''Baldur'' is the début full-length
album by the
Icelandic
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.
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
demo, 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.
Music
''Baldur'' is a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
, telling a story of a fictional eponymous
Viking with lyrics inspired by the
Icelandic sagas and
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
, entirely in
Icelandic.
A
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
-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
Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavin ...
,
doom and
thrash metal, creating an overall epic atmosphere.
The album and protagonist were named after Baldur Ragnarsson, guitarist with the band and brother of main songwriter Snæbjörn. Snæbjörn likes to use names for the characters which are familiar to him and to which he has some connection.
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 (
Sólstafir) – guest vocals on "Hefnd" and "Árás"
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2010 albums
Skálmöld albums
Napalm Records albums