Woo Viking Metal! This time it’s from Manegarm, who took their name from the Norse wolf that’ll eat the moon when Ragnarok happens. That’s pretty brutal if you ask me. The moon’s important! Apparently the band was called Antikrist for a bit, which seems like leaning a little too hard. But they’re Swedish Viking/Folk metal, and they’re pretty great. The song is Hervor’s Arv, which translate’s to “Hervor’s Legacy.” Hervor is a shieldmaiden who apparently stole her dead dad’s cursed sword. That’s pretty badass.
The song kicks off with a driving beat and machine gun guitaring. The vocals are very folk metallic, I could see these guys touring with like Finntroll or Amon Amarth. There’s a solid breakdown at the midpoint, perfect for super dramatic headbanging or yelling HEY while fist pumping. It does lead into a great folky solo before picking up the pace again. Top to bottom, this is a fantastic folk metal track. I will have to go find more!
The video cuts between the band looking real tough and playing in like a barn, and Hervor taking a boat to an island to steal her dead dad’s sword. There are some interspersed visuals, maybe showing what the curse may do, or what she’s going to do in the future? Lotta volleys of arrows and burning structures. It also seems like all slow-mo, maybe the story itself was shorter than the song so they had to stretch it out. But good for Hervor stealing her dead dad’s cursed sword. Hopefully it doesn’t backfire on her. Cursed things aren’t good, you guys.