Jun 15 2026, 9.34am / Features
To Joey & Brooke, I’ve written a lot of words on this site, but none …
For their first full national tour, Halloween Hysteria alumni Valhalore are taking a significantly different approach to most other metal bands. In April, they will be hitting venues around Australia in fully acoustic mode.
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“Being a folk metal band, the folk aspects of what we do are very prevalent in a heavy setting,” says frontman Lachlan Neate, “so for a while now we’d talked about doing some more acoustically driven material.”
In 2018, the idea was given legs after the strongly positive reaction to the acoustic Solace & Solitude EP that was backed up by a few shows. Then in 2019 they experimented with the idea even further at their end-of-year show.
“We thought – ‘How can we make this show more special?’ So we opened for ourselves, in a way, and did an acoustic set, then had the support bands, and then did our usual heavy show at the end.”
It turned out to be a well-appreciated move.
“We were just amazed by the numbers of people who came down early to check out the acoustic show, so we thought we would do it as a headline show,” Neate says. “The opportunity came up to do that in Brisbane last year. We sold out two acoustic shows, which was phenomenal for us, being a typically much heavier band.”
Of all the metal genres, folk metal is probably the least explored in Australia and Valhalore find themselves in a unique position within the scene. So far, they seem to have found that working in their favour.
“It’s such a niche style, I guess,” Neate says, “and metal itself is such an underground scene, so even since day dot we were just amazed at how many people vibed with us from our first show. Because it is such a gamble, especially here in Australia where the scene isn’t as big as it is in places like Europe, for example.”
Neate admits that there is a stigma attached to folk metal “because it’s seen to be a bit of a joke genre” thanks to bands like Alestorm, Korpiklaani and fellow Queenslanders Lagerstein.
“(Lagerstein and Korpiklaani) are two of the bands that we use as examples for that exact reason,” Neate says with a good-natured chuckle. “All credit to them – we love the Lagerstein guys and if it hadn’t been for them we might have never played a show. They kind of opened the door to that kind of music here in Australia. I don’t want to say it’s gimmicky, because that doesn’t give them the credit they deserve as musicians, but in a way, it is, because it’s that whole larger-than-life thing. It’s wonderful entertainment. It’s a circus! It’s a heavy metal circus with pirate costumes. When you mention folk metal in the metal community, people think of that kind of aspect.”
Valhalore’s approach is different from that of the Brisbane pirate-metal crew, closer to the epic fantasy, sword-wielding dramatics of a band like Ensiferum than rollicking sea shanties.
We’re either the heaviest band on a power metal show, or the gimmicky band on a death metal bill. We’re this fun little middle ground where we appeal to everyone, and no one, at the same time!
[Lachlan Neate]
“We have a bit of an identity crisis, because we’ve always said we’re a folk metal band, but there’s a lot more elements of what we do: symphonic metal, melodic death metal, which I guess are the more “serious” end of the metal genre. We’re either the heaviest band on a power metal show, or the gimmicky band on a death metal bill. We’re this fun little middle ground where we appeal to everyone, and no one, at the same time!”
While they wait for their album to be released, Valhalore will certainly be hoping that appeal carries through for them on their 10-date east coast tour in April. Neate is positive that their versatility and uniqueness will ensure an successful run for them, despite a few misgivings about staging a tour while the COVID crisis continues.
“The people who know us will come along and the music lovers who may not necessarily vibe with the heavy stuff might still come to check it out with their mates or whoever has been pestering them to check it out, if we’re not usually their cuppa tea. We’re definitely hoping to make a whole bunch of friends and fans along the way, and hope that opens the Valhalore door to a whole new audience.”
The band’s second album is currently off being mixed and mastered by producer Sam Vallen, of Caligula’s Horse. Valhalore spent three months over the new year period recording instead of being on tour in Europe. Vallen, Neate says, offered enormous amounts of help and advice to the band as they pulled it all together, and now they wait somewhat anxiously as he puts the finishing touches on.
“It was a long couple of months for us. We began at the beginning of December and finished at the end of February. There was long months across a number of different studios, and there were some amazing guest musicians who came to us with their skills and talent, and we’re blown away with how it sounds. Now it’s off being mixed and mastered, and it’s out of our hands for a bit. We’ve given birth to a child and then instantly given it off for adoption. But we’re all really hyped about it and we can’t wait to get it out there and share it with everyone.”
VALHALORE ‘Intimate & Acoustic’ April 2021 Australia Tour:
GOLD COAST // Saturday 3rd April // Mo’s Clubhouse
NEWCASTLE // Tuesday 6th April // Hamilton Hotel
SYDNEY // Wednesday 7th April // Lansdowne Hotel
WOLLONGONG // Thursday 8th April // La La La’s
MELBOURNE // Saturday 10th April // Stay Gold
BELGRAVE // Sunday 11th April // Sooki Lounge
GEELONG // Monday 12th April // Barwon Club Hotel
BALLARAT // Tuesday 13th April // Volta
BRISBANE // Friday 23rd April // Woolly Mammoth
SUNSHINE COAST // Friday 30th April // Solbar
