It was a cold snowy night in Otta, Norway that Glittertind gathered for their final performance of 2015. Having recently taken a more acoustic and organic direction with their music with their latest album Blåne for blåne, the atmosphere was definitely different to what you may have expected from one of their shows in support of their previous album Djevelsvart, but there was no denying the warm and inviting feeling projected into the room as the small audience waited for the show to start.
Opening with older song Flaumen går, i Noreg er vår before moving into the slightly newer Nordafjells, the new style to the two tracks really gave them an extra edge and it was really fun seeing the tracks have a whole new vibe to them – in particular, Nordafjells seemed to have so much more emotion and feeling behind it, which was impressive as the original version was emotive enough on its own! Another song that worked really well in their new style was Sundriven and in all honesty, the new acoustic style suited the track better.
Of course, it wasn’t just about them performing their older ‘metal’ songs in their new acoustic style because the set featured plenty of tracks from their latest opus as well and a particular highlight was Ukjend land. The performance of it was so tight and together that it was almost like they were simply miming along to the studio performance, which was no mean feat! Indeed, the set as a whole was a very tight and together performance, with every member moving in sync with one another, and the energy behind frontman Torbjørn as he passionately sang and moved about the stage was great to witness!
After a great little interlude, which saw most of the band leave the stage to let Geirmund take centre stage as he played Utgang on the impressive grand piano, everyone rejoined to begin rounding up the performance with three songs that were by far the highlights of the show. First up was Rolandskvadet, which was absolutely stunning to witness. After a short tale about a certain metal musician getting his knickers in a twist about them covering the track when it was first released, the track got underway and it was an absolute joy to witness – in particular, the group vocals were something else!
Of course, it was their track Kvilelaus that stole the show. It’s a song that sends shivers down my spine when listening to the studio version, so I was a little nervous about hearing it live in case it didn’t live up to my very high expectations, but my fears were nullified as the introduction filled the room. Quite simply, it was a moving and breathtaking performance that took my breath away – especially when it was followed with their self-titled track Glittertind, which is my favourite ‘metal’ song of theirs.
The set came to a close with their new single Fnugg av snjo (eng. Flake Of Snow), which seemed somewhat apt given the snowy weather outside, and it was a perfect end to a performance that will remain with me for a very long time to come – it was an absolute privilege to witness them live at long last. If you’re looking for a band that delivers to a very high standard both live and in the studio, then look no further than Glittertind.
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You can read our review of Blåne for blåne here and our most recent interview with bassist Bjørn here!
