Alfheim - ? (1997): Former project of Morgueldar, member of Heresiarh and creator of Morgueldar’s Tolkein Music List.
Amon Amarth - Swedish melodic death metal with strong Viking themes.
The Crusher (2001)
- The Sound of Eight Hooves: The story of a pilgrim preacher who travels to the northern countries to preach the word of Christ, but instead is sacrificed to Odin. The eight hooves are the hooves of Sliepnir.
- As Long as the Raven Flies: Inspired by the movie 'The Raven Flies' by Rafn Gunnlaugsson.
- Annihilation of Hammerfest: A story of how Mjöllnir is reclaimed, and a metaphor of how the ancient Gods were pushed aside when Christianity made its way into Scandinavia.
- Fall Through Ginnungagap: About the warrior from the previous song floating through nothingness. It’s a metaphor for the time that followed after Christianity made it’s way into Scandinavia when the ancient Gods were almost forgotten.
- Releasing Surtur's Fire: The third and final part of this mini-concept, this song tells how paganism and an interest in the old Gods are increasing.
The Avenger (1999)
- Bleed for Ancient Gods
- The Last with Pagan Blood
- North Sea Storm
- Metalwrath
- Legend of a Banished Man
- Thor Arise: Bonus track, available on digipack and LP.
Once Sent From the Golden Hall (1998): Most of this album describes the adventures of five otherworldly warriors. I would have guessed that the five represented members of the band, but there were only four band members at his time. Perhaps the man in the first few songs joins the band members when he dies, making five? I'm not sure why they like the number 5 so much either, it's not even a multiple of three!
- Ride for Vengeance: Christians killed his first born son, and now he seeks revenge.
- Dragons' Flight Across the Waves: The 'dragons' are five ships sailing to war.
"For his destiny beyond these waves / Known only to the Norns"
- Without Fear: A fallen warrior prays for death: "And pray that Oden / Will take me home"
- Victorious March: The five warriors raid a Christian town.
- Friends of the Suncross: "Ygg brings us home when time has come" Ygg is another of Odin's names (hence, Yggdrasil.)
- Abandoned: A Christian man feels abandoned by God when the five come to kill him.
"I see Hel's gates / Towering high / And dark are they / I die!"
- Once Sent from the Golden Hall: The five warriors are shown waiting upon a mountain for the Gods to call them to battle.
"A warcry loud as Heimdall's horne / Echoes across the land"
Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds (1995)
- Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds
- The Arrival of Fimbul Winter
- Burning Creation:
I am assuming this refers to the Scandinavian cosmogony, but I don't know the lyrics.
- The Mighty Doors of the Speargod's Hall: The speargod is Óðin, and his hall could be either Asgard or Valhalla.
The Arrival of Fimbul Winter (1994)
- Burning Creation
- The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter
Thor Arise (1993)
Ásatrú: Rob Engvikson's one man band. His songs are about everyday Viking life and their way, battles they fought, their beliefs, Norse Mythology and the Runes. Heavily inspired by early Bathory.
- Into Glory We Shall Ride: An unreleased song about Ragnarok.
2249RE Demo (1999)
- Asatru Warriors
- Lindisfarne
- Nordic Skies
- War of Fire
Homepage
Asgard: A progressive rock band.
Asgard - To a Golden Age (1996): I don't have the lyrics for this French death metal album, so I'm just guessing which songs are relevant. The title might be a reference to life after Ragnarok, but then again maybe not.
Asgard: Belgian black/Viking metal. This is probably the same as the previous listing, but one place said they were French and another Belgian.
In To War
Aska - Avenger
Contributed by MSDMEEKO@aol.com
Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle(1998): This double CD is a tongue-in-cheek, campy, science-fiction scenario with exaggerated cliche characters. "A deafening thunderclap as time and space collide! Eight human souls (eight different singers), plucked from their eras of Time, suddenly find themselves together in a strange dimension... A mysterious voice directs them through a maze of trails leading into the electric castle. Within the castle they must find the gate back to their own centuries. Will they survive? And who is the voice...?" One of these characters is the 'high & mighty' Barbarian who wants to conquer this new land. Although he's called a Barbarian, he is obviously a Viking as shown by his references to Thor, Odin, and Valhalla. Only those songs in which he appears are listed here. Also, in order for the characters to reach the castle, they must cross a rainbow bridge, reminiscent of Bifrost.
