Skálmöld: the band that played at the Arctic Henge
There are some pretty outlandish places where gigs have taken place in the past. In 2013, Metallica became the first band to have played a show on every continent in the world, having performed a one-off concert in Antarctica, and to this day remain the only act to have achieved this feat. Danish project AquaSonic premiered their pioneering underwater performance in 2016 after a decade of perfecting the techniques required to pull off such an unusual feat. Nobody has managed to succeed in taking a tour for a stop in space just yet, but you’d bet there’s someone who would be willing to try it soon enough.
Given all of the extremes these acts have gone to to perform a show and the risks involved in even attempting to perform in these treacherous locations, you’d be forgiven for thinking that a performance at an Icelandic stone monument is quite a tame prospect. However, there’s nothing exactly ordinary about this location, and for Viking metal band Skálmöld, they became the first act to hold a concert at the spellbinding Arctic Henge when they performed there in September 2024.
Despite its similarity in name, the Arctic Henge does not share the same prehistoric origin story as the UK’s Stonehenge, but it did serve as the inspiration for locals to begin constructing the attraction in the North East Icelandic village of Raufarhöfn in 1996. Previously known for its important role in the fishing trade, the village now attracts thousands of visitors per year who have come to marvel at the extraordinary feat of architecture and, seemingly, fans of Viking-themed heavy metal.
Other inspirations behind the construction include Icelandic folklore, literature and mythology, and while it remains incomplete currently, once finished it will be the largest outdoor artwork in the country, standing at over ten metres high and with a circumference of over 50 metres. The archways that surround the central monolith are all made with deftly balanced stones, with a keystone at the apex to hold everything in place. It’s a remarkable feat of architecture, and one which the Icelandic can rightfully boast that “our henge is better than your henge”.
But why hold a concert there, and why were Skálmöld the perfect fit for the inaugural performance? On September 7th, 2024, approximately 1,500 individuals travelled to the remote peninsula to see the band, and the setting could not have seemed more picturesque and unfitting for a heavy band to perform at. There’s a serenity and almost ethereal quality to the Arctic Henge, and having that disrupted by shredding guitars seems like a good way to strip it of all its charm.
However, the band, adopters of the Viking metal tradition, respected this new sacred ground and even brought in a pagan priest to bless the gathering. With Icelandic composer Barði Jóhannson bringing a more ambient sound to his support slot, his style would have appeared more appropriate for the twilight skies surrounding the location. As night drew in, the Viking rockers captivated the large crowds and brought joy to the first concert ever held at the remarkable site.
Given that the band adheres to a genre of music steeped in tradition but provides an inclusive and progressive slant to their ethos, it only feels appropriate that they be the first to play at a newly built but folklore-inspired monument. With the construction of the site continuing, you have to wonder if any other acts will follow suit and perform there in the future or whether it will remain Skálmöld’s honour to have been the only act to play a headline show there.
