I remember someone here in this forum said that TVW was in fact a concept album, linked to Land of Hope and Glory. Is that true, and if so, what's the storyline?
Is The Varangian Way a concept album?
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cyanidehamburger
New Metal Member
- Apr 19, 2010
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I believe it follows the journey of the Varangians (a group of Vikings) on their way to... Istanbul maybe?
Yes, I looked it up (on Wikipedia), Miklagard=Istanbul according to them.
Yes, I looked it up (on Wikipedia), Miklagard=Istanbul according to them.
HjordisKjaer
pronounced "HYOR-dis"
The Varangian Way isn't officially marketed as a concept album but I think a lot of people will/are call it that.
It follows a group of Varangians traveling from their homeland (probably somewhere in present-day Nordic countries) to Вели́кий Но́вгород (Veliky Novgorod) which was called Holmgard by the Norse, then to the court of King Jaroslav (called Jarisleif in the album), ruler of the Rus (Russians), and finally to Miklagarðr (later Miklagård), which is presently known as Istanbul. I call it a concept album myself.
Turisas did their research for the album, mentioning geographical areas, especially in the song "Portage to the Unknown":
"Seen lake Ilmen gleam" (lake Ilmen is a river near Novgorod)
"Passed by Aldeigjuborg" (Aldeigjuborg = present-day Ста́рая Ла́дога/Staraya Ladoga, Russia)
etc. etc.
I know, I'm way too Viking-obsessed.
It follows a group of Varangians traveling from their homeland (probably somewhere in present-day Nordic countries) to Вели́кий Но́вгород (Veliky Novgorod) which was called Holmgard by the Norse, then to the court of King Jaroslav (called Jarisleif in the album), ruler of the Rus (Russians), and finally to Miklagarðr (later Miklagård), which is presently known as Istanbul. I call it a concept album myself.
Turisas did their research for the album, mentioning geographical areas, especially in the song "Portage to the Unknown":
"Seen lake Ilmen gleam" (lake Ilmen is a river near Novgorod)
"Passed by Aldeigjuborg" (Aldeigjuborg = present-day Ста́рая Ла́дога/Staraya Ladoga, Russia)
etc. etc.
I know, I'm way too Viking-obsessed.
It's amazing that they take their music so seriously, unlike other "artists". Yeah, TVW is definitely a concept album.
**Edited by Cari: no need for beind rude about other artists. taste differes. fact.**
**Edited by Cari: no need for beind rude about other artists. taste differes. fact.**
I don't think it's too far of an imagination stretch to see it as a concept album but I just see it as freakin sweet. It has a depth and creativity unlike most modern day albums and it is of a much better quality than others that try to do the same thing.
Songs like The Dnieper Rapids where the music is geared towards the atmosphere of the song - phenomenal.
Songs like The Dnieper Rapids where the music is geared towards the atmosphere of the song - phenomenal.
AndreasS
Dutch Demon
In popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical".[1] Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to a single overall theme or unified story. This is in contrast to the practice of an artist or group releasing an album consisting of a number of unconnected (lyrically or otherwise) songs performed by the artist. [definition taken from Wikipedia]
So, since TVW describes a "journey" and the songs are connected lyrically to different stages of said journey, I'd say you can consider TVW to be a concept album.
So, since TVW describes a "journey" and the songs are connected lyrically to different stages of said journey, I'd say you can consider TVW to be a concept album.
What the hell, yes it is a concept album, Warlord even names characters in the songs. It follows the Viking's journey to Russia
AndreasS
Dutch Demon
timmy88, I am sorry but "naming characters in the songs" is on itself far from convincing proof (e.g. look at the bonus track Rasputin - references are made to a historical figure called Rasputin, but that doesn't make whatever album the track appears on a concept album automatically). =P You are right abut TVW being a concept piece, but the argumentation is lacking and you made a mistake...
Also, everyone here knows or can read what the album is about from just a few posts up. And to be 100% exact, the album is about Varyags (a.k.a. Varangians), and not just "Vikings" (using that term also makes me wonder what people you consider to be Vikings and what not, for Finns strictly are closer related to e.g. Hungarians than to e.g. Norwegians...).
Also, they were travelling THROUGH Russia and not TO Russia. Their goal was to reach Constantinople, or Miklagard if you please, the capital of the Eastern-Roman Empire (currently called Istanbul, in Turkey).
But that's all besides the point and the purpose of this thread has been served, I suppose. To summarize: Yes, you can consider TVW a concept album.
Also, everyone here knows or can read what the album is about from just a few posts up.
And to be 100% exact, the album is about Varyags (a.k.a. Varangians), and not just "Vikings" (using that term also makes me wonder what people you consider to be Vikings and what not, for Finns strictly are closer related to e.g. Hungarians than to e.g. Norwegians...). Also, they were travelling THROUGH Russia and not TO Russia. Their goal was to reach Constantinople, or Miklagard if you please, the capital of the Eastern-Roman Empire (currently called Istanbul, in Turkey).
But that's all besides the point and the purpose of this thread has been served, I suppose. To summarize: Yes, you can consider TVW a concept album.
Ah Varangian Guard until about the time of Emperor Alexios Komnenos, were from Norway, Sweden and Denmark and were vikings. In his time, fairly late in (1081) the guard were mainly Anglo-Saxon and enemies of the vikings. I would assume The Varangian Way is set in the classic viking age of the Væringjar who were Rus' people, from Sweden. Although there were some from what we now call France and Germany. The term can also be sued to describe pirates and sailors of the time. The Byzantine empire by the viking age had lost most of it's southern provinces and consisted of much of waht we now call Russia, although Constantinople was the capitol.