Disc 1
- Amazing flight
a) Amazing flight in space
- The decision tree (we're alive)
|
Disc 2
- The garden of emotions
b) Voices in the sky
- The castle hall
- The two gates
- Another time, another space
|
One of the foremost, and certainly my favorite, of all Viking metal bands in existence. The first sign of influence from Scandinavian mythology appeared on Under the Sign of the Black Mark. It isn't until 1990, with the release of Hammerheart, that their full potential is reached. Most of Blood on Ice was recorded before then (1988 through 1989,) but the album wasn't released until 1996. See Songs #2 for more information.
Blood on Ice (1996): An epic album highly inspired by heroic Norse legends. Essentially, this is an attempt by Quorthon (the frontman of Bathory who writes all the songs) at writing his own legend. To fully experience this, you should buy the album, read the lyrics and Quorthon's comments (or read them here,) and enjoy the music. Also, take a look at the album cover by Christian Wahlin. Sleipnir can be seen in the top left corner, and Hugin and Munin fly over the mountains in the background. Óðin himself stands disguised at the bottom of the picture, and there are other aspects of the songs portrayed here as well.
- Intro
- Blood on Ice
- Man of Iron:
In this song, the hero learns "to speak the tongue of the animal," a trait more commonly associated with the Druids of Celtic mythology.
- One Eyed Old Man: The one-eyed old man is actually Óðin in disguise. I never thought he would have such a whiney voice.
- The Sword
- The Stallion:
Our lucky hero gets to borrow Sleipnir in this song.
- The Woodwoman: Possibly a Norn, since she determines the fate of the hero.
- The Lake: Mímir's spring. The hero emulates Óðin by throwing his eyes into a secret lake to gain superior vision. See self-mutilation.
"At the bottom of the lake/I now see no matter how near or far."
- Gods of Thunder of Wind and of Rain
- The Ravens:
Obviously Hugin and Munin, but why are they serving a mortal rather than Óðin?
- The Revenge of Blood on Ice
Twilight of the Gods (1991): Although this is generally considered a Viking metal album, these are the only songs which I believe are relevant.
- Through Blood by Thunder: This song is about a Viking who is destined for something, but I'm not sure what.
- Blood and Iron: Begins with the age of the gods of the sky, and then tells of Ragnarök, which brings the age of man. Ends by saying that man will become the new gods of the sky.
- Bond of Blood: A song about returning from battle across the sea.
- Hammerheart: Having died and gone to Valhalla ("the joyous hall up high,") he is welcoming all those who worship the Æsir.
Hammerheart (1990): Their first all Viking album, these songs are mostly about the roles religion played in Viking society.
- Shores in Flames: Compares Viking raids with the ancient tradition of burial at sea.
"No time to lose at sunbirth we attack the city by surprise / Down the coastlines with the wind we reign / Men of the North we leave the shores in flames"
"Then place me on a ship of Oak / And let it drift with tide / Let the flames purify my soul / On its way to hall up high"
- Valhalla: A follow-up song to Shores in Flames, it describes the warrior's journey to Valhalla.
- Baptised in Fire and Ice: A song about learning the ways of Nordic tribes. "The powers of Fire and Ice" are analagous to the Scandanavian cosmogony.
- Father to Son: Describes the bond between father and son which is strong in Viking culture.
- Song to Hall Up High: A prayer, written by Quorthon.
- Home of Once Brave: Describes the beauty of the land with a longing for the glory of days past.
"Above two Ravens/messengers of the wise One eyed God"
- One Rode to Asa Bay: An excellent song about the Christianization of Iceland in the year 1000 C.E. Read the lyrics. The "Asa land" referred to is actually Iceland. As I understand it, the name Asa was derived from Æsir, and later Anglecized to finally become Ice.
Blood, Fire, Death (1988)
- Oden's Ride Over Nordland: An instrumental, also the name of the artwork on the cover of the album.
- Blood, Fire, Death: Apparantly a song about Thor freeing slaves.
"A chariot of thunder and gold/Will come loud/And a warrior of thunder and rain/With hair as white as snow/Hammer of steel/To set you free of your chains."
Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)
- Equimanthorn: According to Adam, Equimanthorn is a god of war (from an unofficial Bathory page,) but I can't verify that.
"Grant me the powers of thunder and give me a sword forged in the raging Hell’s fire. Lend me the eight legged black stallion of Odin and I’ll have my vengeance, oh, I’ll kill with desire." Kind of sounds like a prelude to Blood on Ice, doesn’t it?
