Gåte – Sigil

Written by on 10-10-2026 at 08:15.

I have to be honest and say that I had only heard of Gåte from their performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, where they played Ulveham. They ended up being in last place, which I found completely unjustified. That song struck me that evening with its unique perspective on the Nordic folk genre. Let me be clear, I love this genre, but it is also a frustratingly limited one. You can only hear someone’s throat-singing in some form of Old Norse (or any other Germanic language if you’re feeling adventurous) about Ragnarok, Odin and going into battle in the name of the gods, while a woman sings a kulning and beats the same rhythm on her shaman drum as every other act. There are few bands that can keep it interesting and genuine, including Heilung, Nebala and the criminally underrated Kati Rán. After listening to Sigil, I can affirm that Gåte belongs among those names.

Sigil is the sixth album for the Norwegian band and the first for metal titan Season Of Mist. The album cover is not what I would call inspiring and had me expecting to hear the umpteenth ‘Hail-Odin-drink-beer-go-to-battle’-album. Opener Bergteken starts deceptively conventional with a tangible influence from Wardruna, but it slowly escalates from there. We are led to crossroads where hardanger fiddle, rumbling bass, squeaking synths, and heavy guitars convene. Multiple songs have the tendency to start either more modern or traditional while finding their way to a conjoining of the old and new. Gåte does not consider tradition as something to merely emulate but as a point of inspiration that can change in new contexts to still be relevant in current times. Take, for example, the banger Oskorsreia, where the wild hunt of Odin is reinterpreted as a reflection of the modern issue of overconsumption. Strandvaskar, a song about coastal burial traditions, uses breakbeats. Breakbeats? In my Nordic folk? Yes, you heard that right!

The band mixes a good cocktail of instruments and atmospheres, even though I think the voice of Gunnhild Sundli is a little too high and sharp in the mix. It took me some time to adjust to her unique style of singing and high-pitched voice. She has the tendency to O VERRR PRRRO NOUNCE WORRRDSSS, and that could get on my nerves. Combine that with my aforementioned gripes with the mix, and it ends up not working to the band’s advantage. It is a shame because Sundli is clearly an incredibly versatile singer, and her piercing highs, snarls, and mysterious lower register can fill the musical landscape with life. Sundli even shares vocal duties with Heilung legend Maria Franz on Sannsiger, but aside from one scream you can barely tell. The song still manages to be a highlight on the album, sounding like something monstrous, yet majestic, is climbing up from the bottom of a lake after spending an eternity frozen in ice down there.

The album maintains a good flow as the band refuses to repeat itself. From the slow buildup of Bergteken, to the near-total embrace of folk metal on Oskorsreia, to the oppressive and ominous Nokon, the band makes it clear that this is not their first rodeo. It is a real shame that the band celebrates that a little too early and loses their streak before the album has ended. Mi Jord is a fine song, but, besides the shrieking guitars, it adds little that has not passed before. It is not the emotional finale that the album needs. Closer Jostedalsrypa should be a vulnerable ending, but ends up feeling frail instead. The combination of loudly mixed whispery singing and, by contrast, nearly inaudible piano and cello does not work for me. Gunnhild Sundli can sing, but that does not mean I need to hear her from out of my own skull. It is meant to be intimate, but it does not come together. The emotionally crushing one-two punch of Songen and Aude just prior to these songs would have been a much stronger ending to the record.

Having said that, there is more than enough happening on the album to compensate for that. The band brings a broad range of sounds while rejecting genre conventions. They manage to keep songs accessible without becoming overly abstract, although it is a shame the ending just does not reach the same level for me.

Score:

85/100

Label:

Season Of Mist, 2026

Tracklisting:

  1. Bergteken
  2. Oskorsreia
  3. Sannsiger
  4. Nokon
  5. Bòd frå djupet
  6. Strandvaskar
  7. Songen
  8. Aude
  9. Mi Jord
  10. Jostedalsrypa

Line-up:

  • Gunnhild Sundli – Vocals
  • Magnus Børmark – Guitar, nyckelharpa, programming, percussion, vocals
  • Jon Even Schärer – Drums, percussion, programming, mouth harp, vocals
  • Arent Todal – Hardanger fiddle, nyckelharpa, violin, vocals
  • Mats Paulsen – Bass, vocals

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