Cygnus Rock Band - The Legend of Thor (Revival)

Thor, my god,

It's probably an unusual way to approach You, Elder Brother. In fact the subject why I'm approaching You this way is also extraordinary.

Though I think You already know about it.

I think You already know these two wonderful Midgardians, these very talented, amazing bards who are devoted to You, Elder Brother. Not just to You, but to Your all-mighty Father Odin, and to Your fellow Asgardians as well. I think You already know how wonderful prayers they offered through their music to the All-Father, to Frejya, even to Loki himself and to You, too, Elder Brother, not just once. They remembered with a hilarious video about Loki's antics when Brokkr and Sindir made You Mjölnir, Your mighty weapon and they created a song about Your heroic act when You saved Frejya from an awful, forced marriage to the giant king Thrym.

This time, Elder Brother, they took on a task they have never done before. They decided to pay respect to the story of You visiting Útgarđa-Loki and all the adventures of You in the company of Your faithful servants as well as the trickster god Loki.

For this they wrote a song that is 23 minutes long.

This song is unique in every sense. You know, today's Midgard has changed too much since those times when people turned to You for protection and guidance. People today don't like to sit near the fire to listen to the night-long-songs of bards who tell them tales about gods, giants and mystical creatures. People today prefer listening to songs on the go and if something is longer than 3 minutes, they get bored or annoyed and switch to another one.

And Your bards, Elder Brother, in this rushing, noisy, busy, always-in-a-hurry world of today made a song about you that lasts almost half an hour. For Your glory and honor.

To tell You the truth, I think it's not simply a song. It's really a symphony. 23 minutes of pure devotion for You and for all the adventures You and those in Your company went through, beautifully composed, played, sung and arranged, with orchestration, electric instruments and two wonderful humane voices.

It consists of 8 parts, so perfectly put together for Your honor, Elder Brother, that they could be individual songs by themselves. The first part is titled "The Journey" and it starts with a nice, deeply gruntling old-school riff

do You hear the bass in the background, Elder Brother?... Do You feel the power of it? Do You think it hits like Your thunderbolts?... Do You think it's something unique among Midgardians?...

that hits right in the groints and brings tears to the eyes of those who are listening to it. It's followed by a short but heart-warmingly technical, clear and tight guitar piece that makes everyone smile who grew up on the metal music of the 80's and 90's. Then the tempo changes

and we're still in the intro!... Just a few seconds have passed but we're treated like kings by Your wonderful bards. They truly love You, Elder Brother!

the orchestration enters and the humane voices appear offering You a beautiful glorifying prayer.

Then suddenly everything quietens and a divine medieval theme takes over played on acoustic guitar

if I'm not wrong, Elder Brother, it's Your amazing devotee Deneb himself, playing for You

just like back then, when bards wandered around towns and villages telling legends about gods and heroes for people sitting around the fireplace

and the best is that this beautiful medieval theme will return later in the song, but I try not to spoil it for You

and then Your other amazing devotee Ruxx starts to tell the story of You, Loki, Thjálfi and Röskva hitting the road to Jötunheim. Then Deneb takes over the singing part, sharing about You all trying to find a place to rest for the night in a huge hall that ended up to be the giant Skyrmir's glove.

Here switches the theme as we slip into Part II, "The Bag". The acoustic guitar gets a heavy kick by the rhythm section, then it allows the electric guitar to take over. The overall theme gets more serious, tougher and the tempo is turning into heavier, a "beast of burden"-stlye, as wel call it in my mother tongue. Ruxx continues Your story about Skyrmir bringing You food - as he claimed it - but it became a too hard task for You then. 

Elder Brother, do You hear the instruments behind the humane voice? Do You hear the sweet sound of the tiple as it plays hide-and-seek with the bard's vocals? This is the only song on the entire album that has tiple in it. It's for You, Elder Brother, for Your glory!

Then comes a musical bridge which is so beautiful that it gives goosebumps for the listener, even though it's only a mere teasing at this point, flashing the deep, rich beauty it has got to offer. Full orchestration along with the electric instruments, wonderful theme that brings tears to the eyes - but only for a very short while. What a sweet provocation!...

Then it suddenly slows down, but the orchestration gently carries Deneb's voice as You already knew something was wrong around this giant and wanted to make it clear once and for all who Skyrmir was talking to, but he still refused to give You the respect You deserve.

Then the orchestration hits with its full beauty. The entire theme is building up so beautifully that takes away the listener's breath as we slip into Part III, "The Lord of These Lands". The distorted guitar wonderfully completes Ruxx's rusty, rock-soaked tenor as he is telling the story of Skyrmir suggesting You to meet Útgarđa-Loki being "the lord of these lands". The orchestration in the meantime never ceases to grow into more and more beautiful, rich and complex, still continuing to tease the listener showing itself for a short while, then disappearing completely again to let Ruxx's strong voice flow as You eventually meet Útgarđa-Loki in his castle, and the not too polite host forces You into a series of games.

Hereby I need to pay respect to Ruxx, Elder Brother. He is not only one of the bards who tell Your story but he is the engine of this song with his complex, very difficult drum play. The song contains many tempo changes, sometimes even I lose thread

let me just whisper it into Your ear, Elder Brother, I've seen this complexity so far only in classical music and in Dream Theater songs

and I think this fact speaks for itself about these two, very highly skilled and talented musicians... what do You think?

and if I heard it well, just the drum part of this song took TWO DAYS to record it. Two days are very very long for our Midgardian time, and Ruxx made it. For You.