Bethzaida - Prelude to Nine Worlds (1997): Mini-CD containing one track from their first demo, 'Dawn', and four tracks from the 'Nine Worlds' demo.
Nine Worlds (1996): The first full-length Bethzaida album, with the same title as their second demo.
- Nine Worlds: Describes a man's journey after death.
"Nine worlds below Nivlhel I went / That is where the dead of Hel's domain are sent"
Nine Worlds (demo, 1995)
Bifrost - Mythistory: The cover depicts four Thor's Hammers falling into a fire on the cover.
The Wildest Fire
Pagan Reality
- Fimbulwinter: a tale of hate
- Battlelord Odinn (father of victories)
- Choosers of the Slain:
I don't know the lyrics to any of their songs, but I assume this song is about Valkyries.
Black Sabbath - Tyr
This album contributed by Eric of Eric's Casa.
Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind (1989)
Bloodaxe - In Battle (2000): Album was released on June 6th (the anniversary date of the Battle of Lindisfarne) and limited to 793 copies (the year of the Battle of Lindisfarne).
Borknagar: Bandmember Garm, also in Arcturus, Fimbulwinter, and Ulver.
The Olden Domain (1997)
- The Eye of Oden: A song about Hugin and Munin, who watch over the land for Oden.
- A Tale of Pagan Tongue: "The echoes of chosmic strife / Borne to the one-eyed man / By the ravens of reminiscence."
- The Dawn of the End: Describes the events leading up to Ragnarok.
Brutal Attack - When Odin Calls
Burzum - Hlidskjalf (1999): A synth-based instrumental album dedicated to the myths of the death Wuotan. It's the second part in a trilogy which began with Daudi Baldrs.
- Tuisto’s Heart
- The Death of Wuotan: Wuotan is swallowed by Fenris (Fanjarîhô) on the Wígriðr plain at Ragnarok.
- Ansuzgardaraiwô: Werewolves in the service of Wuotan.
- Nerþus’ Love
- The Lonesome Mourning of Frijô: Freya (Frijô) mourns the loss of her son, Balder.
- The Power of Empathy: The binding of Fenris (Fanjarîhô).
- Fijô’s Golden Tears
- The Crying Hadnur: Hadnur the Blind killed Balder and now awaits his own death.
Daudi Baldrs (1997) This entire album is about the life and death of Balder. Varg interprets this myth as a metaphor for the Christianization of "his people". In this case, Balder represents "the meaning of life".
- Daudi Baldrs = "Death of Balder"
- Hermodr a Helferd = "Hermodr on a Journey to Hel" Hermodr represents women who search for the meaning of life.
- Balferd Baldrs = "Balder's Burning" Balder's body was buried in the traditional Norse way.
- I Heimr Heljar
- Illa Tidandi
- Moti Ragnarokum
= "Towards Ragnarok"
Crimson Glory: This progressive metal group originally started in 1982 as Beowulf.
Crimson Glory(1986)
Crystal Eyes: A new Swedish power metal band whose lyrics deal mostly with fantasy and science fiction.
In Silence They March (2000)
- Sons of Odin: Vikings praying to Odin and Thor before setting sail to conquer new lands.
Diamond Fist Werny - Diamond Fist Werny
Einherjer: Another Norwegian Viking metal band with its roots in black metal. Recently they have begun to use more traditional metal sounds and progressive keyboards. However, all of their diverse influences seem haphazardly jumbled together. Add a terrible vocalist to the mix and you get Einherjer.
Norwegian Native Art (2000): The liner notes state that guest singer Hanne E. Andersen provides the Valkyrian Voice.
- Wyrd of the Dead: The story of Odin’s sacrifice by hanging.
- Doomfaring: A song about Hel.
- Hugins Eyes
- Burning Yggdrasil
: The fires of Muspell shall reclaim the nine worlds at Ragnarok.
- Crimson Rain: Describes the prophecies which foretold of Ragnarok.
- Howl Ravens Come: "The forceful Gram knows well"
Gram is the name of Sigurd's sword and Fafnir's bane.
- Draconian Umpire: A song about Garm.
- Regicide: The Story of Sigurd, from Volsunga Saga.
Odin Owns Ye All (1998)
- Leve Vikingeånden: Intro (the title is Norwegian and translates loosely to "Long live the Viking spirit!")
Contributed by Raúl Vallejo (aka Balder Wodensonn) and Dan H. Løvlid.
- Out of Ginnungagap: The story of creation.
- Clash of the Eldar: The war between the Æsir and the Vanir.
