Zur deutschen Version geht es hier.
Zur deutschen Version geht es hier.
During the Raunächte, the 12 nights between December 25 and January 6, we let go of the old and welcome the new. It is a time of reflection, when we can look back on the past year. When we reflect on what makes us who we are, it stands to reason that we celebrate exactly that. VARG probably had something similar in mind when they celebrated their 20th anniversary at Hellraiser Leipzig on December 27, 2025. ASENBLUT, SAGENBRINGER, and about 1,000 fans were invited to Leipzig as guests of this special birthday party. It was an impressive end to the year! Read more below, of course!
But first, a big thank you to lightinmirror.de for capturing the day so wonderfully in photos and for joining me on this wild journey! Many thanks also to VARG for allowing us to share this evening with you! Here’s to the next 20 years!
The concert day began for us around 3:00 p.m. We arrived about halfway through VARG’s soundcheck. Soundchecks are pretty unspectacular in themselves, because it sounds a bit like playing a band playlist and skipping ahead after about a minute of each song. But for VARG, this wasn’t just any concert, so it wasn’t just any soundcheck either. First, they had to check whether the timing was right, because VARG had one of the longest setlists in their band history. They also had to check how the transition from the regular show to the small acoustic interlude would work and how the special musical guests would fit into the show.
I’ll leave it open at this point as to how the acoustic interlude went and what the guests were all about. This question will be answered later in the article.
However, it is always fascinating to see the difference between the soundcheck and the actual show. The band’s presence on stage and the energy they give off is so different! But I can report that VARG finished their soundcheck even earlier than expected, which was the first indicator for us that this special concert would run smoothly!
Sagenbringer
But now let’s get to the opener of the evening: SAGENBRINGER! This year, we’ve been asked so many times whether we know SAGENBRINGER, whether we’ve seen them live before, or whether we’re going to their tour with DELIVER THE GALAXY in the spring! When you get the same questions so often, it starts to get annoying… From this point of view, it’s usually difficult to evaluate a band’s performance objectively. But I can say this much: SAGENBRINGER more than live up to their reputation!
First of all, they had some cool stage decorations that I really liked. From the wooden structures to the banners displaying the band’s own rune to the large book of legends from which singer Haldruhir recited effectively, it all made perfect sense. Because everything was so well coordinated, it was visually very appealing!
Musically, it also won me over 100%. The light-footed compositions combined with the battle cry-like vocals are incredibly catchy and simply invited you to celebrate. Considering that we were strictly speaking at a birthday party, these were wonderful hymns to the career of VARG. Between songs like Für immer Frei, Trolltaverne, and Blutmarsch, the band members whirled around the stage in an almost exuberant manner. The audience, at least the people in the front rows, whom I could see clearly, absorbed the SAGENBRINGER energy 1:1 and returned it all the more intensely. It really couldn’t have been done better!
Asenblut
Like a bunch of berserkers, ASENBLUT set out to conquer the stages (and maybe a few British monasteries?). You’ve seen frontman Tetzel and his bandmates here quite a few times, and it’s always interesting to see ASENBLUT live because they’re constantly working on their show. This time, they had screens with them that were supposed to display images or graphics. During the soundcheck, you could see the band logo, but during the songs I watched from the front, unfortunately nothing was visible… But I thought the idea was great and I think it will be a complete success at future shows! Especially since I couldn’t see the whole stage during the entire show and it’s quite possible that the technical problem was resolved during the set!
Musically, it was truly a classic ASENBLUT set, just as one would expect: Tetzel’s deep vocals, fast guitars, driving drums, and combative lyrics that whet the appetite for bloody battle. I also found the mix of Das Ende der Götter and Unbesiegbar at the beginning of the set extremely successful, because it allowed the band to start with very high energy and thus perfectly match the mood of the audience after SAGENBRINGER. The eight songs were very well suited to the occasion and ended appropriately with the song Berserkerzorn! Personally, I felt that this year’s Rockharz set was presented a little more powerfully, but that’s really just nitpicking!
Varg
At the beginning, I already mentioned that the Raunächte are a time for reflection. For VARG, this evening must have been a clear reminder of this, because when you consider that 1,000 fans made the pilgrimage to Leipzig for this party, you can’t help but think about the journey they have taken to reach this milestone. The roughly two-hour set that evening was a perfect reflection of this, as it had a few surprises in store!
In typical VARG fashion, the mood and tempo were built up right from the start with Wir sind die Wölfe, Guten Tag, and Immer Treu. The atmosphere among the fans was electric, and you could feel how much their anticipation was now coming to a head. Months of tension, excitement, and perhaps uncertainty came to fruition in the inferno with which VARG engulfed the Hellraiser. From the very first second of the performance, there was no one, absolutely no one, who could escape this fascination, and it was truly electrifying. I also found the live premiere of Varúlfr to be particularly well-placed!
It’s no secret that VARG mostly tell stories of brave warriors and shield maidens, but their anniversary celebration clearly demonstrated the effect this music has: VARG, like hardly any other German band, are able to inspire a loyal fan base with their music, who not only flock to their concerts in droves, but also maintain a close bond with each other. Values such as honor, family, the cultivation of ancient beliefs, and friendship among themselves are the core elements of a heartfelt relationship between the band and their fans. The whole thing is accompanied by a mixture of intense guitar playing, brilliant drums, and vocals by Fylgja and Freki, who are able to skillfully control the emotions of the audience at will.
Speaking of Fylgja: We all know that she is a truly outstanding singer whose voice is, to me, both fierce and sensitive. But on this cold December evening, I experienced her at her best! Not only did she sing the regular songs masterfully, but the two acoustic songs in the middle of the set were the moment that touched me deeply. As a special highlight, VARG had Phönix and Seele in their repertoire, the latter even as an acoustic world premiere. Fylgja took over the vocals alone, making it clear once again that she is not just a decorative accessory in a male-dominated world, but an established artist who has earned her place on stage as a singer. The performance was as resilient as it was graceful and touched me profoundly. So if I could wish for one thing for the future of VARG, it would be that Fylgja singing at least one song alone becomes a regular part of VARG’s sets!
However, there wasn’t much opportunity to fully internalize the acoustic set, because at this superlative birthday bash, one special moment followed the other! As you can imagine, no birthday party is complete without guests of honor. In addition to acoustic guitarist Andreas, two other singers also made their way to Leipzig. First, the audience was treated to Draugr, who performed together with the band Schildfront. We had already seen during the soundcheck who would be making an appearance, but it must have been a really big surprise for the audience, as no one had expected it.
But two is better than one, so VARG had another special guest up their sleeve right after that: Geri! Together with Freki on guitar, the sounds of Wolfszeit rang out. As singer Freki announced in his introduction, they had simply lost touch over the last 15 years, but as mentioned above, VARG also stands for solidarity, so it’s no surprise that they found each other again here! Music connects people immensely, and it must have been a truly uplifting moment for the musicians on stage.
Unfortunately, yes unfortunately, everything must come to an end at some point. However, the big 20th anniversary show ended exuberantly with the song Rotkäppchen, which I personally had not expected, but which was all the more enjoyable for it! Red balls flew into the audience, people danced, sang along, and simply had a great time. What remains at the end of the evening is the absolute certainty for VARG that, after 20 years, they are more capable than ever of inspiring people and attracting large crowds even outside of festivals. With this in mind, we can look forward to the next 20 years of VARG!
Shieldmaiden's Voice 