This article is translated and edited with the introduction on my 10th anniversary of visiting the Lithuanian festival Kilkim Žaibu. It was 2014 when we decided to travel from Slovakia to Lithuania for the first time. In an old car Škoda Felicia, rusty, with no air conditioning, no GPS, just a map in hand of our co-driver (me), we started our travel from the city of Košice. Unfortunately, we decided to take a route through Lublin and not Warsaw, which was a terrible idea. Those memories are still alive, and I remember every detail almost perfectly. We had to stop at the Polish-Lithuanian border because the driver was too tired, and we just slept in some meadow. In the morning we had an alarm clock of the faces of bulls and cows looking at us and we realized that we slept on someone’s property. Fortunately, it was without any problems and the same day we got to Kaunas where we made a stop at the Museum of Devils and straight after that we took a highway in a direction of Varniai. Oh yes, those were the times when Kilkim Žaibu was at the Varniai location in the Samogitian region, a really beautiful place.
May this overview be a reminder of the great friendships and relationships we have created at this great festival during the magical nights of the summer solstice! May this be thanks to the organizers for their years of work and dedication. As this year we are returning to festival again, we will celebrate it properly. Note: In cursive, I am adding some of my thoughts and comments from today’s perspective.
The overview was written in August 2014, but re-published in April 2018 on our new website.
When I discovered the Lithuanian festival Kilkim Žaibu, which is mainly dedicated to pagan thematic a few years ago, I was really surprised. Variety of music styles , from black metal, pagan metal, folk, neofolk to death metal, thrash metal and various traditional crafts swordsmen duels plus absolutely beautiful surroundings . I told myself that once I have to visit this festival, whatever it may cost! I have been thinking about this for two years and I heard really good reviews from a friend who already visited , also from Andis, the manager of Skyforger. My friend who gave me the recommendations decided to travel to Lithuania again, so we set sail with a great driver Jozef his girlfriend, Sunshine, and me as a navigator. Those 1200 km in his old car was a pretty good experience, but it took longer than we expected, and it was really tiresome.
After the arrival to Varniai I was amazed by the beautiful nature neat the lake, where the festival was happening. I have to say that I have never seen a better place for a festival. Another plus was the possibility of choosing a camping zone between quiet and noisy one (depending on a distance from the stage). Am I glorifying the festival? This is just the beginning, as the ticket cost on the spot is just 35€ and you don’t pay for parking or camping. For a 3 day festival, it is really good deal and I was also very satisfied with the security. There was a really nice atmosphere and not a mass of people (which is what I prefer) and by my guess, there were about 2500-3000 people.
The first day
Finally, I am writing about the festival program. Oh, sorry I almost forgot to mention that the food at the place was great and if you count it in euro currency (this was last year before Lithuania switched currency from litas to euro), it was about 2,5€ for lunch – not bad! The first day begun about 18:00 with Polish folkish band Percival and people were starting to gather under the stage. I was listening to them while walking and discovering the festival area. The following band was also of the neofolk genre, it was Lithuanian Sen Svaja, which caught my interest a bit more. Three very good-looking Lithuanian girls with traditional instruments did their work perfectly (I am adding them to my playlist). I also have to say that folk costumes with leather jackets with patches looked awesome! After Lithuanians there was time for another Baltic folk group – this time it was Latvian Vilki. I watched a few songs and went to have some dinner while listening to them from a distance. It was a pleasant folk music. The next band was the first one with a distorted (metal) sound and it was a Polish Percival Schuttenbach. The same members as Percival, they just switched to electric guitars and started their show where one cannot miss songs like Satanizmus or Pani pana.
After their setlist followed traditional summer solstice customs with the ignition of smaller bonfire. I eagerly participated in the ancient games, and I have to say that it was an amazing experience. Meanwhile, it was preparation time for one of the biggest attractions of the festival – Wardruna. I think that it is not needed to introduce this neofolk/ambient jewel. Midnight was oncoming and under the stage gathered almost everyone. The bonfire was still burning and when the first tones of Wardruna sounded, my whole body was shivering. I don’t think it is necessary to name any song they have played. I would describe it like this – the sound and everything was like from the CD but ten times better. The performance was without any mistake or failure, absolutely professional, and above you – just a clear midnight sky. It was the experience written in my soul for the rest of my life. After Wardruna I was so tired that I just passed-out in the tent…
I am just now realizing that this was the last and probably the only (?) chance to see them live with Gaahl. Still remember that show and as I wrote… that was something else.
The second day
The start of the program was early today, at 12:00. In the festival area there were various music publishers (labels) and tents with craftsmen’s products. The first band of the day was from Estonia – Paean. It was something on the boundary of doom metal and progressive death metal. I was listening to their music just from a distance while waiting for my lunch and beer (it was kind of a long wait by the way). The next group was Green Novice, which is the music I already listened to at home. These Latvians had a really huge support among the fans – nothing surprising since there were a few buses with Latvian metalheads and Green Novice are playing solid music! Their debut album Padebeši (2014) is a catchy mixture of folk-inspired metal with modern (groovy) touch.