- Odin Owns Ye All: A Viking battle song.
- Remember Tokk: "My skills in lies and betrayal acts."
It sounds like they're singing about Loki. This is enhanced by the fact that Loki disguised himself as an old woman named Thökk after the death of Balder.
- Home: Referring to Valhalla, a Viking warrior's home in the afterlife.
- The Pathfinder and the Prophetess: Tells the prophecy of Balder's death.
- Inferno: The story of Ragnarok.
- A New Earth: The rebirth of the world after Ragnarök, as described by the seeress in Voluspá.
Far Far North (1997)
- Far Far North: A song about Hel.
Dragons of the North (1996)
- Dragons of the North: A song about Vikings conquering the Christian world.
- Conquerer: A Viking returns home.
- Fimbul Winter
- Storms of the Elder: A call to Odin to rise again.
- Slaget ved Hafrsfjord: "The Battle of Hafrsfjord" at the end of the 9th century, which led to the unification of Norway.
- Ballad of the Swords: Another battle song.
Leve Vikingånden (1994): Seven-inch single.
Aurora Borealis (1994): First demo, re-released as a mini-CD in 1996. Vocals by Nidhogg.
- Aurora Borealis: Likens the northern lights to Wotan and his warriors riding across the sky.
- Einherjer
Enslaved: A black metal band who have been playing Viking music from the very beginning. I don't have the lyrics to most of their albums, so in many cases I have only listed those songs with direct references in the titles. See Songs #2 for more information.
Monumension (2001): They seem to have dispensed with the Viking lyrics on this album, except for the last song.
- Sigmundskvadet: A folk song with lyrics about rune rituals. (a contribution from "Deep Space")
Mardraum (2000): Mardraum is Old Norse for nightmare. The lyrics on this album are in Enslaved's tradition of the 'Viking Way,' meaning that they include a lot of links to the mythology and magic beliefs of their ancestors.
- Frøyas Smykke = "Freya's Necklace"
Blodhemn (1999) -
Eld (1997)
- Ymir's Sønner = "Ymir's Sons" (introduction)
- 793 - Slaget om Lindisfarne = "793 - Battle of Lindisfarne"
Lindisfarne is a small island off the coast of Northern England. It is also the site of the first Christian monastery in England, and in 793 it became the first English monastery to be raided by the Vikings. The translation of the lyrics I read was misleading - the Viking invaders did not lose this battle. The line, "betrayed by our own brothers, we were forced down on our knees" means that over time they were made to serve the Christians despite centuries of victorious battles against them. This is a general theme in Enslaved's lyrics, and I believe it is why they chose their name.
- Hordalendingen = "The Man from Hordaland"
- Alfablot = "Sacrifice to the Elves" Describes a harvest sacrifice to "the friends of the Vanir."
- Kvasir's Blod = "Kvasir's Blood" The story of Kvasir's birth, death, the creation of "the mead of poets," and how it came to the Æsir. In this story, Grimne is actually Oðin in disguise.
- Far Lenge Siden = "A Long Time Ago" A song about the Christianization of the Northlands.
- Eld = "Fire" A song about fire, and how the world was created from the fires of Muspell and shall burn again at Ragnarok.
Frost (1994)
- Loke: A song about Loke (or Loki.)
- Fenris: Summarizes important stories involving Fenris including his birth, capture, and escape.
"Fenris is loose!"
- Yggdrasil: The lyrics to this song are from the beginning of "The Rune Poem," part of Hávamál ("The Sayings of Hár.") Oðin sacrifices himself by hanging from Yggdrasil in order to gain the knowledge of nine runes.
- Jotunblod = "Giant's Blood" The giant referred to here is Ymir. This song is a retelling of the Scandinavian cosmogony.
- Gylfaginning: This is a brief introduction to the story Gylfaginning ("The Deluding of Gylfi.")
- Wotan: A song about Wotan.
Vikingligr Veldi (1993)
- Lifandi Liv Undr Hamri = "Living Beneath the Hammer" Briefly describes life in Midgard.
- Vetrarnótt = "A Winter's Night" describes a pagan ritual of some sort.
"From above rain the golden arrows of Thor."
- Midgards Eldar = "Fires of Midgard" The band expresses their desire to "return to the reign of our forefather's gods."
- Heimdallr: The lyrics to this song read like a grade school essay on the god Heimdall.
Hordanes Land (1993) - Split CD with Emperor. Anyone have an English translation of the lyrics?
