Viking metal.

[Tobin S.]

I've heard it said by a musician who has made Viking metal that he imagined that if Vikings had a soundtrack to their adventures it would be in heavy metal. When a Viking ship made landfall with plans to overrun a village, something like the following would be on the ship's sound system if such a thing had existed back then.

This my favorite song on the new album by Amon Amarth. I bought the album on a whim. I knew the band, but I hadn't really gotten into anything by them. This album is very solid and I'm glad I bought it.


They bring him to the shore
His ship is ready made
He will not see them anymore
Here he cannot stay

The brotherhood is gathered
Their faces hard as stone
They have come to take farewell
In silence they mourn

"Our king has left our ranks
a wise and noble man
We owe him loyalty and thanks
He ruled with a steady hand

He will be missed by all
His heart has now been stilled
Tonight he'll dine in Odin's Hall
There he'll drink his fill"

The ship glides gently on the waves
As day turns into night
One thousand burning arrows
Fill the starlit sky

Two ravens on the longship
They spread their pitch-black wings
And lift up to the burning sky
A send-off for a king!

Into flames! The longship burst into flames!
Black smoke is rising high
To the eternal night

Into flames! The whole world burst into flames!
Nothing will be the same
Things will forever change

The flames are raging higher
They gnaw at wood and flesh
Soon the ship will break apart
And sink into the depth

This night we wait in silence
And when the morning breaks
Our king has left this world to walk
Through Valhalla's gates

[sofa king]

1. If you'd like to trace it back...

I can't speak highly enough of Icecross, a one-album Icelandic band from 1972 which was nearly forgotten.

Amazing!

[Tobin S.]

2. Thank you. I'll check it out.

[Tobin S.]

3. The musicianship is very good. They made a lot of sound for a trio.

It sounds to me like they may have influenced Rush. The progressive quality of their music pre-dates Rush's adventures in that category by a few years.

What happened to them that caused them to only make one album?

[sofa king]

5. According to what I read,

They showed up at a commune in Dennmark and had a chance to record, then they wandered off on their own paths.

And I totally agree that they, along with Budgie, probably had a strong influence on Rush. But then again, maybe not. I think the first pressing was only 1000 copies, closely held by those lucky enough to get them.

[area51]

4. But what about ...

Viking Kittens?

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. GMTA

[OriginalGeek]

6. Hail Quorthon!