The sense of community at the final stop of Paganfest USA — featuring Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr, and Eluveitie — was unbelievable. These kinds of bands attract a very specific type of metal fan; perhaps a tad nerdier, weirder and a smidge smarter than the average bunch. After all, anyone who goes to watch a bunch of grown men dressed in fur loin cloths and full body-makeup play European folk songs in metal form can’t take their metal too seriously. But everyone in attendance at the sold out show at New York City’s BB King’s was there to fucking get down. Sadly I didn’t see any viking hats, but everyone had their beer steins raised high and kept them there all night long. There was a palpable feeling of excitement in the room — separate from the very obvious mass drunkenness — and everyone there was enjoying the hell out of these excellent bands in the most primal way. Excited chants of “hey! hey! hey! hey!” along with the beat, and fervent chants of each band’s name in unison were prevalent all night long. In short, the inaugural run of Paganfest was absolutely fucking awesome. This was one of the most fun metal shows of the year by far. After all, isn’t it supposed to be fun?

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So from what I hear, Paganfest has been a colossal success thus far. I think more of you should be writing in and telling us how awesome this tour is, ’cause a) we’re co-sponsors of the tour and we like to think everything we touch turns to metal and b) we won’t get to go until the last night of the tour here in NYC, so we need to live vicariously through you cats.

Below is some more awesome live footage of Turisas, this time playing Paganfest’s stop at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California on May 7, 2008. And below that is the itinerary for all remaining dates on the tour, because for many of you, it’s not too late to go. And tell ‘em Axl, Vince and Kip sent ya.

9 May 2008 Fat City San Francisco, California
10 May 2008 The Vault Long Beach, California
11 May 2008 The Cell Block Phoenix, Arizona
12 May 2008 Chics El Paso, Texas
13 May 2008 The Launchpad Alburquerque, New Mexico
14 May 2008 Crush Lounge Tulsa, Oklahoma
15 May 2008 Ridglea Theater Fort Worth, Texas
16 May 2008 The White Rabbit San Antonio, Texas
17 May 2008 Java Jazz Houston, Texas
19 May 2008 The Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
20 May 2008 Volume 11 Raleigh, North Carolina
21 May 2008 Crocodile Rock Allentown, Pennsylvania
22 May 2008 BB Kings Blues Club New York, New York

-AR

So the MetalSucks co-sponsored Paganfest has commenced, and by the looks of the below footage of Turisas performing “Rasputin,” the fans are responding, um, positively.

Who would have ever thought that dancing the jig would have a place in the pit? Take that, karate-chopping asswipes of the world!

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After the jump, watch more footage by and of overly excited Paganfest fans, learn the true meaning of the phrase “Fuck the guitar solo,” and get a complete tour itinerary so that you can attend a Paganfest gig near you. ‘Cause if you don’t go, we’re sending Turisas to rape and pillage your hometown.

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Well, the tour we’ve all been excited about since November,  the MetalSucks co-sponsored Paganfest, start tonight, and guess what? The first date, at The Opera House in Toronto, is apparently already sold out!

And is it any surprise? This tour has four amazing bands – Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr and Eluveitie – that are gonna make you want to chug mead from a stein, smack the bar wench on the ass, and then throw your arm around your buddy for a good old fashioned sing along. Nothing homoerotic about that.

Check out the Paganfest America MySpace page for more info. In the meantime, the complete tour itinerary is below. When it comes to this tour, make Harold and Kumar’s trip to White Castle your models: no matter how far you have to travel, no mater what treacherous terrain you must traverse, no matter what obstacles you must overcome, GET YOUR ASS TO ONE OF THESE SHOWS. And tell ‘em MetalSucks sent ya.