Yggdrasil (1992)
- Heimdallr: demo version
- Alfadr Odhinn = "All-father Oðin" Is this the same song as on Hordanes Land spelled differently?
- Resound of the Gjallarhorn: This song might also be referred to as "The Winter Shadow" Opus 1.
Falkenbach: See also Songs #2.
- ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintri (1997): Beautiful cover showing Viking ships.
Fallen Yggdrasil: A German death metal band.
Fatima Hill: Japanese heavy metal with female vocals.
Valhalla (1997, re-mastered 2000)
- Valhalla: The song for Beatrice part 2
Invitation to Valhalla (1997): demo tape
Fenris - A progressive metal band.
Fimbulwinter: An extinct black metal band. Bandmember Garm, also in Arcturus, Borknagar, and Ulver.
Freikorps - Heil Odin!
Gaia - Icendaar: I believe this project was canned before anything was recorded. Below is part of the proposed tracklist.
Garm: a black metal band.
Hagalaz' Runedance: Project of author and former member of Aghast, Andrea Nebel Haugen. This quote and the ones below are from Andrea herself:
"Hagalaz is the rune of destructive and creative forces within nature. [It is used] to open doors to the underworld or to Hel, which represents the subconscious. Hagalaz is thus the rune of the Volva and another name for her is Hagtessa or Hagedis. Hagalaz' Runedance... represents the dance of the Hagalaz rune, the magical practice of the wise women, the dance inbetween the worlds." |
Volven (2000)
- Seeker Divine: "a dedication to Odin, the warrior, shaman and wanderer, the seeker of life's mysteries."
- Volven: "the northern name of the wise woman, the soothsayer, the witch… Through Seid magic (northern shamanism) she would travel to the other-side to seek wisdom and communicate with spirits and the gods. The vardlokkur is the song of ecstasy, which she or her helpers sang to lock "the wardens", souls from the other-side. Seid is of earthly, not seldom sexual nature and the Volva was often leading fertility rites to ensure life continuing on earth. The Volva was highly respected and also feared by the people as she was closest in touch with the Norns... The northern myths show us clearly that the people believed wisdom itself to be feminine"
- Alva = "she-elf"
- Solstice Past: "a lament for the passing summer. At the end of summer we know that winter is coming closer by the day. And we are reminded that summer is the peak of life… our own life. Our own summer will pass and winter will come for us. Summer will come again, but no longer for us to see…"
- Wake Skadi: "Skadi is the goddess of the hunt and winter. She is a Jotun, a giant, and may well represent the primal woman, the woman of the snowy mountains, the lone huntress, clad in furs, who runs with the wolves… Skadi represents a passionate fighter, determined, she does not surrender easily."
- Dreaming Wild White Horses: "In both Germanic and Celtic legends the white or grey horse, which is a young white horse (white horses are born black and turn gradually white over the years) plays an important role. They are believed to carry spirits back and forth between this world and the underworld. Particularly white/grey mares are mentioned in myths and folklore. The English word nightmare, for example, refers to the belief that a mare would take the soul for a ride while the person is dreaming. In Norwegian, nightmare is called Mareritt, which means "ridden by Mare", the Mare is a female spirit from the underworld that is believed to come ar night and sit on the sleeping person. The goddess of spring, the fertility goddess is also pictured riding on a horse and horses were often sacrificed in fertility rites… We can see the connection between the horse, the feminine mysteries and the hidden worlds…"
- Vision of Skuld: "Skuld is the youngest of the Norns... She represents the future and her name means "that which will be". Her face is covered with a veil and Skuld thus symbolises that which is not known, uncertainty, hopes and fears. It is she who eventually cuts the thread of life…"
Urd - That Which Was (1999): Mini-CD with 2 new songs.
The Winds that Sang of Midgard's Fate (1998)
- When the Trees were Silenced: The Christianization of the Northlands. "Yggdrasil's children" are the worshippers of the Æsir and "the ones that fooled you well" are their Christian conquerors.
- Behold the Passionate Ways of Nature
- The Home that I will Never See
: Andrea wishes to return to 1,000 years ago.
- The Oath He Swore One Wintersday
- Seidr
: Andrea explains this song best on her Home Page.
- Das Fest der Wintersonne (ein Weihnachtslied): Lyrics are in Norwegian, but Balder, Tor, Frey and Freya are all mentioned.
- A Tale of Fate (Folksvang awaits)
- The Falcon Flies
: "A shaman reaches out/to greet the one-eyed man" The shaman is most likely communicating with Odin.
- Serenade of the Last Wolf
- Mother of Times
Heimdall - Lord of the Sky: The album title may refer to Odin, but I haven't been able to find out any more about this Italian progressive/power metal group.
Helheim: Bandmembers Hrimgrimnir and Hrymr.
Av Narrøn Ætt = "Of Norse Tribe"
Fenris
Jormungand
Himinbjorg: A black metal band. Keep in mind that I don't have the lyrics, so I'm guessing about the content of these songs.
Where Ravens Fly
Hin Onde: Formerly Svartalfheim.
Songs of Battle (2000)
Ahti's Depths (2000): Demo; the first and third songs were released on Svartalfheim's 1998 album.
In the Woods... - HEart of the Ages (1995)
- Wotan's Return: Actually, this song appears on three of their albums.
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (1982)
- Invaders: Unlike Fairport Convention's "The Islands," this song portrays the negative stereotypes of Viking exploration. For a laugh, take a look at this song on my Metal Mondegreens page.
Isengard: Band member Fenriz. He is also in the bands Dark Throne, Dødheimsgard, Storm, and Valhall.
Vandraren: In Norwegian, Vandrer means simply "wander", and the suffix "-en" makes it "The Wanderer".
Jotunheim: Swedish Viking metal. I can't understand the lyrics, but I'll do my best. They have recorded two demos which can be purchased from their homepage. Of course, I have no idea what they sound like, but if you're a sucker for Viking metal and you need to have it all, there it is.
Høght Blæsir Heimdallr (1999)
Aldagautr (1998)
Kamelot - Eternity (1995)
- The Gleeman: A song about a bard and his many journeys.
"I've sailed the viking vessels/Plunging the northern seas/Crossing the blue horizon/No land for the eye to see/For the eye to see"
Contributed by Michael Rohm.
Kampfar - Mellom Skogkledde Aaser (1997)
Krauka: Krauka play folk music of the Vikings on reconstructed instruments. Their songs are derived from the ancient Norse songs and sagas. (contributed by band member Jens)
Homepage
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973)
- No Quarter: The song itself seems to be about messengers who are trying to send a message, but
are confronted with cold winds and snow.
"The snow falls hard and don't you know?/The winds of Thor are blowing cold."
Thanks to Michael Rohm (aka Loki.)
Led Zeppelin III (1970)
- Immigrant Song: A song about the exploits of the Vikings.
"We come from the land of the ice and snow,/From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow./The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,/To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!"
Thanks to Beth for this one.
Long Winters’ Stare - The Tears of Odin's Fallen (2000): The newest album by this symphonic doom/death metal band tells the epic story of the Valkyries.
Lordian Guard - Lordian Guard (1995)
- Winds of Thor: A surprisingly pro-Viking song from this Christian power metal band.
Home Page
Månegarm: A Swedish folk/black metal band whose name means "Moon Garm".
Nordstjärnans Tidsålder (1998)
- Ymer: Heavily influenced by traditional Nordic folk music, with lyrics from The Edda.
Contributed by Patrik Marckert.
Official Site
- Kings of Metal (1988)
- The Crown and the Ring (Lament of the Kings): "Odin I await thee/Your true son am I." That’s about all. The rest is a typical Manowar song about heavy metal and war.
- Blood of the Kings: Mentions the sign of the hammer.
Sign of the Hammer (1984)
Hail to England (1984)
- Blood of My Enemies: Viking battle song.
"To Asgard the Valkyries fly/High overhead - they carry the dead"
- Kill With Power: More killing of the "False Ones."
"To the war god Odin you will pray."
- Hail to England: Describes the Vikings sailing to England to search for the Holy Grail.
"Raise sails head for the open sea. / With sails full of wind - our hearts/Overflow with belief.
The quest for the grail to England / We sail, with our steel."
Thanks to Anders Hogseth for pointing out this album to me.
Into Glory Ride (1983)
Mark, Jon - Celtic Story (1993)
- Odin's Boat: Anyone know more about this song or album?
Midgard: Female fronted Swedish band.
Midgards Söner: Swedish RAC punks.
Mithotyn: Swedish Viking metal.
Gathered Around the Oaken Table (1999)
- Chariot of Thunder: Thor's chariot.
- The Well of Mimir
- Hooves Over Northland:
The hooves of Sleipnir as Odin rides across the sky.
King of the Distant Forest (1997)
- Under the Banner: "The sons of midgard" are fighting Christianity to reclaim their land "in the name of the Æsir".
