No mythological system has made a more powerful impression on modern Americas’ minds than the one devised by Northern Europeans. Centuries after they were written, the Norse epics’ rhythms continue to send shudders through contemporary consciousness. We see the runes, remember the rituals, hear the stories, and feel the stark magic. Many folk and metal bands of Northern Germany and Scandinavia have tried to impart some of that awe, wonder, and horror to their music. Heilung has chased those ghosts into the stormiest seas, snowiest hills, and deepest forests. They’re the heirs to a tradition that, like the Midgard Serpent, still shakes the globe. It isn’t merely that the three members of Heilung draw so deftly from traditional Nordic music, or the seamless way they incorpo...