25 Apr 2008 The Opera House Toronto, ON – CANADA
26 Apr 2008 Medley Montreal, QC – CANADA
27 Apr 2008 The Palladium Worcester, Massachusetts
28 Apr 2008 Jaxx Springfield, Virginia
29 Apr 2008 Peabody’s Down Under Cleveland, Ohio
30 Apr 2008 Harpo’s Detroit, Michigan
1 May 2008 Chicago Powerfest (Pearl Room) Mokena, Illinois
2 May 2008 Station 4 St. Paul, Minnesota
3 May 2008 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, Colorado
5 May 2008 Studio Seven Seattle, Washington
6 May 2008 Hawthorne Theater Portland, Oregon
7 May 2008 The Boardwalk Sacramento, California
8 May 2008 House of Blues Hollywood, California
9 May 2008 Fat City San Francisco, California
10 May 2008 The Vault Long Beach, California
11 May 2008 The Cell Block Phoenix, Arizona
12 May 2008 Chics El Paso, Texas
13 May 2008 The Launchpad Alburquerque, New Mexico
14 May 2008 Crush Lounge Tulsa, Oklahoma
15 May 2008 Ridglea Theater Fort Worth, Texas
16 May 2008 The White Rabbit San Antonio, Texas
17 May 2008 Java Jazz Houston, Texas
19 May 2008 The Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
20 May 2008 Volume 11 Raleigh, North Carolina
21 May 2008 Crocodile Rock Allentown, Pennsylvania
22 May 2008 BB Kings Blues Club New York, New York

-AR

Here’s the video for Eluveitie’s new single,”Inis Mona.” It comes off of their latest album, the super awesome Slania, which is in stores now, and which I can virtually guarantee is better than any other new European melodic death metal album you might buy between now and May.

Yeah, I said it.

In case you somehow missed the 8 trillion other posts we’ve written about it, Eluveitie will join Turisas, Ensiferum, and Tyr and on this spring’s Paganfest USA tour, which MetalSucks is proudly co-sponsoring. That means that you should, like, totally go.

A complete list of tour dates to follow after the video…

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Their disco balls, that is.

OH! Rimshot!

This video, about the making of Turisas’ clip for “Rasputin,” is possibly even more entertaining than the finished product itself… although it does ruin the illusion that these cats dress like pagans all the time.

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You can watch the finished video for “Rasputin” here.

After the jump, find the obligatory tour itinerary for Paganfest USA, featuring Turisas, Eluveitie, Tyr and Ensiferum.

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Fuck yes, dude! The final itinerary for this spring’s Paganfest America has been released. 26 dates, 26 chances to throw on your dead animal hide and party like it’s 1999 B.C. with a killer bill that includes Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr and Eluveitie. I gotta tell you, I’m so excited about this tour that I actually tried to hit my girlfriend over the head with a large branch and drag her to the bedroom. Sadly for me, she managed to get ahold of the branch and, well, let’s just say that Uncle Axl now knows better than to try that kind of thing without wearing a cup.

ANYWAY, above, enjoy the video for “Rasputin” by Turisas; after the jump, find a complete list of tour dates. And, oh yeah, don’t forget to check out the Paganfest America MySpace page for more info!

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As the sure-to-be-awesome Pagangest America tour grows ever closer, one of the bands on that trek, Eluveitie, have posted a new song, “Inis Mona,” on their MySpace page. The song comes from the band’s forthcoming new album, Slania, which drops February 15 on Nuclear Blast.

And don’t forget that Eluveitie will hit the road as part of Paganfest America starting in April, joining Ensiferum, Turisas, and Tyr on what is sure to be a tour too crazy for the Common Man who doesn’t understand the simple pleasures of raping, pillaging, wearing dead animal skins and generally behaving in a manner that my parole officer claims is “anti-social.” Check back here often for updates or you can head on over to the Paganfest America MySpace page.

-AR

Even more dates have been added to this spring’s awesome Paganfest America tour, featuring Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr and Eluveitie! Click through the jump to get an up-to-date itinerary, or visit the Paganfest America MySpace page. In the meantime, here’s Ensiferum’s totally epic, totally awesome video for “Ahti.” I’m assuming it was made by a director who really knows how to work with a budget, and wasn’t nearly as expensive as it looks. Either that, or you can really get more bang for your buck over in Finland…

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Well, guess what? More dates have been added! ‘Cause Detroit and Houston need to get their pagan on, too.

