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Lindisfarne hails from Germany and play what the Metal Archives define as Viking Black Metal. Their sound has evolved over the course of their career from a raw Black Metal with folky melodies to a more polished modern Melodic Death-Black Metal mixture. Their complete discography is on offer for free download, so if this sounds like something you might enjoy click onward for some sample tunes and the link for downloads.
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I picked this one up from No Clean Singing, where Islander posted about this yesterday. I’m well aware that a lot of you will also be NCS readers, after all, links fly up and down quite frequently, but for those that haven’t seen it yet I still wanted to include this sweet, feisty horn of mead of Metal news!
It’s about Amon Amarth, my, and yours too I trust, favorite Viking Metal band of all time. The Stockholm-based group of stern fuckin’ men will soon be releasing Surtur Rising, their eighth album since forming in 1992. It’ll be out globally by March 29th, though some regions will have the privilege of getting it a couple of days earlier. Fuck them!
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As you know I’m still hopelessly behind in terms of keeping up with all the requests, suggestions, tips and contributions you guys and bands themselves have sent me. That’s why I’m now treating Achren, from Glasgow, Scotland, of which bassist John Clark Paterson dropped me a line on the first day of this year, with the request to feature his band in a post. “Sure thing, definitely can do” was my reply, but I also knew it would take a while. Well, I’m ready for it now!
So, I’ve just looked up the band’s ReverbNation page. Could’ve gone to their MySpace as well, but as you know MySpace is like a putrescent clogged-up asshole: you can push it all you like, but it just won’t output anything. Anyway, on RN you can find five of the band’s older songs. There’s the 2008 Blood Soaked Banner single track, as well as the four tracks off their self-released 2006 Blood Metal EP, all of which are highly stimulating to the neck muscles, resulting in a steady up-and-downward motion of the head!
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Do you like Viking metal? I do! I’ve got some German Vikings today, playing their stuff with a distinct dark/black angle of attack. Thrudvangar, formed in 1998, came out with their fourth full-length, titled Durch Blut und Eis (German for ‘Through Blood and Ice’) in January of this year. This one’s titled Überfahrt (‘crossing’ or ‘transit’). |
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There are a few bands named Grendel but we have here an Italian two-man outfit making blackened Viking metal since 2003. Their second album, titled Dragon’s Awakening, came out earlier this year and contains the song On the Throne. |
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For months you get no acoustics at all and suddenly you get two on a day. Happens. And it happens today, because I’ve got another one for ya. Månegarm is a Swedish Viking/folk metal band, active since 1995. Vaggvisa, which means Lullaby, is found on 2006′s The Forest Sessions EP. No idea what they’re singing, but it sounds great. |
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Amon Amarth has been posted a few times before on The Baboon. Apparently I missed a really awesome clip by them though. This Death in Fire with some great live footage to keep your eyes busy while your ears receive pleasure. Sex for your ears! |
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One of the many Tolkien/Lord of the Rings inspired metal bands out there is Minal Morgul from Germany. They play a type of Pagan metal which reminds a bit of black metal and Viking metal. 2009′s Eisengott contains this self-titled song. |
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Folkearth is special in many ways. If it’s a band at all, it’s a very very big one, but it’s more like a side project of musicians from all over Europe and even some from the US. How many? Well, I counted 65 current members on Encyclopedia Metallum. I doubt they all play, work and participate at the same time though. It’s also interesting to know that they released some three albums in 2008 and seven since 2004. They play a medieval sounding type of epic Viking metal. This song, called Instrumental, is off 2006′s By the Sword of My Father. |
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From ice cold Finland, Kaarnekorpi (Finnish for Raven Wilderness). Not only their name is Finnish, also their lyrics are. So far they have filled four demos and an EP with their folky Viking metal. This one’s from 2008′s Ukon Mahti EP. |
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