The Pagan Music List 16: Munknörr, Torulf, Heldom
The PAGAN MUSIC LIST is an attempt to create a comprehensive list of Pagan, Heathen, Esoteric, Animist, and related music that we listen to and love. We include embedded YouTube, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp links when possible for each artist.
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Collection 16: Munknörr, Torulf, Heldom
Munknörr
Nordic/Heathen
Recommended Album: Aegishjalmur
Artist Website: https://munknorr.com/
Pointing to the rather international appeal of Nordic music, Munknörr is a project based whose primary musician is based in Uruguay (South America) and whose singer lives in Greece.
At times reminiscent of The Moon and the Nightspirit and other times of Warduna, Munknörr’s music blends Heathen themes and traditional instruments with synthesizers and samplings to create a deeply atmospheric experience true to the meaning of their name (the ship of mind.).
Their song Heimdallr (named for the watchman god), though not featuring the best of their vocals, is quite hypnotic.
Deyja (meaning “death”) has much better vocals, with lyrics referencing the shamanic journey into death and rebirth.
Of their songs, I think their best is The Flight, which features of vocals of one of my favorite musicians, Rúnahild:
TORULF
Nordic, Ambient
Recommended Album: VÄsterled
Artist Website: https://torulf.bandcamp.com/
Torulf (“Thor’s wolf”) is a pretty brilliant music project by Swedish musician Fredrik Ashton. The project very seamlessly blends his own musical performance (drums and tagelharpa) with synthesizers and samples to create some of the best “nordic ambient” I’ve yet heard.
Especially listen to the track “Liv” from the album Västerled (the entire album is really, really good):
And I think my now favorite re-imagining of the most famous Breton an dro (popularly called “St. Patrick’s An Dro, though Patrick was generally unknown to the Bretons) is Yngve-Frej from Torulf’s album Midsolblot.
HELDOM
Nordic/Heathen
Recommended Album: Myrkr
Artist Website https://heldommusic.com/
By now, you’re probably noticing a theme, as I’ve been listening to a lot of Nordic music lately. Danish band Heldom is yet another one of these, a bit more accessible to a general listening audience because of its more “dance” elements. It’s also perhaps a bit less rich in direct paganism (it is self-styled “dark viking music”) but it’s nevertheless quite fun.
Heldom did a collaboration with a similar band not yet reveiwed, Danheim. That song, Blodfest, is lots of fun:
They’re great on their own as well, as the title track from their album Myrkr shows: