HELGA to Enchant Rising Metal Talent Showcase at IFF 2024 in London

It is with profound reverence and anticipation that Season of Mist announces HELGA‘s ethereal performance at the ‘Rising Metal Talent Showcase’ during the IFF this year.

The mystical ensemble is set to unfurl their hauntingly beautiful melodies on a stage that craves their unique blend of dark, atmospheric, and melodic sounds. Born from the depths of the Swedish hinterland and the town of York, HELGA‘s music echoes with the luminescent spirits of birch forests and Nordic tales.

HELGA Live @ The IFF Metal Mixer
26 September London, UK @ Arch 33 [Register]

In November, the band will join the Icelandic metal cowboys Sólstafir for the second half of their European tour alongside Finnish black metal psychedelics Oranssi Pazuzu.

Nordic Descent Tour 2024:
13 Nov: Groningen, NL @ De Oosterpoort
14 Nov: Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
15 Nov: Maastricht, NL @ Muziekgieterij
16 Nov: Brussels, BE @ Botanique
17 Nov: Bielefeld, DE @ Forum
19 Nov: Lille, FR @ Le Splendid
20 Nov: Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
21 Nov: Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
22 Nov: Dublin, IR @ Opium
23 Nov: Glasgow, UK @ Queen Margaret Union
24 Nov: London, UK @ Electric Brixton
26 Nov: Paris, FR @ La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
27 Nov: Rennes, FR @ L’Antipode
28 Nov: Toulouse, FR @ Metronum
29 Nov: Pamplona, ES @ Sala Totem
30 Nov: Madrid, ES @ Sala Mon
01 Dec: Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 2
03 Dec: Milano, IT @ Alcatraz
04 Dec: Pratteln, CH @ Z7
05 Dec: München, DE @ Technikum
06 Dec: Vienna, AT @ Simm City
07 Dec: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
08 Dec: Leipzig, DE @ Taubchental
09 Dec: Berlin, DE @ Metropol

Tickets: https://solstafir.is/live

Today, the UK band are proud to announce that they’ve received another strong accolade. Their song Burden won the grand prize in the Rock category during the first session of this year’s John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

“Burden is a song that we’re very proud of”, HELGA says. “To win something like this means the world to us”.

Their prize includes a Taylor AD17e acoustic-electric guitar and other recording gear. Next April, Burden will compete head-to-head with the Session II winner in an online vote to determine the overall winner for the Rock category.

“Burden” recounts a tale of relinquishment and its complexity. Spectral strings and imposing drums converge into a reassuring mélange of emotions, as vocalist Helga Gabriel recognizes having finally found her place in this world.

“This was the first song written for Wrapped in Mist“, Helga says. “It was inspired by the pain of leaving my home in the Dalarna woods and the hope that comes with new connections and relationships”.

Wrapped in Mist is now available on Season of Mist.

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HelgaWrappedInMist
Stream: https://orcd.co/wrappedinmistpresave

Tracklist:
1. Skogen mumlar (4:23) [WATCH]
2. Burden (4:57) [WATCH]
3. Water (3:55)
4. If Death Comes Now (3:58)
5. Farväl (4:34)
6. Alive Again (3:35) [WATCH]
7. Vast and Wild (4:04)
8. Som en trumma (4:26)
9. Mountain Song (5:34)
10. Wrapped in Mist (6:41)
Total runtime: 44:07

Hailing from the Swedish hinterlands of Dalarna and Halifax, West Yorkshire, HELGA amalgamated in 2019 in York, North Yorkshire. United by singer, Helga Gabriel, the quintet delve into a musical alchemy on their pursuit of darker manifestations.

“We draw on many different influences from Swedish folk to progressive metal to post-rock to black metal to pop. Distilling this into a single style is a challenge.” -Cai S.

Summoning this plethora of layers and genre, HELGA culminate their premier album Wrapped in Mist into
dirgeful lamentations of mortality and mental health, punctuated by formidable drumming, spectral strings and chugging riffs.

The album’s opening track, Skogen mumlar (The Forest Murmurs), transcends forthwith into emotive dreamscapes that leave hairs trembling, Ennio Morricone echoing as the intro’s muse.

But as the journey through Wrapped in Mist transpires, songs such as Farväl (Farewell) reveal HELGA’s black metal and darker sensibilities. Bewitching through this myriad range, the album’s waltzing coda flirts
with a melodic baroque that crescendos with Opeth-esque climax.

The inception of Wrapped in Mist promises to plunge HELGA deep into the spotlight of mesmerising live
performances following release. From the hills and forests of rural dwelling, this is a band destined for a journey worth following.

Lineup:
Helga Gabriel – Vocals
Cai Sumption – Guitar
Cameron Gledhill – Guitar
Ryan Fairclough – Bass
Sami Javed – Drums

Recording:
Guitars and vocals recorded by Tom Peters at Trapdoor Studios
Drums recorded by Bob Cooper at Chairworks Studios

Production:
Produced and mixed by Luiz Felipe Netto
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege

Additional Musicians:
Damian Bolotin – Violin on “Skogen mumlar”, “Vast and Wild” and “Wrapped in Mist”.
Antonio Guerra – Grand piano on “Mountain Song” and “Vast and Wild”.
Mafram do Maracanã – Percussion on “Skogen mumlar” and “Wrapped in Mist”
Bruno Migliari – Double bass on “Mountain Song”, “Skogen mumlar” and “Wrapped in Mist”
Luiz Felipe Netto – Acoustic guitar on “If Death Comes Now” & “Wrapped in Mist”, as well as additional electric guitars, keyboards and string arrangements.
Ayran Nicodemo – Violin on “Mountain Song”, “Skogen mumlar”, “Vast and Wild” and “Wrapped in Mist”
Bruno Serroni – Cello on “Farväl” and “Vast and Wild”
Joe Zeitlin – Cello on “Farväl”, “Mountain Song”, “Skogen mumlar”, “Vast and Wild” & “Wrapped in Mist”