Ulvhedner Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

 

Hello and thank you for this opportunity.

The current status of the band is that we are active recording and rehearsing. We had our first live performance since 2006 this July at the awesome Imperium festival at the fortress in Halden, Norway.

 

2.Musically how does your newer music differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

 

Legd marks a clear shift in the soundscape of the band from the two previous EP's. With more aggression mixed with our melodic parts I would say our sound is more dynamic and warried now.

 

3.The band was broken up for awhile, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

 

The break up just happened over time because of people moving away, starting families and all things that life is about. But Svein Terje allways made music on his own and this keept Ulvhedner alive while not being a full band. The decision to reform came from some of the previous members asking if it was possible to play together again. So it quickly went from 4 guys to 6, even 7 because we brought back one of our earlier drummers to play live.

 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

 

Our lyrical topics are mostly based on our surrounding nature and the struggles and hardship of the generations before us. We take inspiration from old tales and poems as well as reflections of our own life experiences.

 

The songwriting process is very fluid. Mostly it's based on ideas that are either jammed out or recorded as rough demos. Svein Terje has a studio in  his basement and he spends a lot of time tinkering and building the songs from riffs and ideas he has come up with as well as the other members.

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ulvhedner'?

 

 An ulvhedner is a berzerker warrior that dressed in wolf skin. Some worked as guards and mercenaries.

 

"The first Norwegian king Harald Fairhair is mentioned in several sagas as followed by an elite guard of ulfheðnar. They were said to wear the pelt of a wolf when they entered battle." -from wikipedia

 

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

 

 The cover artwork is a painting by our guitarist, Steinar. It depicts the mountains in which we live. For the vinyl and new CD version, our label Hellstain made a great decission to change the color scheme of the artwork to give it a blue sheen. 

 

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

 

For the previous iteration of the band the best show must have been doing the warm up for Vreid back in 2006. This was also the last time the band played live until this year. So far this year we have only played one show, at Imperium. We are very happy with how it went and the great reception we got from those who attended.

 

We are still developing our stage appearance & performance. We brand our self as "norwegian mountain farmers metall" and we try to look  like this also.

 

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2022?

 

We have two shows planned this fall, they should be announced very soon. We are hoping to be even more active on the live front next year. This fall we'll put most of our efforts into completing the recording of our next album.

 

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and pagan black metal?

 

The interaction with fans and music lovers in general from all over the world is a huge inspiration and boost for our love of making music. We love feedback, good or bad, but it's been all good so far.

 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 

We will progress our sound further, we draw inspirations from all over but the heart of our sound and subjects will allways be our surroundings and stories. We are all excited for how our next album will be recieved.  We are playing some of the new songs live allready and people seem to like it.

 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

Windir opened our ears and minds for what is possible to do with melodies while still making extreme music. Now there are so many bands we love as we all have a diverse taste of most kinds of metal. We go to a lot of festivals, right now 3 of us are in Bergen for the mighty Beyond the Gates. So Enslaved, Emperor and Mayhem tonight will be a highlight. Other than the most obvious bands I can recommend you check out Hengestaur. A norwegian duo that makes great music. 

 

12.How would you describe your views on paganism?

 

We do not define our views as a group as we are all individuals with our independent views and ideas.

What we do have in common is a deep love and respect for nature. We are very fortunate to live in these surroundings and appreciate all the possibilities we are given by living here.

 

 

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

 

We appreciate this oppurtunity very much and would love to thank all of our fans and our label Hellstain for making all of this a possibility. Hope to see some of you at our shows!

Website: https://www.ulvhedner.no
Bandcamp: https://ulvhedner.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ulvhedner
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-U3YPIDvJ29omUtf7cjy0A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Q5QoAzucasukzp8pAUe9p?si=7Q5QJGQZSBmRhl8Z9LJPPw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulvhedner.official/