Whether you are a dedicated fan of Vikings, pirates, or giant rubber ducks, there was only one place to be on 19 January 2025: Paganfest at O2 Academy Brixton, featuring Alestorm, Ensiferum, Týr, Heidevolk and Elvenking. “The greatest Folk Metal bill ever assembled on these mighty Anglo Saxon shores,” declared MetalTalk Founder Steve Göldby. There was certainly a sense that we were all witnessing a little bit of history as the five Folk Metal heavyweights took to this South London stage.
Alestorm – Ensiferum – Týr – Heidevolk – Elvenking
O2 Academy Brixton – 19 January 2025
Words: Lucy Dunnet
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
Alestorm
First things first: everyone’s favourite foul-mouthed, kilt-wearing Metal pirates had brought not one, not two, but three giant yellow ducks to the stage with them. Since Alestorm’s last trip to London, their number of quacking friends had tripled, and we wondered what this might mean about their show antics. 
As per Alestorm show requirements, at least a quarter of the crowd was dressed as pirates or had brought an inflatable prop or three. But where the O2 Academy Brixton really raised the bar as a Folk Metal fan venue was with the lead security guard who had nipped off after Ensiferum to adorn himself with a pirate hat, jacket and parrot. Crowdsurfers fear ye not: a fellow pirate awaited ye arrival beyond the plank.
We Will Rock You was blasted from the speakers to break us from our Ensiferum-induced reverie and prepare us for the swashbuckling feast we were about to participate in. Alestorm have become gateway pirates to the world of Metal; their appeal extends beyond the Metal genre, and thus, they have amassed a fan base of fun-seeking landlubbers, not limited to Metalheads. 
Keelhauled and Shipwrecked began the pirate craziness and immediately saw us lose our 42cm blow-up yellow duck to a pilfering crowd surfer. Head buccaneer, “fuck” aficionado, vocalist and keytarist Christopher Bowes took a quick pause to ask us if we were “ready for some fucking fun” because that’s what they were here for. “Let me see your hands do some stuff,” Bowes asked, as he flapped his own bottle-of-rum-holders in the air and the dulcet tones of Mexico broke in. 
“Do we have any Pagans in the house tonight?” was met with a rather timid whoop, but when he growled out if there were any pirates in the house, there were screams and bellows. Hopefully, this is because everyone had swapped their Pagan robes for unbuttoned pirate shirts.
Alestorm played catchy belter after catchier belter, with crowd members screaming themselves hoarse to ensure they joined in every possible opportunity to chant: “rum, beer, quests and mead. These are the things that a pirate needs.” It is safe to say that everyone learns something at an Alestorm show. 
“It’s a Sunday night. The first day of the weekend. Who is getting drunk tonight?” Bring on Hangover and the sausage-shaped moshpit that may have contributed to some eager fans’ head-pounding hangover on Monday. Patty Gurdy’s enchanting melodic vocals and skills on the hurdy gurdy added beauty to the Alestorm bonkersness, particularly in her takeover of Voyage Of The Dead Marauder. 
Nancy The Tavern Wench led to the infamous crowd row, and, as ever, it was wildly out of time and an ab workout horror (thanks to the drunk pirates using us as a human pulley system) but an entertaining strangers-to-intimate friends activity nonetheless.
The ratio of surfers to crowd became increasingly concerning as Alestorm’s set went on. Still, we tried our best to ensure as few pirates as possible were sent to Davy Jones’ locker (the beer-splattered floor of the O2 Academy Brixton).
“…before we fuck off to Belgium, we have one more song.” Fucked With An Anchor saw out the almighty, authentically Scottish and authentically outrageous Alestorm, accompanied by their iconic blow-up “FUCK YOU” sign. Once you’ve seen Alestorm, you’ve seen them. But it’s a pirate P.A.R.T.Y. that you cannot help but want to attend again. And again. And again.
Ensiferum
For thirty years, this Melodic Folk Metal quintet has balanced epic storytelling with catchy Metal hooks, warrior stage presence with crowd-charming smiles, and folk surprises with the Ensiferum greatness that they are known and loved for—and what a SHOW they contributed to Paganfest 2025. 
If anyone in the O2 Academy Brixton had dared not to be an Ensiferum fan before entering the venue, they had been converted within moments of Fatherland. One could almost call Ensiferum a choir band, considering everyone but drummer Janne Parviainen contributes magnificent vocals, not just backing vocals, but review-worthy, soul-shattering vocals, each and every one of them. 
When keyboardist Pekka Montin, sporting a simple black long-sleeve top and unassuming face of focus, burst to the front of the stage, we were unprepared for the power his operatic lungs would have over us. Combined with the booming, growling, harmonising vocals of bassist Sami Hinkka and guitarists Petri Lindroos and Markus Toivonen, Ensiferum could probably get away with putting less effort into their instrumentals. But of course, they do not, which is why they are such an insanely addictive group of Finnish sword-bearers. 
Sami Hinkka pranced across the stage, his battle skirt flapping in the wind as he looked emotionally and rabidly from his band members to the crowd. Markus Toivonen didn’t stop smiling, not once. Petri Lindroos growled into the mic like a mythical demon; we couldn’t take our eyes, ears, or any of our senses off of Ensiferum.
Twilight Tavern, Winter Storm Vigilantes and Iron made particular monstrous animals out of the crowd, but it was a set complete with favourites, old and new. Inflatable swords and rings roamed the venue, and the latter could be spotted in the pit holding moshers between their rubber interiors. 
