Baldur (album)
Encyclopedia
Baldur is the début full-length album
by the Iceland
ic Viking
/ folk metal
band Skálmöld
. It was first released in Iceland and the Faeroe Islands on December 15, 2010 through Tutl
and re-released by Napalm Records
worldwide in July – August 2011.
, consisting of two song, "Árás" and "Kvaðning", but it was never released. In May 2010, Skálmöld entered Studio Reflex in Reykjavík
to record its first album.
, telling a story of a fictional eponymous Viking
with lyrics inspired by the Icelandic sagas and Norse mythology
, entirely in Icelandic
. A demon
-like creature attacks Baldur's home and kills his wife and children, forcing him on a quest for revenge, aided by two friends. After much hardship, they fight their enemy. Baldur's friends die in the final battle and, having defeated the enemy, he succumbs to his wounds as well, joining his family in Valhalla
. For the album's re-release, the band decided to record a bonus track, "Baldur", which proved to be challenging, since it had to supplement the completed story line.
Baldurs lyrics conform to the rules of dróttkvætt, the Old Norse
alliterative verse
, while music combines folk melodies, with the elements from melodic death
, doom
and thrash metal
, creating an overall epic atmoshpere.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic Viking
Viking metal
Viking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its galloping pace, keyboard-rich anthemic sound, bleakness and dramatic emphasis on lyrical themes of Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age...
/ folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band Skálmöld
Skálmöld
Skálmöld is a Viking / folk metal band from Reykjavík, Iceland, formed in August 2009. The band's name is literally translated as The Age of Swords and also means "lawlessness", referring to the Sturlung Era of Icelandic history, when a civil war broke out between the country's family...
. It was first released in Iceland and the Faeroe Islands on December 15, 2010 through Tutl
Tutl
Tutl is a record label of the Faroe Islands, founded in 1977 by the Danish jazz musician and composer Kristian Blak. The "legendary label" is credited with giving many Faroese musicians their first break, and "has played a major role in giving musicians a chance to record and publish."Tutl is...
and re-released by Napalm Records
Napalm Records
Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock.Originally, Napalm Records focused mainly on black metal acts such as Abigor and Summoning and folk metal bands such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg....
worldwide in July – August 2011.
Background
While Skálmöld was initially formed with intention to be just a hobby, the band members soon decided to record an album. In January 2010, the band recorded its first demoDemo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, consisting of two song, "Árás" and "Kvaðning", but it was never released. In May 2010, Skálmöld entered Studio Reflex in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
to record its first album.
Music
Baldur is a concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, telling a story of a fictional eponymous Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
with lyrics inspired by the Icelandic sagas and Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, entirely in Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
. A demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
-like creature attacks Baldur's home and kills his wife and children, forcing him on a quest for revenge, aided by two friends. After much hardship, they fight their enemy. Baldur's friends die in the final battle and, having defeated the enemy, he succumbs to his wounds as well, joining his family in Valhalla
Valhalla
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
. For the album's re-release, the band decided to record a bonus track, "Baldur", which proved to be challenging, since it had to supplement the completed story line.
Baldurs lyrics conform to the rules of dróttkvætt, the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
alliterative verse
Alliterative verse
In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses alliteration as the principal structuring device to unify lines of poetry, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. The most commonly studied traditions of alliterative verse are those found in the oldest literature of many Germanic...
, while music combines folk melodies, with the elements from melodic death
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
, doom
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, creating an overall epic atmoshpere.
Track listing
Credits
- Björgvin Sigurðsson – vocals, guitar
- Baldur Ragnarsson – guitar
- Snæbjörn Ragnarsson – bass
- Þráinn Árni Baldvinsson – guitar
- Gunnar Ben – keyboards, oboe
- Jón Geir Jóhannsson – drums
- Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (SólstafirSólstafirSólstafir is an Icelandic metal band, formed in 1995. The band's name is the Icelandic word for crepuscular rays.-History:The band was formed by 3 friends, Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, Halldór Einarsson and Guðmundur Óli Pálmason in January 1995...
) – guest vocals