Few years later I have invited Green Novice to Slovakia for a few shows and it was a great experience! Oh yes, if someone doesn’t know, I organize music shows as well.
The following non-musical program was in the style of Lithuanian traditions. On the grass field stood men from two Lithuanian ethnographic regions – Samogitia (Žemaitija) and Highlands (Aukštaitija). One huge guy (probably the referee) came with a massive log and threw it between the line of guys (two teams) who were battling against each other, and the point of the game was to deliver the log into the shield of the enemy team. Harsh, exciting, and a great experience since the next round the foreigners wanted to try out the game and we lost the battle badly !
Meanwhile, they were preparing on stage for the Belarusian band Osterweg. Folk/ambient duo was creating a suitable atmosphere for the ancient traditional duels. It was a really magical touch and most of Osterweg’s music was dominated by bagpipes. In the lineup of Osterweg were just two people, Aleksandr mastering the bagpipes and a flutist known from the band Krynitza. At the end of the set, they also played a very original cover of Burzum’s song Crying Orc.
Oh, my longtime platonic crush was a flutist from Krynitza and Osterweg… hah, how young I was!
The next few hours were dedicated to various swordsmen duels accompanying by Latvian band Obscurus Orbis playing on stage. A really good medieval background music to all of this. It reminded me of something like Corvus Corax or their Latvian countrymen Auli. About half past four, preparing on stage was for me almost unknown Ereb Altor. I have read some descriptions, that they are playing something like epic/pagan doom metal, so I was curious about their music. What started these charismatic Sweds left me speechless! Amazing, and once again amazing. If there exists the legacy of Bathory, so it is the Ereb Altor. With their outstanding show, they absolutely amazed me, and they obviously don’t deny their main inspiration. Singer literally said: “Song dedicated to man who created minimum of two meal music genres.” The cherry on top was the cover of Twilight of the Gods, the best one I have ever heard.
Oh Gods, how didn’t I know Ereb Altor at the time?! Thanks to the festival I am listening to them to this day.
After the Ereb Altor was playing local band Meressin whose popularity was obvious by the amount of people gathering under the stage. The region where the festival is happening is named Samogitia and exactly from this region is also Meressin. Although they were a bit static on the stage, their music was energetic and people were having fun. Musically it was something between old-school black/thrash and traditional heavy metal. Recently they have released a new album Tik kars īr teisībi, from which they have played the hit song Luokia Pieda. It was a really good performance, and they caught my interest to such an extent, that I went to buy a CD. This band really deserves attention! The next band was German Endstille, which was not my cup of tea, and didn’t watch their show.
It is really a pity, that Meressin is not playing anymore. Their traditional heavy metal touch would be probably successful now, especially for Northern and Western metalheads, who are now really into this genre.
One of the headliners of the festival and frequent participants was Latvian legend Skyforger. This time they had a special setlist, mainly from the demo album Semigalls’ Warchant (1997) and the first album Kauja pie Saules (1998). There was a huge mosh pit during their set and it was pretty obvious who is the biggest and most favourite band in the region. I was surprised that they are still playing songs and special setlists from an old era. Next band after Skyfroger was Asphyx from Netherland, which is not really my style even though they are a cult band in doom/death metal genre. Afterward, the bonfire was ignited and people surrounded this beautiful view. The last band of the day was Moonsorrow. I think that this band doesn’t need any introduction. These Finns are playing the finest pagan metal of their style, and they don’t follow any trends. Moonsorrow was one of the headliners of the festival, but I have to say that I was expecting something more from them. Maybe it was caused by previous great shows by Ereb Altor, Skyforger, and Meressin which they didn’t surpass.
The third day
Same as the second day, also third day begun with a nice weather and program started from 12:00. This time I woke up earlier and for the breakfast I bought a great cabbage soup – this was a true staple of the festival and a hangover cure! Pardon me, but I didn’t pay attention to the first three bands Nrcsst, Phrenetix, and Thrashless (especially since I am not the biggest fan of thrash metal). Later I was regretting a bit, that I didn’t watch these bands, especially Estonians Thrashless, as it sounded from a distance like a really good portion of the genre’s standards. It was also time for the final duels of swordsmen, and one could feel like in medieval Lithuania when they were resisting as a last pagan state against the crusades of the Order of German Knights.
I remember that I spent a lot of time just walking in the area near the lake, swimming or talking to one beautiful Lithuanian girl.
