Recorded in Bergen’s renowned Grieghallen studios in 1996, Einherjer’s debut album, Dragons Of The North, quickly became a worthy addition to the Viking metal canon. Melodic, stirringly mid-paced and steeped in the lore of the band’s native Norway, it charted its own course between blackened grimness and and more jaunty folk embellishments with steely determination.
Rather than simply reissuing it to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Einherjer have chosen to re-record the album in full, adding more depth, texture and opportunity for in-the-moment marvelling. Dragons Of The North XX is released on November 25 via Indie Recordings and we have a special and exclusive preview in the form of an animated video for the track Ballad Of The Swords.
Drawn and directed by in-demand artist Costin Chioreanu its depiction of a Viking burial, ascension and encounter with the Norse gods ties in closely with the band’s own moniker, taken after the term for slain warriors on their way to Valhalla. It’s a fitting theme for the song too, whose lament reaches towards the epic without undue haste for its exhilarating payoff.
Cast off your worldly trappings, prepare to meet your destiny with Odin and glimpse into the earthy yet mystical world of Ballad Of The Swords Below!
Find a hero’s welcome at Einherjer’s Facebook page here!
And find glory by pre-ordering Dragons Of The North XX on CD/vinyl or in its digital incarnation!
