At the Video Game Awards, fans were treated to a trailer for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II that’s coming exclusively to the new Xbox Series X console next holiday season. The game, a sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, depicts things are going to get darker for the game’s heroine as it looks like she’s bringing Hel (Norse goddess of the underworld as well as the name of the realm she rules) to the Norsemen. The one thing about the trailer that struck fans the most besides the graphics and imagery of the game, but the song used in the trailer.
The song titled “In Maidjan” (translated “To Corrupt”) is quite hypnotic, and badass, just like the band that performed it, Heilung. I’m a fan of the band so it pleases me to finally be able to share with you the band that will be collaborating with Ninja Theory to make the soundtrack for the sequel to the game that I love.
So, who are Heilung? Heilung is a neofolk, industrial, folk music band made up of three members from Germany, Denmark, and Norway. German Kai Uwe Faust throat sings and chants on many of the band’s tracks while Denmark’s Christopher Juul usually acts as backing vocals and Norway’s Maria Franz usually sings as the main vocals with her haunting voice.

From Left: Kai Uwe Faust, Christopher Juul, and Maria Franz
Heilung’s style and focus of their music are based on Iron Age Northern Europeans particularly the Celts and Vikings. Most of their songs are based on stories, texts, and artifacts from the Iron Age which influences the language used in the songs. Depending on the song, the lyrics are in German, English, Old Norse, Proto Norse, Latin, and Goth.

via Facebook
The three singers and their band’s appearances are reminiscent of Celtic/Norse shamans and traditional Viking age clothing. Their instruments are mixed with the use of modern synth with items and instruments that would have been available during the Iron Age, mainly drums, bones, horn rattles, bells, whistles, spears, and an assortment of percussive instruments.
Heilung has made it clear multiple times on their social media accounts about what their music is,
Every attempt to link the music to modern political or religious points are pointless, since Heilung tries to connect the listener to the time before Christianity and its political offsprings raped and burned itself into the northern European mentality. Heilung means healing in German and describes the core of the sound. It is supposed to leave the listener eased and relaxed after a sometimes turbulent musical journey.”
And it’s a Journey you do not want to miss out on! If you want to check out Heilung for yourself, you can find them on Facebook, Bandcamp, and YouTube.
Warning: imagery in this video may be intense for some. (Ancient Stick Figure Violence)