They Hold No Quarter

Listening to one of my all time favourite bands from childhood Led Zepplin. All through the 70's & 80's I listened to this and had no idea what the lyrics meant, nor why I loved them so much. No I do. They hold a piece of my heart.

Led Zeppelin - No Quarter (Live at Madison Square Garden 1973)

[Verse 1]

Close the door, put out the light

You know they won't be home tonight

The snow falls hard and don't you know?

The winds of Thor are blowing cold

They're wearing steel that's bright and true

They carry news that must get through

[Chorus]

They choose the path where no-one goes

They hold no quarter

They hold no quarter

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 2]

Walking side by side with death

The devil mocks their every step

The snow drives back the foot that's slow

The dogs of doom are howling more

They carry news that must get through

To build a dream for me and you

[Chorus]

They choose the path where no-one goes

They hold no quarter

They ask no quarter

They hold no quarter

They ask no quarter

The pain, the pain without quarter

They ask no quarter

The dogs of doom are howling more!

Uninvited Guest

Have you listened to Uninvited Guest?


http://uninvitedguest.bandcamp.com/album/faith-in-oblivion


http://uninvitedguest.bandcamp.com/album/malice-in-wonderland

I think they are a most awesome band.

I've been listening to them on my iPod for over a year now. They've been around since 2000, went through some member shifts, even disbanded for a while but are back. I'd like to show a better video, but this is all I could find. They are on Facebook and Reverbnation though. You can listen to much more there.




http://www.reverbnation.com/uninvitedguestuk

http://www.uninvitedmusic.com/

Moonspell In Toronto

I went to the Voices from the Dark tour last night to see Moonspell and The Foreshadowing at the Annex Wreck Room in Toronto. I ended up at the front of the line an hour and a half before the doors opened because I hadn't had time to go get a ticket beforehand and didn't want to find them sold out if I came too late.

The wait wasn't so bad as the weather was sort of mild. I kept expecting the line to grow but it didn't. By the time the doors opened there couldn't have been more than 30 people waiting with me which took some of the booya out of being first in line.

A short while later the first band came on, Death Wolf, and they happily played to the 10 people standing upfront with them.

The Foreshadowing came next, add 10 more, including me. Kind of disappointing, but didn't keep me from 'feeling it'...

By the time Moonspell came on, almost all the booya I had for the show was gone. I stood up front.

But I just couldn't get into it. There were enough people in the crowd this time to make it seem like a big show, but it simply wasn't a big show. I could feel that most people were there to see Marduk and Inquisition, very traditional black metal bands. Moonspell and The Foreshadowing don't really fall into this category. At least not in my opinion. If Moonspell were to play with, say, Ozzy Osbourne, I'm sure they'd fit in much better.

Anyhoo, glad I went. Moonspell really is an awesome band. See! Picture of me mostly enjoying it!

Pagan Metal: A Documentary

Q: Do you like folk music?
A: Yeah, if its metal.

Q: Are you a pagan?
A: If you mean "Am I of this earth?" then yeah.

Q: Do you like pagan metal?
A: Hel yeah.


Watching this now. Happy to be turned onto Primordial, among others. Already loved Finntroll.

Moonspell

Moonspell, a Gothic Metal band from Portugal, really are the best band in the world. Although I fluctuate between these guys and Lacrimosa, I always come back to Moonspell. After not listening to them for a while (6 months or so), I'm still astounded at the intricacy in their music, the varying levels of intensity, the skill with which they perform, and the unrelenting talent in their songwriting. Always amazes me. Never gets old.

The album Memorial is one of their lesser known (or less popular perhaps) albums, but one of my favourites. Please have a listen and enjoy!

Amon Amarth - "Twilight of the Thunder God"

Awesome!

Amber Asylum

Amber Asylum does one of the best covers of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath ever! They're not big on videos, so I've just pulled a fan video, but its good for a listen.



Also, check out The Great Valerio II from Still Point, Bitter River from Bitter River, and Could You from Songs of Sex and Death.

Really beautiful music to listen to while creating.

....there's no escaping the Asylum, and no reason you'd want to.~Amber Asylum~

Theudho

Theudo, is a 'blackened' pagan metal band from Belgium. Founding member Jurgen has had an interest in the religious traditions, legends, myths and history of the Germanic cultural realm since he was a young boy and incorporates much of the lore from those times into the lyrics.

Silence Reigned over the Bog from The Silence EP was inspired by the book "Blot: Tro och offer i det förskristna norden” by the Swedish Britt-Mari Näsström as well as an essay by Georges Dumézil. It endeavours to explain the religious background behind the bog bodies that were found in both the Netherlands and Denmark.


(lyrics)


Welcome to the bog, where silence reigns
Their existence ends here, it all comes to a halt...


