2020-10-12 (Through Niflheim to Valhalla Edition Vol. 3)

To Valhalla, perverts and pervettes! Welcome once again to Monday Morning Aural Sex and volume 3 of the Through Niflheim to Valhalla Edition! Anyone familiar with these editions knows what to expect here. That’s right, nothing but Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, fuckin’ Conway Twitty, you know the drill. Except fuck no on all of that forever and ever, amen. We’ve got nearly 3 and a half hours of Nordic folk and viking metal ahead of us, an epic journey from a frozen, evil wasteland to the paradise for warriors (at least, as far as I understand such things). 

I’ve always found mythology in general (or religious belief, if you’re serious about it) to be fascinating. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and especially Norse among others. That’s one of the reasons I appreciate the Assassin’s Creed games as much as I do, despite their often repetitive gameplay. I cherish knowledge and curiosity for the most part, and anyone who knows me knows that to be true. That definitely goes for mythology (or religion) as well as music. 

Speaking of which, I was wordulating with a big hole in my face to my friend’s ear holes recently about how music hits differently depending on a number of factors, including time of day and the company you’re in, if any. I think that it’s likely the case that most people only experience music in passing. In stores, parties (or vague fuckin’ memories of parties at this point), and especially in transit. I would go further and guess that people who do listen to music in transit probably appreciate it more if they’re using public transportation and listening to it via headphones. I haven’t used public transportation very often in my life, but I have a profound appreciation for music, and its effects on the human mind whether I’m driving or just chilling at home. I’ve found it to be quite accurate that music feels different amidst the peace of the evening. More than that, though, it requires an openness to those aforementioned effects; it requires listening, not just hearing.

One of my most consistent lamentations over the years has been how much more enriching the experience of music could be for everyone if they’d simply just care a little more about it instead of passively using it as sonic wallpaper, as an escape from silence and the potential introspection that might result from that silence. I think many people aren’t fans of music so much as they hate silence. Maybe they think it’s awkward, maybe that’s because of that introspection, or maybe their minds are otherwise occupied. I don’t know one way or another, it’s all speculation as I’ve been careful to convey, but it’s certainly fascinating to me. 

So, all that said, I will say some more. Fuck you, okay? All that said, a lot of this music has lyrics in other languages besides English. That’s okay! It’s okay if you don’t completely understand some aspect of music, because I would confidently guess that nobody fully understands all the aspects of music, even music they’ve been listening to all their lives. Audio engineers, scientists, etc. many people understand a lot about it, but the vast majority of that knowledge is lost on most people because it’s not commonly taught. Anyway, you know what you can do if you don’t understand the language being used for xyz song? You can use this crazy new thing called Google! Bananas-ass shit, I know, right?! All that really matters is how the music affects you. If some aspect of it leaves you wanting, just dig a little deeper to try and understand it better, or just fuckin’ listen to something else!

Personally, I would never speak impersonally, and I hope you do listen to this stuff, and yojne the everloving fuck & shit out of these beautiful tracks. Also, I want to mention that in the last two editions, I heavily relied on Heilung’s catalog. I’ve actually played almost their entire discography just in the two past volumes of this edition. Well, this one is not only completely new, but totally Heilung-free. Nothing against Heilung whatso-fuckin’-ever, I’ve got nothing but love for them and their music, but it’s time to venture further out. Besides, the very name of this edition evokes ideas of adventure, danger, long journeying, etc. There’s so much stuff to discover out there, all we have to do is care. All we have to do is give at least a little bit of a shit.

NOW, with all THAT said, let the epic quest of yojne commence!

01 Zergananda - The Path to Valhalla (from The Path to Valhalla) [00:03:17]

02 Amon Amarth - Wanderer (from Jomsviking) [00:08:01]

03 Alestorm - Drink (from Sunset On The Golden Age) [00:12:44]

04 Daniel Tidwell - Knee-Deep in the Dead [At Doom's Gate E1M1] (DooM) (from Versus Video Games 3) [00:16:01]

05 Mors Principium Est - I Am War (from Dawn of the 5TH Era) [00:19:14]

06 Valravn - Kelling (feat. Maria Franz) (from Koder på snor) [00:23:44]

07 Kamelot - When the Lights Are Down (from The Black Halo) [00:28:23]

08 Powerwolf - Nighttime Rebel (from The Sacrament Of Sin) [00:32:00]

09 Hagalaz' Runedance - Wake Skadi (from Volven / Urd - That Witch Was) [00:35:56]

10 Eivør - Trøllabundin (from Slør) [00:40:22]

11 Enslaved - Isa (from Isa) [00:44:49]

12 Dark Tranquility - Atoma (from Atoma) [00:48:33]

13 Nytt Land - Gullinkambi (Völuspá 42-44) (from Fimbulvinter) [00:52:45]

14 Eluveitie - Slanias Song (from Slania) [00:58:28]

15 Kalandra - Helvegen (from Helvegen) [01:04:05]

16 Sabaton - Ghost Division (from The Art Of War (Re-Armed)) [01:10:52]

17 Helisir - I Riden Så (from Sårbare) [01:14:40]

18 Suldusk - The Elm (from Lunar Falls) [01:19:50]

19 Mors Principium Est - Apricity (from Dawn of the 5TH Era) [01:23:17]

20 Menhir - Hildebrandslied Teil 1 (from Hildebrandslied) [01:25:50]

21 Týr - The Lay of Our Love (from Valkyrja) [01:34:40]

22 Kalandra - Slow Motion (from Slow Motion) [01:38:14]

23 Korpiklaani - Tapporauta (from Korven Kuningas) [01:43:26]

24 Garmarna - Ramunder (from Ramunder) [01:47:35]

25 Månegarm - Blodöm (from Manegarm) [01:52:27]

26 Forndom - Den grymma hästen (from Dauðra Dura) [02:00:21]

27 Skálmöld - Eldur - Fire / Part 4 of Millennium Songs (from Börn Loka) [02:05:34]

28 Nytt Land - Pusel Ov Aki's Song (from Pusel Ov Aki's Song) [02:12:25]

29 Vėlių Namai - Nordens Vrede (from Kúrir) [02:18:12]

30 Waldkauz - Dimna Juda (from Mythos) [02:21:52]

31 Sowulo - Spatle Ǣghwas (from Spatle Ǣghwas) [02:25:28]

32 The Moon & The Nightspirit - A Hajnal Köszöntése (from Metanoia) [02:29:41]

33 Darkher - Lament (from Realms) [02:35:19]

34 Myrkur - Leaves of Yggdrasil (from Leaves of Yggdrasil) [02:41:32]

35 Nemuer - Yggdrasil Trembles (from Yggdrasil Trembles) [02:45:23]

36 Týr - Ragnarok (from Ragnarok) [02:50:48]

37 Sylvaine - Worlds Collide (from Atoms Aligned, Coming Undone) [02:57:19]

38 Brothers of Metal - Death of the God of Light (from Prophecy of Ragnarök) [03:04:10]

39 Rúnahild - Astralseid (from Astralseid) [03:07:38]

40 Amon Amarth - Embrace The Endless Ocean (from Twilight Of The Thunder God) [03:16:43]