About
"It may be difficult to imagine heavy metal without guitars - but with only bass, drums, and violin, Völur not only makes it work, but also creates music that would be criminal to label as merely one style.”
- Exclaim Magazine
“If you wanted to stage an opera in your basement space, this is who you’d call. They came out in black robes under clouds of smoke, bathed in blue light… wild pagan folk and thunderous doom. If you've never seen a crowd full of leather and spikes headbanging to a violin lead, you’ve never seen Völur”
- Vice Noisey
Völur is an experimental doom metal trio - with bass, drums, and violin - that weaves together disparate threads of music and noise. Their live performance, as described by Spin Magazine, is “truly unique and utterly immersive,” Their distinct sound invites listeners on a captivating sonic journey unlike any other.
Völur formed in 2012 when Lucas Gadke (bass) and Laura C. Bates (violin) — touring as support musicians for a folk singer — discovered their shared love of Death, Igor Stravinsky, and The Dirty Three. Their first album Disir (2013) sold out in Europe and North America and was reissued by the German label Prophecy Productions. In 2017, they released their sophomore record Ancestors, which was included in Metal Hammer's 50 Best Albums of 2017 and described by Vice Noisey as “intoxicating,” cementing Völur's status as one of the most intriguing new bands in heavy music.
In 2020, they released Death Cult, their heaviest and most eclectic offering to date, produced by Alia O’Brien (Blood Ceremony).
Amid the pandemic, Völur released two EPs that explored more disparate genres and sounds, mixing jazz with black metal or Persian music with folk rock. Continuing this trend, Völur will release their highly anticipated fourth album in 2024. This work will be the culmination of their influences: bringing together free jazz, huge doom riffs, icy black metal, and folk melodies from Ireland to Iran.
Electric & Upright Bass, Vocals / Lucas Gadke
Electric Violin, Viola, Vocals / Laura C. Bates
Drums & Drones / Justin Ruppel