“For this next song, we are going to have some punk, some rock, some fucking Heavy Metal, and a mosh pit in a disco pit. This is Two Of Spades!” Now, this is a song that has to be heard by every human being on the planet, live. Brutally fast drums and Heavy Metal screams lead into a bit of rock’ n’ roll riffage, then transform into the “disco pit” and uncharacteristically calm “ooh…ah”s from the Ensiferum choir.
I am in awe of Ensiferum, and my greatest regret is not bearing a sword to raise in their name at Paganfest 2025, a mistake I will not be making twice. 
Týr
Naming yourselves after the Norse god of war is a bold move for a Pagan Metal band, but one that the Faroese four-piece Týr continue to show that they have earned. In their own words, they will “decimate and decapitate those who question.” The only noise that came from the crowd was screams, and lots of them, of utter excitement, as By The Sword In My Hand began the set.
Bassist Gunnar H. Thomsen and guitarist Hans Hammer stalked across the stage as they smashed out riff after riff to Heri Joensen’s war god-esque vocals. Moshpits whirled behind the barrier, carrying crowd surfers desperate to get closer to these leather trouser-clad Vikings.
Týr enchanted us with their ironclad command of their musical weapons and their unwavering playfulness and delight at being back at Paganfest. Gunnar never seemed to stop charging across the stage; his running style varied from goblin-like to a naughty child, and grins on the band’s faces were as common as their headbanging. 
An elongated soundscape of weapons clanging and a terrible storm accompanied a darkened stage – leaving only their wolf-covered backdrop lit up. When Týr returned, they kicked off high-tempo Hammered with renewed ecstasy and, of course, fists pumping. The barrage of riffs and drum beats was met with a hammering of screams and charges from the crowd.
It was clear Týr favoured the stage blackouts and ominous instrumentals over the in-between-song chatter, a preference we had no problem with as we were well aware we would be treated to the ol’ pirate banter later on.
Fan-favourite Hold The Heathen Hammer High went beyond just inspiring the crowd to raise their hammers: the front line of Paganfest’s army had been given the command to attack, and all energetic hell broke loose for Týr’s final song. 
Heidevolk
There was a dark, eerie presence on the stage even before Dutch Metal group Heidevolk entered it—thanks to Ver Verlangen, overflowing with folk instrumentation and hypnotic direction. The growling chants of Hagalaz broke the hypnosis alongside erratic white lights that bulleted off the stage. 
Daniël Wansink and Jacco de Wijs wove black lines across the stage as they harmonised each other with their ominously dark vocals, with bassist Rowan Middelwijk joining in to add a bit of extra “grr” to their growls. From staring intently into the eyes of as many Pagans as they could to constant encouragements for fist pumps, Heidevolk’s crowd engagement never wore out.
“Are you ready to unleash your inner beast?” Wansink’s attempts to control the crowd’s excitement for A Wolf In My Heart with shushing hand gestures and finger countdowns were entertaining and effective. The stage was filled with colour as the crowd burst with energy. They may not have unleashed everyone’s inner beasts, but they unleashed enough to open a pit.
The end of Saksenland brought out the (drinking) horns, of which Jacco’s was much, much bigger than Rowan’s. Out of beer ourselves, however, we would have happily taken a small horn over no horn.
We really should have taken the hint and gone to get a drink, but alas, we did not want to risk missing a moment of the Heidevolk carnage. So, by the time Drinking With The Gods came on, our horns may have been empty, but our excitement tank was not.
Heidevolk’s set was a recipe of superb lighting, perfected deep harmonies, slow fist pumps, and a foreboding undertone, leading to a tremendous mythological atmosphere. It culminated in the fantastically catchy final song, Vulgaris Magistralis. Heidevolk asked us to “go wild like a Pagan goes wild”, and we responded with an absurd eruption of limbs and screams, trying our best to imitate the mythic prehistoric man being sung about. 
Elvenking
In a press tale as old as time, there had been some miscommunication and confusion among the O2 Academy Brixton team, so we only got our passes into the venue for the final three and a half Elvenking songs.
But, on a positive note, the half song that we stormed in to – swifter and stealthier than any elven warrior as we dodged through fans to get to the front – was none other than The Horned Ghost And The Sorcerer, a personal favourite and an absolute Elvenking banger. We held back a tear when we managed to sing at least one chorus of “far away, gone astray to the boundaries of Dark” right back at vocalist Damna. 
“Pretend that I’m blind: are there any Elvenking fans in the house tonight?” The cheer and sheer excitement at being here exuded from both the band and the crowd; they may have been the night’s first band, but there was certainly not a lack of love for Elvenking tonight.
The next song, the new single Luna, saw Damna running back and forth across the stage with unbridled, fantastical energy as he sang and growled the medieval melody. When he demanded “everyone, jump,” the desire to obey was two-fold: express our passion for the kings of elves and warm ourselves up in the freezing O2 Academy Brixton. 
A short break to our jumping came when the melancholic intro to The Divided Heart came on, but it was quickly resumed as soon as the lyrics “tearing me apart…” bounced around the venue, band members and fans singing in tandem.
The enigmatic Elvenking wanted to bring home the memory of London shouting and, determined to be louder than the rest of the UK, shout for them we did. Multiple times. Even if only briefly, being a part of the elven legion was a joy. The trio of guitars and bass gathered centre stage to see us off, powering through Elvenlegions’ riffs as we raised our hands in the air. In the words of Elvenking: “Stay Metal. Stay Pagan!” 