At 16:00 started the first sounds of the local band Juodvarnis. Young Lithuanian band, which plays pagan metal with clean vocals, that are not always in tune, but it has its specific atmosphere. The last local band which played at the festival was Luctus and they are a known band even outside of Lithuania. Their show could be titled as a one of the best performances of the festival. Energic, aggressive, and technically well-played black/thrash metal. I enjoyed the whole set, especially songs from the latest album Stotis (2013). Thy Worshiper is the band which I have seen in Slovakia at the concert Perunica Fest in Nitra city where they amazed me by their great performance. This was the reason why I was looking forward to seeing this band, but unfortunately, I didn’t have time to listen their latest album Czarna dzika czerwień (2014). I was full of expectations and Poles didn’t disappoint me. Really great performance, the only missing thing to their show was the darkness. Their hypnotic music is created literally for the dark atmosphere of the night.
At that time Juodvarnis released their first album Šauksmai iš praeities (2014) which was a quite different music that they are playing now.
Another concert I was looking forward to was the one of the Norwegian band Vulture Industries. They are great showmen and a musically well-matured and professional band. Unfortunately, they were missing one guitarist on stage, but they have mastered this issue very well, even though in some parts the missing second guitar was obvious. Singer Bjornar is a born showman, and his voice is phenomenal. From the setlist, I would mention especially songs from the latest album The Tower (2013), which is a true masterpiece. One song ,namely Pils of Conformity was played also from the debut album The Dystopia Journals. Absolute top of the show was song Blood Don’t Eliogabalus, when Bjornar jumped down from the stage and started to march amongst the fans who started to follow him and created a snake. Great performance, a lot of fun, and one of the best shows so far.
The next band was going to be Australian black/thrash metal commando Destroyer 666. There were some rumors during the day about their upcoming show, which was supposed to be canceled. The reason was the injury of singer/guitarist Warslut, who broke his arm during the previous festival and ended up in hospital. In the end Destroyer 666 came and played their set without one guitar and the main singer. Songs like Sons of Perdition or I am the Wargod were still kicking asses! Honestly, it wasn’t bad, it was indeed a good show, but still, Destroyer 666 with a shortened setlist and without Warslut is like having sex with protection… not complete!
So, it is here, for me the biggest headliner of the festival – legendary Ukrainian folk/black metal band Nokturnal Mortum. I didn’t have a chance to see them live so far and I was looking forward to it like a little boy. The soundcheck was long, terribly long, but it was worth a wait. I got some news from my friends from Poland, that Nokturnal Mortum changed the line-up last time and on stage we could see one familiar face – Jurij from the band Khors a new guitarist of the band. Nokturnal Mortum also changed their stage image, and their new look was like they would just come from a swamp. It was a bit more mysterious. The first sound of the intro almost made me cry… it was the Ukrainian national song Plive kača, which was played during the Revolution of Dignity for heroes killed in battles and for soldiers who died in battle with Russian aggressors. If this was the emotional introduction, then it was an explosion of emotions during the song Slava Herojam. Nokturnal Mortum were always one of my most favorite bands and legends in the genre I was stuck to since my later teenage time. The show itself and sound were amazing and the setlist was as well. The next songs Nič Bohiv and Dika Vira were from the upcoming album Istina followed by classics Ukraina and Bila Veža from album Holos Stali. I was pleased that they played also Kolyada from the cult album Goat Horns, which is probably my favorite. And that was the end… was no encore, they just packed and left the stage. I expected at least one more song, but there was none. The Concert of Nokturnal Mortum was simply amazing and I wish they could play longer.
It’s coming, the last band of the whole festival and I was talking to myself that please no, no this can’t end yet. Rotting Christ as the closing of the event was the cherry on the top. These charismatic Greeks are playing in central Europe pretty often, but I haven’t seen them yet. They are one of the older bands on the scene and they know perfectly how to work and cheer fans up even as the last band of a three-day festival. From the greatest hits they were playing my favorite Non Servian, Gilgameš, Noctis Era and Grandis Spiritus Diavolos, mainly from the latest album. After their show I went to spend my last money and I bought MC of this album. And yes… my wallet was crying for a long time after the festival due to all that merch I have brought home.
What to say at the end? This was one of the best, if not the best festivals I have ever experienced. I would like to recommend to everyone to visit it at least once (you just must if you are into metal and folk music festivals). That long travel is really worth to see the beautiful place where festival happens and a really unique organization.
Someone would say that in 2014 I was overstating in my overview of the festival. I was indeed younger, devouring every moment of this time and simply amazed by the festival’s program. But… It lasted until today. I came back to the festival after some years in 2018 and since then we have been visiting it every single year… because… it become a tradition for me and my friends and the festival’s program is interesting every year. Now it is happening in different place, which is maybe even nicer. If you would be interested to go, don’t hesitate to ask questions in the comments or in our email. See you there soon!
Written by S.
Photos from Kilkim Žaibu 2014 could be found here.
