Joined together under the banner of the  “A Skogstur In Central Europe” tour, Norwegian acts Iskald, Kampfar and Vreid have set out for a 9-date tour through Holland, England, France and Germany. On a Sunday night a reasonable crowd came to the Dynamo club in Eindhoven to witness these bands on the third day of the tour. A strong package, on what turned out to be an enjoyable night.

Victim of an early start, Iskald had to play their set for just a handful of people that showed the typical Dutch enthusiasm. The performance didn’t suffer though, with the set list including new songs  ‘Ruin of Mankind’, ‘The Orphanage’ and ‘Dommedag’, as well as ‘Warriors of the Northern Twilight’ and ‘The Shadowland’ from the debut. With the cold atmosphere of their albums carrying over to the stage, the band showed they have a bright future ahead of them! Half an hour seemed much too short!
http://www.myspace.com/iskald 

While the co-headliner  tour designated Kampfar as second band, most people seemingly came to Eindhoven for that band. Although I was just marginally familiar with them before, they made it clear why they have a loyal following. With especially an inspiring performance by vocalist Dolk, the band performed tracks from all their albums, including new songs like ‘Inferno’, ‘Dødens Vee’ and ‘Vettekult’, but also older tracks like ‘Hymne’, ‘Ravenheart’ and ‘Troll, Død Og Trolldom’. Although I personally can do with a bit less “encouraging” in between songs, Kampfar played a convincing set that was sure to gain some extra fans. They at least won me over!
http://www.myspace.com/norsepagans 

To  Vreid the honor of headlining today, and their latest effort “Milorg” served as a red thread for the show. Starting off with opener ‘Alarm’, the band played a highlight set which included live favorite ‘Speak Goddamnitt’, ‘Disciplined’ and the title track, but also several tracks off “I Krig” and “Kraft”. Their choice to waste little time on talkative intermezzos worked out great, keeping the Black ‘N Roll flow of the tracks throughout the entire set. Vreid once again proved that their strong albums are backed up by a strong live reputation!
http://www.myspace.com/thepitchblackbrigade 

A strong package doesn’t always guarantee  good performances, but the three bands on the tour all delivered the goods. Tough luck for those who decided to skip the gig, and kudos to Dynamo for booking the package and the excellent stage sound!