The orchestration here is dancing in an embrace with the guitars and the rhythm section. It doesn't hold back itself anymore, it doesn't want to hide away. It shows its full, reapening beauty for the joy of the listener and for Your glory. And I can tell you, Elder Brother, even at the peak of beauty, when the listener is shivering from happiness and tears gather in their eyes, these wonderful, talented rockers can still add something to it that makes it even more beautiful.

The bells.

The tolling bells of Asgard that sing for You, my god. The tolling bells that these bards make sing.

This is one of the cathartic moment of the song for me, Elder Brother. So wonderful, so slowly, delicately built-up, teasing the listener with the promise of a beauty they have never experienced before, hiding then showing itself, then hiding away again just to step out of the light in its full armor holding the listener spellbound; and it's happening with such a wonderful taste, such a flavor that the listener is suffocating as they are swallowing it, while begging for more with tears of gratitude in their eyes. And watch these wonderful bards, Elder Brother, watch them: they generously give more, refusing to be tight-fisted with the begging listener.

And we have entered Part IV. "The Games", where Ruxx continues to tell Your story as Útgarđa-Loki tricked all of you - including the Trickster God himself! - into a series of games. Ruxx's voice is escorted by the guitars and the rhythm section

how wonderfully they emphasize his harsh, raspy-rocky voice, right, Elder Brother?

and the orchestration again plays hide-and-seek with the listener, teasing them, dissolving the tension of the rock-metal sound of the instruments and the humane voice. 

Then again it shows its full beauty with the tolling bells. All of a sudden, out of the blue it appears, hugging the listener tight, filling their eyes again with tears by its gentle but firm and warm touch. Then with a kiss on the listener's tearful eyes it hides away again.

I'm out of words, Elder Brother... it's just beautiful. Your bards deserve every blessing of Asgard. 💓

Ruxx continues Your story as Útgarđa-Loki challenged You Yourself after Your fellow travellers into different adventures and games.

(allow me to remark, Elder Brother, I personally find the wrestling match highly entertaining - though I assume it was far not entertaining for You Yourself :) these bards perform it so light-hearted, with so much love for You that the listener can't help but giggle imagining You in the ring with Elli)

Then we flow into part V. "Confusion" carried by a fantastic guitar solo. This instrumental part is absolutely unique. I remember when I listened to this song for the first time, my first thought was "whoa, this could be a part of a Dream Theater or a Pink Floyd song as well!". Beautiful, aethereal, dreamy, thoroughly composed, full of love, built up by caring, gentle hands. For me personally, Elder Brother, it shows another, so far hidden side of these bards' talent. I'm absolutely fascinated and I can't be grateful enough that I can witness it.

And not just that... I can listen to it as many times as I want! And I do and I can't get enough of it!... For Your glory, Elder Brother!

The part brings one of the greatest solos of this album, played by none else that Andrés F. "Colombian Yngwie Malmsteen Grand Maestro" Bernal in his trademark virtuoso style.

Let me here remark, Elder Brother, that this wonderful guitarist who accompanies Your bards time after time is self-taught. He plays his solos as if he had 10 fingers on each of his hands without any classic or traditional music education. He's this talented. And he offers his talent in Your service, my god.

Then suddenly everything slows down, the atmosphere quietens and the acoustic guitar returns. Yes, Elder Brother, this is that very moment I told You in the beginning. We are in Part VI. "Confession".

Do You also hear the crackling sound of fire we're all sitting around?

Deneb continues to tell Your story after the humiliating experience of Útgarđa-Loki's challenges, when the giant admits You and Your company that it was a row of tricks and traps made by him especially for You.

I confess to You, my god, that this part is my favorite part from the entire song. For me it's catharsis itself. Every time I listen to it, my throat is tight, I shiver and I'm wrestling with my tears. (They always win.) It's so beautiful, divine, sophisticated, wonderfully composed and arranged and not just that, Elder Brother... every time I listen to it, I discover something new in it. A hidden note, the slowing down of the tempo, the delicate, still rich whispering of the tiple, the medieval theme's gorgeous sound, the deep vibration of the percussion, the bass, tiple and the acoustic guitar dancing around, joined by the two humane voices together, while a distant violin is singing softly in the background.

The switch to Part VII. "Holographic Nature" is quick, the aethereal ambient disappears just like Útgarđa-Loki from Your eyes when You wanted to give him a lesson with a nasty hit of Mjölnir. We have here another instrumental part and here I again claim that this could be the part of a Dream Theater song

maestro Jordan Rudess, I hope you're listening!

then the orchestration returns to show again its full, rich, reapened beauty, holding the entire song together, hugging the listener into the dancing of the myriad of sounds. Another guitar solo puts the crown to this part as we arrive at the final part of the song, "Your Grace". The bells of Asgard are tolling in their full beauty while the entire chorus is glorifying You, Elder Brother.

God of Thunder, protective, mighty

In battle join us, Honorable God!

Grant us your favor, oh! Son of Odin

Guardian of Midgard, glorious among gods

There's a saying, Elder Brother, that gods are always happy when humans glorify them, but it's even dearer to their hearts when someone is glorifying those whom they love. I hope, my god, that I could make You smile at least a little bit by glorifying these two wonderful, very talented, divine bards, because I know that they are close to Your heart. All I wish from You is to keep Your protecting eye on them, to give them courage and a heart full of delight for each and every of their steps. Because I love them... and You love them, too.

With all my devotion,

The Winged Hussar

an insignificant Midgardian in service of Your bards