Thyrfing
Valdr Galga

THE REVIEW

I wanted to listen to some metal but lately I was being offered the usual cloned bands. I was listening to a lot of other rock because it seemed I had heard a bit of everything in metal. But then I tried with "Valdr Galga" by Thyrfing mainly because I was intrigued by the cover depicting a banquet of warriors.

All Thyrfing's artworks are beautiful because they give the idea of ancient (and faded) historical illustrations. This band, whose existence I was unaware of, plays excellent viking black metal, a genre (the viking) that I never delved into too deeply but which has always fascinated me, especially with Amon Amarth. "Viking metal" was born in the early 90s, launched by Bathory who played Black; thus, the dark and gloomy atmosphere remains, but the rhythms and slowed, somewhat closed melodic games are accentuated. The lyrics are characterized by often referencing Viking historical ideologies. Amon Amarth, for instance, represents its anticlinical stance not in a satanic way but as a nostalgia for Viking culture (and worship). I remain a bit incredulous when, browsing the internet for more information, I discover that Thyrfing isn't even very famous, despite representing an uncommon and well-crafted style.

Listening to the CD with closed eyes is like watching a film, the idea that emerges is precisely that of Vikings arriving aboard a longship, docking, disembarking, and raiding. They set villages on fire, loot, rape, cut off heads, laugh, and torture. It's as if we dose our bodies with an amount of macabre vertigo... and we enjoy it. There's a lot of epicness, a lot of symphony, it’s as if the Vikings were heroes. There are sounds of battles, assaults, screams, the sounds of swords piercing, and many cries of pain. This album satisfies those who love black and epic in equal measure, it's full of somewhat folk references, the keyboards are extremely powerful and constitute the entire basis of the "epic-sadistic-violent" context, raw and scratchy guitars, and two monstrous screaming voices. The tempo always varies, the screaming "plays" intertwining with the choirs. Absolutely listen to the first song: "Heading for the Golden Hall". The most epic and representative.

In short, a CD that already at the first listen, bluntly represents what they want—a wicked and powerful music, like a long agony of revenge and hatred.
Curiosity: "Valdr Galga" is Odin, the author of the artwork Kris Verwimp is also the creator of the covers for Marduk and Immortal.