No place for cowards
No tolerance for the feeble
No respect for the unjust
No life for the unworthy


Along this deserted trail
Bordered by pagan idols
They take their final breath
As the noose is tightened


Kill them for Wuotan!
Kill them for Donar!


Feel your life slip away, darkening before your eyes
Feel the chill of the bog, becoming one with you


Welcome to the bog, where silence still reigns
Their existence ended here, it all came to a halt...

---

Uttergälden from the album The Völsunga Saga was shot in the medieval castle of Beersel, near Brussels and features an excerpt from Andvari's Hoard, a tale from the epic saga of The Völsunga.


(lyrics)

(Loke)
Vad är det för fisk
som i floden ränner
kan sig ej för fara frälsa?
Lös du ditt huvud
ur Hels våld
skaffa mig guldets glans


(Which is the fish
That runs throught the flood,
And knows not to guard himself from danger?
Your head,
Ransom it from Hel
And find me the fire of the well.)


(Andvare)
Andvare heter jag
Oin hette min fader
i mången fors
jag har farit
En olyckig norna
i urtid bestämde
att jag skulle
i vattnet vada


(Andvari is my name
Oin was my father;
Many a falls have I fared over.
A wretched Norn
Destined in ancient days
That I should wade in water.)


(Loke)
Guld är dig nu givit
och gäldat är dig
mycket för mitt huvud


(With gold you are now paid
And as payment you have
Much for my head.)

Goddess Hel

I don't think I've shared this before but I've had it as a favourite on my Youtube channel for a while. This video has been on my mind lately, perhaps as I sink into some deeper place, closer to Her realm. There are fewer distractions here and I desire something a little more primal.

The song is 'Hel Goddess of the Underworld' by Hagalaz Runedance.



The Goddess Hel, for your information, is the Norse Goddess of the underworld and she reigns over a place called Helheim. It is not the same place as the Christian hell, although I think they may have gotten the name from it.

Helheim is an alternative to Valhalla to spend the afterlife. People good and bad alike go there. It is not reserved for anyone special. Warriors go to Valhalla, all others go to Helheim.

Rob Zombie

Went to the HeavyTO concert yesterday and checked out Slayer and Rob Zombie. That Kerry King was worth every penny! Good Gods the man is freakin talented AND good looking. He's just my type of Viking (for your information)! I got really lucky and was pretty close to the stage. I had to pay the price for it though. I couldn't leave my spot for several hours and got bloody roasted in the sun. I've been traumatized. I don't do sun. I was terrified to go outside today and would only do so under the shade of my umbrella.

Unfortunately I don't have even one picture of the fabulous viking King because I was standing behind a mountain of a man during the Slayer show (he was no viking gentleman I must add), but I got out from behind him for the Rob Zombie show.

If you want to check out all the pics I took, see em on my Flickr.

Maleficent (the band)

A couple of videos from a new (to me) born in the UK (2006) band called Maleficent featuring Miss Maleficent Martini & Mortimer Cain.

I think you'll like them.





Find em here http://www.maleficent.co.uk/

Rammstein

In order to avoid passing from this world not having heard Rammstein (which would be a terrible shame) here is a selection of some of the coolest of their videos. Their live shows are extremely good, so if you ever get a chance to see them.... GO!











Did I mention that they were pyromaniacs?

For DeeDee, who was missing out before now!

Rammstein Does Toronto Good

I have to talk about it. IT being The Rammstein concert at the Air Canada Centre Toronto May 08, 2011...

Alright, there's not a lot to talk about, but let me say this - fire fire and more fire:

And then just a little bit more fire:

A review by Jasonn MacNeil pretty much says it all:

It’s like AC/DC for arsonists.

The six-man group – who last played in Toronto back in 1999 – used a steady but punishing sonic assault of metal-leaning guitar from the opening notes of Rammlied to the closing moments of Engel. And it was that onslaught which caused the large crowd filling most of the seats and roughly half the floor to rejoice in plastic baby dolls suspended from wires exploding and even a “fan” set on fire by singer Till Lindemann before being soon extinguished.
... Whether Lindemann was shooting off a fireworks gun, pouring fireworks down onto keyboardist (and humorous sparring partner) Christian Lorenz during Ich Tu Dir Weh from high upon a pedestal or sporting large angelic wings which shot more flames during the groovy Engel, fans were definitely getting bang for their buck literally and figuratively.
Perhaps the craziest moments came during the bruising, hard-charging Feuer Frei! where Lindemann, Landers and Kruspe each rolled out a large tank and strapped a flame throwing device to their faces, resulting in flames and fireballs jutting out from nearly every area of the stage.

Read the full review here.

Needless to say I very much enjoyed the show and would do it every day of the week if I could, for therapeutic reasons.

