Varang Nord

Varang Nord
Varang Nord
Origin	Daugavpils, Latvia
Genres	Folk metal; Viking metal
Years active	2014–present
Labels	Svietņeica; Sliptrick Records; Metal Scrap Records
Members	Jeļena Kaļniša; Edgars Jurkjans; Maksims Popovs; Aigars Zeiza; Ņikita Kobcevs; Rinalds Stivriņš
Past members	Artjoms Kuricins; Jaroslavs Sokolovs; Edvīns Lazarevičs; Danila Lopuha; Vjačeslavs Janens
Website	varangnord.com

Varang Nord is a heavy metal band from Latvia formed in 2014. The band cites Turisas, Amon Amarth and Finntroll as their biggest influences.^[1]

History

In 2019 Varang Nord won the Wacken Metal Battle competition.^[2]

Their fourth studio album Pārķiuņa uomurs ("Thunder's Hammer") was released on 23 February 2021, and is fully sung in Latgalian. The album's orchestral arrangements were done by composer Yuri Borin, while Sergey Karshev wrote the bass parts and Alyona Fomina plays the bagpipes and talharpa.^[3]^[4]

In the end of 2020, Varang Nord announced a 2021 Heathen Heroes Tour in September with concerts in Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, featuring Týr, Arkona, Dalriada and Varmia.^[5]

In 2021 their album "Pārķiuņa Uomurs" was nominated as 'Global Metal Release Of The Year', it finished joint 7th with the album "A Legacy Of Vengeance" by the Falkland Islands death metal band Bloodrust. The band themselves were nominated 'Breakthrough European Band' and finished 10th. ^[6]

In September 2023, embarked on the Black Pilgrimage Tour with Batushka, Arkona, and Aeternam in which they played 17 concerts in 13 European countries. The tour commenced on September 29 in Romania and concluded on October 15 in Helsinki.

In October 2023, we released an Veļi EP featuring 7 acoustic interpretations of previously released hits.

Members

Current members

Jeļena Kaļniša — accordion, vocals (2014–present)
Edgars Jurkjans — bass guitar (2023–present)
Maksims Popovs — solo guitar, vocals (2014–present)
Aigars Zeiza — drums (2015–present)
Ņikita Kobcevs — percussions (2023–present)
Rinald Stivriņš — rhythm guitar (2022-present)

Former members

Artjoms Kuricins — bass guitar (2014–2016)
Jaroslavs Sokolovs — electric guitar (2014–2017)
Danila Lopuha — bass guitar (2017–2023)
Vjačeslavs Janens — percussions (2017–2023)

Discography

Fire of the North (2014; EP)
Master of the Forest (2015)
Call of Battle (2016; EP)
Call of Battle (2017)
Pārķiuņa uomurs (2021)
Veļi EP (2023)

References

^ "Varang Nord Interview". A Different Shade Of Black Metal Zine. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
^ "And here are the winners of the Metal Battle 2019!". Wacken Open Air. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
^ "Varang Nord Bring Down The Hammer With 'Pārķiuņa Uomurs'". FolkMetal.nl. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
^ "Varang Nord released New Album". Kronos Mortus. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
^ "Varang Nord Announce Dates For The 2021 Heathen Heroes Tour". Rock 'N' Load. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
^ "Global Metal Apocalypse (GMA) Awards 2021 - The Results". Global Metal Apocalypse. 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.

External links

Official website

[1] "Varang Nord Interview". A Different Shade Of Black Metal Zine. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[2] "And here are the winners of the Metal Battle 2019!". Wacken Open Air. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[3] "Varang Nord Bring Down The Hammer With 'Pārķiuņa Uomurs'". FolkMetal.nl. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[4] "Varang Nord released New Album". Kronos Mortus. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[5] "Varang Nord Announce Dates For The 2021 Heathen Heroes Tour". Rock 'N' Load. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

[6] "Global Metal Apocalypse (GMA) Awards 2021 - The Results". Global Metal Apocalypse. 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.

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