Völur
Völur | |
|---|---|
 Völur in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Doom metal, Folk music, Contemporary classical music, Experimental, Free jazz |
| Years active | 2014-present |
| Labels | Prophecy Productions |
| Members | Lucas Gadke Laura C. Bates Justin Ruppel |
| Past members | James Payment |
Völur is a Canadian doom metal band based in Toronto, Ontario, signed to Prophecy Productions. Since forming in 2014 they have released two full-length albums, two EPs, one split[1] and have toured Canada, the United States and Europe. They play a hybrid style of doom metal and folk music while often incorporating jazz structures into their songwriting.
History
[edit]Völur was formed in 2014 by Lucas Gadke (Blood Ceremony), Laura C. Bates (ex-Trent Severn) and James Payment (Do Make Say Think). Their first EP, Disir, was recorded in a single day in April 2014 by Ian Blurton and released independently. In 2015 the band signed with Germany-based Prophecy Productions and performed at Prophecy Festival in 2016 at the Stone Age Balve Cave in western Germany.[2] Prophecy subsequently re-released Disir later the same year.
Völur released Ancestors in 2017, their first big label release.[3] They toured the United States for the first time in 2018 along with label-mates 1476, however the tour was cut short after Bates and Gadke were badly injured falling off a collapsing balcony.[4] Two more US tours followed in 2018 and 2019.
Themes and influences
[edit]Völur's lyrical themes draw primarily from Norse mythology. Their name comes from an old Norse word (völva) which means a seeress or woman who can see into the future. Disir focuses thematically on these female Norse goddesses as told in "Voluspa: The Prophecy of the Seeress" from Poetic Edda.[5] Their second album, Ancestors, incorporated more chamber folk and drone musical elements and thematically focused on male gods.[6][7]
Musically they are influenced by doom metal, folk music, ambient music, chamber music and drone.
Band members
[edit]- Lucas Gadke - Bass, vocals
- Laura C. Bates - Violin, vocals
- Justin Ruppel - Drums
Discography
[edit]- Disir (2014)
- Breaker of Oaths single (2015)
- Ancestors (2017)
- Psychopomp single (2017)
- Breaker of Rings / Blood Witch split with Amber Asylum (2019)
References
[edit]- ^ "Völur". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ^ "Germany's Prophecy Festival Brought Black Metal, Doom, and Neofolk to Life in a Stone Age Cave". Vice. August 12, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ^ "Do Yourself a Favor and Stream Völur's Ancestors". MetalSucks. May 31, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ^ DePasquale, Jenna (October 18, 2018). "Interview: Völur Bassist Lucas Gadke". Invisible Oranges. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- ^ Grant Phipps (24 October 2018). "Shadowing the seeress: Völur's Lucas Gadke". Tone Madison. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ Andy O'Connor (June 30, 2017). "Völur Complicate Metal Masculinity". Bandcamp. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ^ Kim Kelly (30 May 2017). "Canadian Trio Völur Elevate Folk Doom Beyond This Mortal Plane". Vice. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