The 80's by Marilyn Manson

The eighties were great when they were happening, but there's just something about the big hair and shoulder pads that makes re-living it next to unbearable.
However!
I've found a way to tolerate regurgitated 80's music…. Marilyn Manson. Here's a selection of 80's tunes covered by Marilyn Manson… they are quite good I must say and he doesn't regurgitate his 'look' in any of them either. I didn't know he was so prolific with his videos. The man is creative and extravagant; I'll give him that.







So entertaining.

Thanks to my friend Christopher who turned me onto this.

Weapon - The Dance Begins

Simply said; I like the poem - I like the song.




and, for the fellow Heathens, if and when you're bored here's an endless source of reading re Asatru, Heathenry and the Old Ways at Cauldron Born, (in the new flipbook view).

Devil doll - Dies irae - Part 10 and 11

For those of you that have never heard of him Mr. Doctor is Devil Doll. This is the most beautiful intense and brilliant Gothic music you'll ever listen to. 




There are many more parts to Dies Irae. He tends to release his albums in long recordings of up to an hour or longer with the composition rising and falling at intervals. If you search for 'Devil Doll' on Google or Youtube be sure to type in 'Mr. Doctor' as well because there is another band from the USA that calls themselves Devil Doll which has a woman singer and they are quite popular. But Mr. Doctor himself is from Italy, I believe, although most of his music lyrics are in English. He's just brilliant. A genius and recluse as far as I understand.

From the unofficial Devil Doll fansite:

Information about the entity known as "Devil Doll" is a purposely well kept secret. "Devil Doll" is the name of an Italian (Ex-Yugoslavian) band created in 1987 by a mysterious figure known only as Mr. Doctor: The mysterious mastermind of "Devil Doll". During the past two decades he has been releasing his work exclusively to a small scale of loyal fans, and those in the know. All of his albums comprise a varied mixture of Classical, Theatrical, Gothic, Avantgarde, Symphonic Rock Music, Progressive Rock, et cetera. Not only is Mr. Doctor a musical genius, he has also made 3 films & composed the scores for each film, most of which are still unreleased to this day. There are also over 900 minutes from the "Dies Irae" recording sessions still unreleased to this day. Whether or not this vast treasure of rare material will ever see the light of day still remains to be seen, but we can hope. Mr. Doctor is also responsible for the "Devil Doll" artwork of the album covers & the various album liner artwork. Mr. Doctor seems to prefer that the works of "Devil Doll" be somewhat difficult to obtain. He has reportedly burned many of the debut "Devil Doll" LP's simply to reduce the stock. The debut 1987 Devil Doll project entitled "The Mark of the Beast" was only released as a single copy & has never been repressed. Many Devil Doll projects such as: "Mr. Doctor sings Hanns Eisler", "The Carnival of Souls", "The Fall of the House of Usher (Soundtrack)" & "The Day of Wrath (Soundtrack)" also still have never been released. Many of the ultra rare club releases are next to impossible to obtain due to how extremely limited they were. "Devil Doll" albums are still fairly difficult to obtain unless you know exactly where to look for them. The music of Devil Doll is quite arduous to describe, so if your interests are piqued and you would like to know more about the mystery of "Devil Doll" you'll really need to find their albums and judge for yourself...

Sopor Aeternus - In der Palästra

Another entry for Gothic Noir in the mélange of dark music's delicacies is the not to be forgotten eccentric- Sopor Aeternus

Verney 1826

My latest acquisition Sacrow

by Verney 1826. Beautiful Gothic Noir Classical/Electronic music.

This is actually only one of 3 recordings of theirs that I purchased. Nebelland and Anthem & Procession - Split Album with Phantoms Of The SS are equally wonderful.

Euphoric Insomnia

Classical song by a metal guy Alexander Morte of Diehard. Prettiest thing I've heard all day.

Genius Mourns Itself

A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead (Latin: Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead (Latin: Missa defunctorum), is Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular formula of the Roman Missal. It is frequently, but not necessarily, celebrated in the context of a funeral.
The Lacrimosa is part of the Dies Irae sequence in the Requiem mass. Its text comes from the 18th and 19th stanzas of the sequence. Many composers, including Mozart, Berlioz, and Verdi have set the text as a discrete movement of the Requiem. ~Wikipedia

Lacrimosa is a duo led by German Tilo Wolff, the main composer, and Finnish Anne Nurmi, currently based in Switzerland, but originally from Germany.

If you only listen to one new album this year, make it Lichtgestalt by Lacrimosa.

And if you listen to only one new song this year make it Sapphire

I really wish I could have been in Berlin for this.

I worship the ground these two walk on.
They are my revered Gods. They represent a level of class and distinction in classical/metal music composition that outdoes any imagination I ever had of what music could be and do. After years of listening to them I am still blown away each time I hear them. I am forever in their debt.

Darkest Hailz.... Lacrimosa.... the angel and the devil forever united....
...a bow.