- The Vengeance: A Viking battle song.
"a toast to my brothers / Who now fight on the vast plains / Outside of Valhalla"
- Ragnarokk: Bonus track on limited edition digipack version.
In the Sign of the Ravens (1997)
- In the Sign of the Ravens
Nidhogg (1995): Demotape.
Moonsorrow: The majority of their lyrics involve Finnish beliefs and legends, which are very cool, but not in the scope of this list.
Suden Uni (2000)
- 1065: Aika = "1065: Time": Tells about the Battle of Stamford Bridge; the last Viking battle on English soil. Read more about it at Past Forward.
Metsä (1997)
Contributed by Henri Sorvali of Moonsorrow
Morbid Jester - Gates to Valhalla (1999)
Morifade: Very good melodic metal with clean vocals.
Contributed by MSDMEEKO@aol.com
Motorhead - Orgasmatron (1986)
- Deaf Forever Another, rather pessimistic, Viking battle song.
"No one knows, friends or foes, if Valhalla lies beyond the grave"
Contributed by Ken Harker, jr.
Musspellsheim: All I know is that at least one member is now in some band called The Final Holocaust.
Nagelfar: A German black metal band.
Naglfar: Satanic Swedish black metal, not to be confused with Nagelfar.
Nifelheim - Nifelheim (1995)
Nordwind - Viking Party
Words of Odin
Northcrown - Ancient Battles, Part I (2000): Six-song demo from this Finnish Viking metal band in the vein of Storm. Based on the saga of Beowulf.
Odhinn: Even yet still more Nordic black metal.
Odin: Just another band, I suppose...
Odin’s Anglar: Rock with lots of folk influences.
Otyg: Otyg is a collective name for all the dark creatures that dwell in Scandinavian folklore.
Älvefärd - Translates loosely to "The Journey of the Elves". The album cover depicts a group of elves harassing an old troll. It´s a painting by Theodor Kittelsen, a Norweigan artist who was strongly influenced by Scandinavian folklore.
Path Of Debris - The Eyes Of The Basilisk
Ragnarok: Norwegian black metal.
Shadowbreed: Death metal from Holland.
Only Shadows Remain (2001)
Siegfried: It was the idea of vocalist and founder Bruder Cle (alias Hagen) to base Siegfried's lyrics around the Niebelungenlied. Siegfried is the name of one of the main characters in this epic German poem based on Scandinavian legends.
Skullhead - Odin's Law
Ragnarok
Sólstafir
Solstice: British doom metal.
Halcyon (1995)
Lamentations (1994): The album cover is a very cool depiction of a Viking burial at sea.
Homepage
Somber Blessings - Legend (1998)
Stirnagard - Koldbrand I Jesu Marg (2000): Debut demo from this Nordic black metal band on Valgader Records.
Storm: The folk metal creation of Fenriz, Satyr, and Kari Rueslatten. They play heavy versions of several traditional Norwegian folk songs.
Nordavind
- Lokk: Like all their other songs, the lyrics are in Norwegian, but I assume this is a song about Loki.
Svartalfheim - Well of the Highest Knowledge (1998)
Therion - Secret of the Runes (2001): Their latest album explores the nine worlds (plus a prologue and an epilogue).
Contributed by Ty Oslovnik
Thor: A really cheesy heavy metal band with lyrics like: "Let the blood run red! Let them ALL be dead! All those who oppose the metal avenger! Look them in the eyes! Knock them down to size! No one must oppose the metal avenger! WHO DARES TO FIGHT THE AVENGER?!" and "ride ride ride on the wings of the Valkyrie."
Contributed by Michael Rohm.
Thorr's Hammer: Black metal with female lead vocals.
Thorshammer: Berlin B&H band.
Throne of Ahaz - On Twilight Enthroned (1997)
Nefelheim
Thyrfing: A Swedish Viking metal band. Their name comes from Tyrfing (the tyr-weapon, the trollsword), a mythological sword created by the dwarfs Durin and Dvalin for King Svaverlame, Odin's grandson. However, because they were forced to create the sword, the dwarfs put a curse on it causing it to eventually kill Svaverlame. See Songs #2 for more information.
Urkraft (2000): A slight progression since their last album, but the same unique Viking metal sound. The lyrics are evenly split between Swedish and English, and I have done my best to decipher the meanings behind all songs.
- Mjölner
- Dryckeskväde
= "Drinking song" Swedish lyrics which mention "Midgård" and "Allfader".
