Bards of Valor Get ready for a music-induced journey back in time! Feel like you're enjoying a party in medieval times as you step into the pub of a small harbor town that unbeknownst stands on the brink of destruction by an enemy force. Or is it? Dutch metal band Bards of Valor brings you a story of hope and ruin with their energetic, epic, and straightforward super catchy folk metal about Vikings, battles, and booze. Five men strong, hailing from Enschede, The Netherlands, they want to reach a diverse audience with a mix of rock and metal, heavily riddled with outspoken folk influences and catchy melodies that get stuck in your head for the remainder of the day. Their music is inspired by bands such as Heidevolk, Korpiklaani, Iron Maiden, and Dropkick Murphys. Rik (The Other World), Robin (Bottlecap), Michiel (Sheds Water), Vincent, and Sebas (The Blackhill Bandits) joined forces in 2015 with fun-filled folk metal as a starting point. After a few rehearsals, they found that having a great story like the ancient bards would work best as a catalyst for creating new songs. They took a harbor village, put it in peril, and tried to understand the feelings of the multitude of people involved in defending a city against a siege from enemy forces. This ended up being the epic story that you can find on their debut album “A Tale of Hope & Ruin” which you can find on various streaming platforms and in our webshop.