Viking Prog recommendations? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Well, Jethro Tull's last album (well, almost their last album), RokFlote, is about Viking Mythology, and is a nice listen. Then, a little less prog (but I think they are featured in Prog Archives anyway) Therion have the album Secret of the Runes, which is all about Viking Mythology too, and they do have some more viking related songs along the way. Another song I love, though they are not much prog really, is Twilight of the Thunder God by Corvus Corax, which is actually a cover from Amon Amarth, which seem to have much more viking related themes in their music, though I think they are too growly, which I'm not so fond of.

Not Norse and 'nary a Norseman in the band, but Tull and Ian Anderson have fun with Icelandic and Old English alliteration and kennings (a figuratively-phrased compound term that is used in place of a simple single-word noun) in the song "Cold Wind to Valhalla"...

And ride with us young bonny lass
With the angels of the night.
Crack wind clatter flesh rein bite
On an out-size unicorn.
Rough-shod winging sky blue flight
On a cold wind to Valhalla.
And join with us please
Valkyrie maidens cry
Above the cold wind to Valhalla.
Breakfast with the gods. Night angels serve
With ice-bound majesty.

Frozen flaking fish raw nerve
In a cup of silver liquid fire.
Moon jet brave beam split ceiling swerve
And light the old Valhalla.
Come join with us please
Valkyrie maidens cry
Above the cold wind to Valhalla.
The heroes rest upon the sighs
Of Thor's trusty hand maidens.
Midnight lonely whisper cries,
"We're getting a bit short on heroes lately.
Sword snap fright white pale goodbyes
In the desolation of Valhalla.
And join with us please
Valkyrie maidens ride
Empty-handed on the cold wind to Valhalla.

...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...

Themistocles wrote:

Ok this is slightly personal as not a day goes by without someone calling me "Thor" or viking (even though Frey, a different norse god is ins my name and probably closer to the archetype). So I find viking a difficult enough term. Viking Prog? Is it music that is somewhat anachronistically Norse and sounds like music that encourages getting into long boats, raiding monestatries or feasting in Valhala etc? One of the top music promoters in my area casually calls me the "Art Viking" not because Im involved in viking art... its all quite contemporary. So it is just based around ethnic stereotypes? because viking is just a kind of job description. Not all norse people were vikings.... etc. etc. etc.

This forum seems to be the place were a lot of prog /notprog but proggy gets categorized so Im genuinely curious what people think.

Do you drink Mead and do the Viking dance like this guy?
Funky Viking

https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine

As a bonafide Danish viking (lots of pillaging this upcoming summer!), I heartily recommend some Älgarnas Trädgård. Both albums sound like something cooked up by old Norse shamen after a night out on the town partaking in copious amounts of henbane and red fly agaric.
Til Valhal!!

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

thanks to you all, much appreciated.

"My own response to King Crimson is one of quiet terror." - Robert Fripp

Lumsk.

"Instrumental music is an expression that words can never capture." -- Peter Baumann

Crowbar - I am the storm .

https://bakullama1.bandcamp.com/album/maxwells-submarine

I was just listening to the two Eldberg albums last week or so. Very good stuff in a very retro way. They are from Iceland but not sure I hear much I would consider viking about them though.

You can't get more viking than Eldberg.