- Sweoland Conqueror: A song about Oden and his brothers, Vile and Ve.
- Home Again: A Viking returns home after 13 years at sea.
- The Breaking of Serenity: Describes the death of a Viking.
Eldfärd: instrumental
- Ways of a Parasite: Tells of the murder of a Christian in the name of Oden.
Jord
- Till Valfader Urgammal= "To Oden the Primordial"
Translations by Patrik Marckert.
Valdr Galga (1999): Valdr Galga is one of Odin's many names, which is used in the aforementioned legends. I believe all songs on this album are Viking-related.
- Prelude: Heading for the Golden Hall
- Storms of Asgard:
Reclaiming the land from Christianity.
- From Wilderness Came Death: Wolves attack a village.
"A village of death, Fenrir’s cold work."
- Valdr Galga: The story of Odin’s sacrifice at Yggdrasil.
- The Deceitful: A song about Loki.
- Arising: A story about a Viking ghost.
- Firever: "Fire forever."
- A Moment in Valhalla
- Mimer's Well:
A song about Odin's exploits.
- A Great Man's Return: A call for the return of Odin.
Thyrfing (1998): Only those songs that are definitely relevant are listed below. Most of them are self-explanatory.
- Raven Eyes: A song about ravens attacking Christian invaders.
- Set Sail To Plunder
- Celebration of Our Victory
- Wotan's Fire
- Going Berserk
Solen Svartnar (1995):Thyrfing's first demo, of which only 100 copies were distributed. The title means "The Sun Turns Black" and the lyrics of the 4 songs deal with the concept of Ragnarök.
Thanks to Thomas, Thyrfing's singer, for his help!
Ulvhedin - Pagan Manifest (2000)
Gnipahellir (1999): demo
Unleashed - Warrior (1997)
Victory (1995)
- The Defender: More Viking battle.
- Berserk: Tomas thinks he's a Viking.
Across the Open Sea (1993)
Shadows in the Deep (1991)
- Onward to Countless Battles: Viking pride
- Land of Ice: Referring to Miðgarð, I assume.
"In the land of ice/Where the hooves of Sleipnir pound"
Where No Life Dwells (1991)
- Into Glory Ride: Viking battle song, but where's Birka?
Utgard: Finnish black metal.
Valhall: A psychedelic rock/doom metal side project of Fenriz.
Contributed by Alfred Dalziel
Valhalla - On the Way to the Gods: A 9-song Viking-concept album from the Ukraine. Available on Elven Witchcraft distribution.
Valhalla: A death metal band, presumably not the same as the one listed above.
Valhalla: Hungarian RAC band.
Vanaheim - En Historie: The demo CD from this Norwegian Viking metal band is based upon a story about a Viking who leaves his home to fight, then returns and finds his home in raging war. It's a great album with a lot of folk and classical influences.
Contributed by Bjorn Sundberg of Hrafn.
Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell - part 2 (1995)
- Twilight of the Gods: The tale of Ragnarok.
- Rising Unchained: A continuation of Twilight of the Gods. In this song, Balder is the "King Unchained".
Warhate
- Retaliation: "Vengeance shall be ours as we cut the throats of our enemies-we spill their blood upon the earth-a sacrifice to Odin: On our path to conquest, we lay waste to their cities-we shall burn them to the ground-a sacrifice to Tyr: Their temples we destroy-their sacred books are left in ashes-we shall behead their holy men-a sacrifice to Thor: Vengeance shall be ours as we cut the throats of our enemies-we shall spill their blood upon the earth in retaliation."
White Lion - Fight to Survive (1985)
- The Road to Valhalla: The whole song is about a young Viking warrior who knows he is going to Valhalla that very day.
"There is a road that leads to Valhalla, a place in the land of the gods..."
Contributed by Angantyr of The Dragon's Sanctum.
White Skull - Tales from the North (1999): Their second release is a kind of concept album about Vikings.
- Tales from the North
- Asgard
- Gods of the Sea
: Aegir is the god of the sea and resembles Poseidon in many ways. His wife, Ran, often captures seafarers in her net.
- Viking's Tomb: A burial at sea.
- Kreimhild Story: This song begins a mini-concept dealing with Kreimhild, Siegfried's queen in the Nebelungenleid.
- The Killing Queen
- The Terrible Slaughter
- Horant
- Fighting and Feasting
: Such are the activities in Valhalla
- Here We Are: Loki and company arrive at Ragnarok.