Wolfchant

Hailing from St. Oswald, Germany, the pagan folk metal band Wolfchant draws thematic inspiration from Scandinavian legends even though its founding members assembled there in 2003. Those originators included vocalist Lokhi, who also handled bass and guitar duties at times, guitarists Skaahl and Gaahnt, and drummer Norgahd, whose contributions occasionally extended to vocals, keyboards, and accordion. Two demos issued the next year, “The Fangs of the Southern Death” and “The Herjan Trilogy,” showcased the group’s emerging approach of pairing harsh black-metal vocals with abundant guitar melodies. That approach led directly to the 2005 release of their debut album, Bloody Tales of Disgraced Lands, which earned widespread critical praise, followed by A Pagan Storm in 2007 and Determined Damnation in 2009. The latter album launched a new recording arrangement with Massacre Records and brought three additional musicians into the lineup: rhythm guitarist Derrmorh, keyboardist Gvern, and bassist Bahznar.