Lumsk

The folk-metal movement, which had been gathering momentum since the closing decades of the twentieth century, crystallized into a distinct subgenre during the opening years of the 2000s. European heavy-metal acts began weaving regional folk traditions into their sound, producing singular outfits such as Ireland’s Cruachan, Switzerland’s Eluveitie, and Germany’s Equilibrium. Scandinavia proved especially fertile ground, giving rise to numerous ensembles, among them the Finnish acts Amorphis and Finntroll along with the Norwegian bands Windir and Lumsk.

Lumsk coalesced in the city of Trondheim in 1999, one of the earliest groups deliberately assembled around a folk foundation rather than grafting traditional elements onto an existing metal lineup. The core metallic section—guitarists Bjørnar Selsbak and Eystein Garberg, bassist Espen Hammer, and drummer Alf Helge Lund—was augmented by violinist Siv Lena Waterloo Laugtug, keyboardist Espen Warankov Godø, session horn and string players, and vocalist Vibeke Arntzen, whose soft delivery rendered nearly all lyrics in Norwegian dialects. This configuration yielded the band’s debut album, Asmund Fregdegjaevar, issued in 2003 on Tabu Records.

When Arntzen and Selsbak departed, the group integrated new singer Stine Mari Langstrand and guitarist Ketil Saether in time for the 2005 follow-up, Troll. That same year Lumsk became the first act awarded a grant exceeding $50,000 by Norway’s by:Larm Convention and Festival; the funds underwrote both the 2007 release Det Vilde Kor and several accompanying videos. The record introduced drummer Vidar Berg and featured guest appearances by mezzo-soprano Tone Kummervold and tenor Lars Eggen.

In 2008 longtime members and spouses Saether and Laugtug stepped away in anticipation of a child, yet Lumsk announced plans to hold auditions and resume their ongoing fusion of folk and metal.