
08. Othan
09. Traust
10. Elddansurin
11. Hamrer Hippyer
LINE-UP
Kai Uwe Faust
Christopher Juul
Maria Franz
LINKS
