Lachlan Neate - Valhalore 'A Viking's Return With a New ‘Horizon’ Of Music'

Whenever you get that feeling of frivolous adventuring, or admiring the endless beauty our world provides us with, one band always comes to mind... Brisbane’s own Valhalore. Blessed by the divines with a never-ending supply of the most euphonious material, carefully crafted like a sword with a forge & anvil. Merging extremely commanding riffs, with striking woodwind instrumentals (numerous flutes & tin whistles), amongst resonant vocals. All together weaving an epic tale of mythical folklore with unlimited possibilities and ends.Banding the soldiers together in 2015, Valhalore came blasting through the doors of well… Valhalla, forcefully with a self-titled EP backed with formidably heavy, symphonic elements. The EP’s 3 songs would later be remastered for the debut LP Voyage into Eternity (2017). This album came packed solidly with astounding solos and harmonies instrumentally and vocally, mass amounts of scales and sweeps all wrapped nicely with a bow of well-arranged flutes, whistles and many bright backing instruments. All these factors can be heard along on album's journey through tracks ‘Guardians of Time’, ‘Across The Frozen Ocean’, ‘Voyage Into Eternity’ while others like ‘Augury of Death’ reinforce the band's heavier, untamed side. Exhibiting such with chuggier, stabby riffs and a more guttural vocal display as opposed to bold, catchy cleans.Demonstrating their musical versatility a year later we’re graced with Solace & Solitude (2018). Giving off the hard vibes of sitting in the forest, with a small campfire going, appreciating the stars or beyond. The mix of acoustic instrumentals, covers and a reimagined original grants you that realistic feeling of being in that quaint universe with them. Don’t get too comfortable though, a warrior’s battle never ends, and reigniting that flame of purpose came single 'Legacy' (2019). Constantly upping themselves with every release, Valhalore really brought that cinematic feel into Legacy in an instant with a breathtaking intro instrumental rendition that was carried on well by the escorting insane rhythms and grooves.[wpadcenter_ad id='171758' align='center']While the Brisbane Vikings continued to spread their name and story live on stage over the coming years, supporting festivals & huge acts such as Kamelot, Wind Rose, Alestorm, Arch Enemy and the incoming Blind Guardian 2024 Australia Tour, we were slightly left waiting on new material. Making up for it with various covers over the years ('Toss A Coin To Your Witch' & 'DarkerStill' by ParkwayDrive) we are finally at that point where Odin is sick of our moaning and is appeased with our sacrifices enough to let the 6 piece free and let their ‘Horizon’ of folk terror begin.Before we get into the new track let’s take a quick trip over to Camp Valhal. Wall of Sound spoke to leader & vocalist Lachlan Neate about the single and what’s to come...Hi Lachie! We have a lot of catching up to do! How's everything in the Valhalore Barracks fairing? Hello! It’s certainly been a while. Everything is really starting to ramp up again after a few slow and frustrating years, which is very exciting. New music, an Australian tour and much more to come, so it’s all happening!This is the first single you've released since 'Legacy', how good does it feel to get some new material out there?Honestly, the ability to finally kick off this new chapter of Valhalore feels incredible. We’ve been sitting on this new music since 2021, and absolutely itching to release it. To finally be at this point is a huge relief and we can’t wait to be back and sharing original music!Give us some insight. What was the creative process behind the methodical ‘Horizon’?As with a lot of our music, Anthony Willis (Guitar) came to me with a near-complete instrumental track. I then take the song and treat it as a movie score, and that informs what I “see” the lyrical narrative to be. What image does the music evoke? In this instance, the lyrics and further orchestrations came from a particularly beautiful sunset during the COVID lockdowns. It was a peaceful moment of stillness and hope in a chaotic time; and a reminder that no matter what is happening, if we just close our eyes, we can be wherever we want to be. I wanted to capture the feeling of that moment and share it in this song.Does ‘Horizon’ musically set the tone for what's to come, or can we expect some twists and turns along the way?Yes and no. There are definitely some twists and turns, as with everything we do we aim to push ourselves and expand on what’s already been done. I think Horizon is one of the most “Valhalore” songs on the album, in both the overall composition and lyrical themes, but the whole album really progresses our sound. It’s the musical equivalent of a box of Favourites. It’s all very much Valhalore, but there’s something different for everyone.Now we’ve learnt about the meanings and makings of 'Horizon', let’s take our own journey into the new single. Laying the foundation of their new ethereal plain we’re soothed into it willingly by a flawless flute and acoustic combo, before being instantly ripped away by the strong current of decimating drums, and melodic guitar that could tame gods. Roaring mids and growls slam their way round the verse with a brutal rage before the beaming chorus rhythm shines through and overtakes with glorious, triumphant singing to guide the way. Fuelled also by mind-blowing leads, and well-filling programmed instrumentals, this could easily be a chorus you would hear in a stadium with thousands of people punching their fists in the air, singing back the lyrics and the ‘woahs’.Jumping flawlessly between fast daggery riffs to softer folk is a hard feat to pull, but every transition and melody hits perfectly without missing, which is one of the key aspects that makes Valhalore, Valhalore. A strong choir of vocals brightens up the bridge behind the main singing, conveying more power and making it hit in the feels twice as effectively. A slaughtering solo of sweeps so fast your fingers become bone, ends with the returning rhythm of the intro flute to bring the song round full circle nicely. Much like the bridge, the outro retains that upbeat, head high, strong feeling, with well-refined held notes to end it how it started, ethereally.Now the balls rolling again for you guys on new releases, can we expect new melodies out of the mists of Sovngarde soon?Certainly! It’s already shaping up to be a big year with plenty more music, shows and videos to come!You've toured with a lot of big acts in the last couple of years from Alestorm to Arch Enemy and now Blind Guardian. Is there anyone specifically you'd like to hit the states with?We’ve honestly been so fortunate to work alongside some amazing and inspirational bands over the years. It’s still quite surreal. The names that immediately spring to mind for future dream tours are Nightwish, Wintersun, Eluveitie… We just want to travel the world, sharing our music and getting our live show in front of as many people around the world as possible.Thanks for the catch-up gang, stoked on the new release and we’ll be sending Odin’s Raven to keep a close eye on our local lot. Interview by Ed Atlas@yourfavouritemerchguy

Stream ‘Horizon’ here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx6mFTogyh0