Glittertind (band)
Encyclopedia
Glittertind is a Norwegian
folk metal
and viking metal
project which started in 2001.
The band consist of Torbjørn Sandvik, Geirmund Simonsen and various guest musicians.
The lyrics are about the Norwegian folk tradition and old history, the music style is folk metal
with elements of punk rock
.
, metal
and punk
which Tommy Udo (Metal Hammer
) proclaims is:
The name Glittertind, or "Glittering tine" in English, gives associations of vast and majestetic landscapes. The name is taken from a wellknown mountain situated in the heart of Norway – Jotunheimen. Many famous Norwegian artists and writers have got uncountable strong impressions from these enormous mountains and these same giants have a strong influence on the lyrical and musical concepts of Glittertind.
After several years trading underground demos Glittertind got signed on Karmageddon Media. This colloboration resulted in two releases. The debut-album Evige Asatro or in English, "Eternal Faith in Norse religion", was released August 2004. Several magazines cheered this album and Nick Ruskell (Kerrang!
) summarized it with the following words:
The second release got out April 2005 as an MCD celebrating Norway's 100 years of independence. It was dedicated to Norwegian freedomfighters throughout the ages and it made a statement for common spirit against the extreme egoism and self-centeredness we see nowadays. The title Til Dovre Faller, "Until Dovre falls", was taken from the moment of the constitutional signing in 1814 where the patriots gathered there stated, that they would struggle for independence until the mountains of Dovre fell. Avi Pitchon (Terrorizer) wrote the following about this release:
In 2008 Glittertind signed a long term agreement with Napalm Records
and Geirmund Simonsen (b. 1983) joined the ranks of this project.
With Landkjenning, in English "Landfall", Glittertind commemorates the history and poetry of the Norwegian homeland. Traditional melodies and Nordic sounds determine the overall picture of an album that nevertheless finds repeated diversity in its placement of drums and fast riffs. The folkloric sounds delivered by authentic instruments of old skillfully merge with modern elements to create catchy, detail-oriented works. The clean and powerful vocals, sung in Norwegian, give Landkjenning a unique touch. The very profound lyrical concept revolves around Norway's Christianization and transports the listener 1000 years back into the past, to a time where one had to decide between the new religion and the traditional old ways. Kris Verwimp's (Arkona
, Crimfall, Moonsorrow
) artistic know-how has impressively captured this lyrical theme graphically.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
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...
and viking metal
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...
project which started in 2001.
The band consist of Torbjørn Sandvik, Geirmund Simonsen and various guest musicians.
The lyrics are about the Norwegian folk tradition and old history, the music style is 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...
with elements of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
.
Biography
Glittertind was founded in 2001 by Torbjørn Sandvik (b. 1985). Inspired by old Norwegian history and culture he made a sound blending folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
which Tommy Udo (Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
) proclaims is:
The name Glittertind, or "Glittering tine" in English, gives associations of vast and majestetic landscapes. The name is taken from a wellknown mountain situated in the heart of Norway – Jotunheimen. Many famous Norwegian artists and writers have got uncountable strong impressions from these enormous mountains and these same giants have a strong influence on the lyrical and musical concepts of Glittertind.
After several years trading underground demos Glittertind got signed on Karmageddon Media. This colloboration resulted in two releases. The debut-album Evige Asatro or in English, "Eternal Faith in Norse religion", was released August 2004. Several magazines cheered this album and Nick Ruskell (Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
) summarized it with the following words:
The second release got out April 2005 as an MCD celebrating Norway's 100 years of independence. It was dedicated to Norwegian freedomfighters throughout the ages and it made a statement for common spirit against the extreme egoism and self-centeredness we see nowadays. The title Til Dovre Faller, "Until Dovre falls", was taken from the moment of the constitutional signing in 1814 where the patriots gathered there stated, that they would struggle for independence until the mountains of Dovre fell. Avi Pitchon (Terrorizer) wrote the following about this release:
In 2008 Glittertind signed a long term agreement with 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....
and Geirmund Simonsen (b. 1983) joined the ranks of this project.
With Landkjenning, in English "Landfall", Glittertind commemorates the history and poetry of the Norwegian homeland. Traditional melodies and Nordic sounds determine the overall picture of an album that nevertheless finds repeated diversity in its placement of drums and fast riffs. The folkloric sounds delivered by authentic instruments of old skillfully merge with modern elements to create catchy, detail-oriented works. The clean and powerful vocals, sung in Norwegian, give Landkjenning a unique touch. The very profound lyrical concept revolves around Norway's Christianization and transports the listener 1000 years back into the past, to a time where one had to decide between the new religion and the traditional old ways. Kris Verwimp's (Arkona
Arkona (band)
Arkona is a Russian pagan metal band. Their lyrics are heavily influenced by Russian folklore and Slavic mythology, and their music incorporates several traditional Russian musical instruments...
, Crimfall, Moonsorrow
Moonsorrow
Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound...
) artistic know-how has impressively captured this lyrical theme graphically.
Albums
- Mellom Bakkar Og Berg (Ultima Thule Records, 2002) CD http://www.vikingarock.se/diskografi/utlandskt/glittertind/mellom-bakkar-og-berg-cd-2002.php
- Evige Asatro (Ultima Thule Records, 2003) CD http://www.vikingarock.se/diskografi/utlandskt/glittertind/evige-asatro-cd-2003.php
- Evige Asatro (Karmageddon Media, 2004) CD http://vikingarock.se/diskografi/utlandskt/glittertind/evige-asatro-nyrelease-cd-2004.php
- Til Dovre Faller (Karmageddon Media, 2005) CD http://vikingarock.se/diskografi/utlandskt/glittertind/til-dovre-faller-cd-2005.php
- Evige Asatro / Til Dovre Faller 2CD (Napalm Records, 2009) 2CD http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/parole-groupe-Glittertind-nom_album-Evige_Asatro_*_Til_Dovre_Faller-l-en.html
- Landkjenning (Napalm Records, 2009) CD http://www.discogs.com/Glittertind-Landkjenning/release/1830501
Compilations
- Carolus Rex 5 (Ultima Thule Records, 2001) CD http://vikingarock.se/diskografi/cd/ovriga/carolus-rex-v-2001.php
- Carolus Rex 6 (Ultima Thule Records, 2002) CD http://vikingarock.se/diskografi/cd/ovriga/carolus-rex-vi-2002.php
- Carolus Rex 7 (Ultima Thule Records, 2004) CD http://vikingarock.se/diskografi/cd/ovriga/carolus-rex-vii-2004.php