If for some reason you’re legally retarded and thefore still not stoked about this tour, here’s a video of Ensiferum performing their tune “White Storm.” I gotta tell you, I’m developing a pretty hardcore crush on their synth player, Meiju Enho. She’s just so damned cute – and yet, I have no doubt that she could kick my ass so bad that I’d wish I was dead…

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After the jump, complete tour dates; don’t forget to keep checking back here for more info, and definitely go visit the Paganfest America MySpace page!

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With Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr and Eluveitie on the bill, Paganfest America is sure to be one of the best tours of ’08 – and now the organizers  have announced additional tour dates. The itinerary thus far is now as follows:

Apr. 25 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
Apr. 26 – Montreal, QC – Medley
Apr. 27 – Worcester, MA – Palladium
Apr. 28 – Springfield, VA – Jaxx
Apr. 29 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s
May 01 – Chicago, IL – The Pearl Room (Chicago Powerfest)
May 05 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
May 06 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
May 07 – Sacramento, CA – The Boardwalk
May 10 – Orange County, CA – California Metalfest
May 15 – Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX – Ridglea Theater
May 16 – San Antonio, TX – The White Rabbit
May 22 – New York, NY – BB King Blues Club & Grill

Ensiferum’s Sammi Hinkka commented, “Across the oceans, through the storms. Towards Vinland, brave warriors of the North! The time has come for us to unite, brothers and sisters; hold your swords up high! With our allies; Eluveitie, Tyr, and Turisas, eternal glory and victory waits for us! May beer flow and the Skydome rumble during our quest, so that even the Gods know, it is time for a Paganfest…”

Vince and I (and maybe even Kip?) will be at the NYC show come hell or high water!

Stay tuned for additional tour dates, or check out the Paganfest America MySpace page.

-AR

I saw Beowulf in 3D this weekend – it sucked. Didn’t even scratch my itch for getting drunk and fucking wenches and killing things. Nope, not one bit. The boobies were all CG and shit and even though I dig the ancient poem, the movie seemed to reduce the story’s complexities to something along the lines of “Use a jimmy hat, and if you don’t, be sure and pay your fuckin’ child support so that bastard don’t come a-callin’ later.”

Lucky for me, then, that in April Turisas will finally come to North America as part of the Paganfest America tour, so I can get my fill of rousing sword play and manly sing-alongs then. And even though I was a little disappointed to learn that Turisas vocalist Warlord Nygard (pictured above right, skull fucking an enemy with his mighty steel) can actually speak in full sentences and doesn’t communicate exclusively via grunt, I was glad to read his statement regarding the tour:

“After years of talks about a North American tour and fans begging us to cross the big pond it is finally happening. We are looking forward to taking the new continent by storm together with our good friends Ensiferum and being backed up by two of the rising names in the scene, Tyr and Eluveitie. It is clear that the strength of this tour is not only in the individual bands playing, but the whole package. This is to be the ultimate tour of the year for any Pagan/Battle Metal fan, so brothers and sisters of Vinland; we will except no excuses – see you in the front row!”

MetalSucks is co-sponsoring this tour, so that means we’re excited and you should get used to hearing about ’round these parts. Check back for more updates, or go to the Paganfest America MySpace page. Already announced dates are after the jump, but expect more real soon.

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Look: it’s winter now, so don’t expect us to be in a good mood for at least five months. The fucking cold, the getting dark ridiculously early… these are prime Cannibal Corpse kittie killing months.

But the spring… ahh, the spring! Warm weather, cold beer, girls in ridiculously inappropriate-for-public outfits… and now, Paganfest America.

That’s right: Uncle Axl pulled a fast one on you last week when he was talking about Turisas “hopefully” touring the U.S. someday real soon. See, he already knew what we can now proudly announce: that this spring, Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr and Eluveitie will be teaming up to bring lucky metalheads all over the country for what’s sure to be one of the most get drunk, burn the venue down, drag your girlfriend to the bedroom by her hair-fantastic tours of 2008: Paganfest America.

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