Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Vanaheim, an international storytelling caravan, has its roots in the land of the far sight, namely the Netherlands, in the city of Tilburg. Since their founding in 2015, the quintet has been on an everlasting journey through foreign lands, to spread folktales of their own.

Today, Vanaheim release their new single and lyric video for the song “Eendracht Maakt Macht“. 

• Stream/Download: https://save-it.cc/fireflash/eendracht-maakt-macht
• Get it on Bandcamp: https://ff-vanaheim.bandcamp.com/track/eendracht-maakt-macht

“We wanted a song that grabs you right away, without a long intro, which led to „Eendracht Maakt Macht“ (English: Unity Makes Strength). It takes you through different moods, starting dark and tense, then gradually opening up into more folk-inspired, melodic parts. A strong sense of unity was central to the song, since it tells the story of villagers coming together to search for the miller. The Ijsel & Waal Choir plays an essential role, listen closely and you can hear the villagers sing”, comments the band and continue with an insight on the lyrics: “The song tells of a village where the beloved miller has vanished. Haunted by his friend’s death and after seeing spectral lights on the meadows, he desperately warned of a looming threat. To his frustration, his cries fall on deaf ears, leaving him alone with terrors no one else believes. When the familiar sound of his presence is replaced by an unsettling silence, the community unites to find him. Though by time he has become a withdrawn shadow of his former self, driven by mental isolation and haunting visions, yet the villagers decide to put their judgments about him aside. They recognize a lost friend who has been transformed by striking events and external pressure. As the village grapples with guilt and responsibility, they look at him with compassion and the message remains clear: it takes a collective effort to support those who have strayed, ensuring no one is left behind, no matter how heavy the burden.”

Already, since the first two self-released outputs, an EP in 2017 (“The House Spirit”) and an LP in 2022 (“Een Verloren Verhaal”), all eyes and ears of the scene were directed on Vanaheim. Counting as the candidate for bringing back the golden era of folk metal and for returning the genre to the glory that it once had. “Een Verloren Verhaal” struck the scene like a meteor and was often highlighted by the metal press as album of the year 2022.

2023 to 2025, the hype around the band lifted them onto stages of major festivals in Europe, like Graspop Metal Meeting (BE), Wacken Open Air (DE), Wave Gotik Treffen (DE), Milagre Metaleiro (PT) and enabled them to widen their audience while touring with genre veterans like Manntra, Heidevolk, Ensiferum and playing support shows for Alestorm and Equilibrium.

Vanaheim paved their way into the heart of the scene and are ready to take the next big step. In the continuation of their success, the band signed a record deal with Fireflash Records, teamed up with MasterMoldMusic as their management team and found a trustful partner in RTN Touring for booking endeavors.

On September 4th, 2026, Vanaheim will release their highly anticipated follow-up concept album, which carries the name “Roede voor de Borst” together with a new band design and lyrics that tell a tragic, emotional but engaging story. The new album features top musicians like Coen Janssen of Epica and Nils Fischer of Eluveitie, who enhanced the band’s sound with their performances on all new tracks. The Dutch luminary of all things symphonic and melodic metal, aka Joost van den Broek produced, recorded and mixed the album before it was mastered by Finnish mastering legend Mika Jussila in Helsinki.

“Roede voor de Borst” involves the listener in an immersive storyline about regrets, despair, hope and salvation. A musical journey full of surprises coated by a Dutch 19th century setting that pulls you deep into a book of untold legends. The Dutch vocals award these songs with an emotional honesty which leads every sung word directly under your skin. With a rousing mix of symphonic heaviness, elegant folk-inspired melodies and grounding death metal riffs, Roede voor de Borst represents the next level of Vanaheim and a new level of epic folk metal.

Also check the first single & video for the song “De Overtocht”.
Stream/Download: https://save-it.cc/fireflash/de-overtocht
Watch video: https://youtu.be/8L_9-T8PPJY

VANAHEIM live:
25.06.2026 – Ukmergé (LTU) – Ukmergés Kulturos Centras
26.06.2026 – Kisslegg (GER) – Aaargh Festival
03.07.2026 – Vorselaar (BE) – Na Fir Bolg
04.09.2026 – Brüggen (GER) – Bongert Open Air

VANAHEIM is:
Zino van Leerdam – Vocals
Michael van Eck – Guitar
Mike Seidel – Bass
Rikke Linssen – Violin
Bram Trommelen – Drums

VANAHEIM online:
https://vanaheim.nl/
https://www.facebook.com/VanaheimBand/
http://instagram.com/vanaheimofficial/
https://www.tiktok.com/@vanaheimband
https://vanaheim-official-merch.myshopify.com/