Cygnus Rock Band - Skål (Yggdrasil)

The very first Viking song by Cygnus. Ever.

It was officially released back at the very end of August, 2018.

Can you imagine?... 6 years ago, these wonderful, very talented, already totally cool and badass rockers decided to try out something new. Out of curiosity and creativity. And where are they now?... Just look at them! 5 Viking albums, all of them are full of beautiful songs. Deep, rich, mature music. Vision. Art. The constant effort to make it all even better. And most of all, authenticity.

6 years ago these amazing Colombians released this little song. It would be the most interesting to talk to them once about whether they had ever imagined this song would start an avalanche and today they are standing tall with an already very rich life-work and legacy and an international/overseas fandom.

Well, this is how you make history.

Cygnus's first ever Viking song has got a cinematic intro. You already feel that something special is coming. 

You hear the sound of the timpani.

Tell me, what other epic first beats of a song do you need?... Timpani!!! TIMPANI!!!

Then enters the tiple.

Well done, dear Colombian gentlemen, well done. In case this was your plan, that some time in the future you wish to make a fan scream, shiver, get goosebumps, tears in the eyes, racing heart, drooling and...

for discretion reasons I don't get into any more details

...then I have to tell you, my beloved rock gods, you made a perfect job. Starting your brand new path, the very first steps of it with two of my favorite instruments. What else can I ask for?...

A side note: I'm not sure that much, but my ears notify me about some very gentle acoustic guitars in the background as well.

A thought for myself to ponder: I'm not even surprised anymore that I'm this much into their music. This greatness and elegance right at the beginning of the (Viking) time, this great care for the small details and all this so naturally. This is why they are irresistible.

The song continues with the guitars. With the firm base given to them by the rhythm section, they grab you by the hand

the tiple was just caressing you, these heavy instruments mean it much more seriously

flash their fangs as they drop you a confident smile and I can make you sure, dear Reader, they won't let you go anymore.

Never ever.

Ruxx starts to sing. His tenor here is still a bit raw; it already has its smoky-dusty flavor, but if you have already listened to their later material - like this song - then you will see how much he improved, matured and worked on himself since then.

Another shy thought, because it's again something I'm not sure about, but I sense the tempo here is special. I have a sense that it's that sort of tempo Cygnus used in their later songs, too. It's a very hidden, very subtle change. Since I'm not educated enough to find the proper expression for it, I can describe it the best that my ears here, in the stanza say that it's 7/8, but the reality is that it's a kind of playful hide-and-seek with 4/4 and 3/4. Correct me, please, if I'm wrong, since I lack a lot of skills to be able to say it clearly, meanwhile I'm aware of how these amazing, wonderful and talented musicians loved these little, hidden gems even at the early stages of their career.

I especially love how the music builds up slowly under the humane voice. First you hear only the acoustic instruments, the tiple (and I'm not sure if the acoustic guitar is there, too, if it is, then it's singing very humbly) and the rhythm section, and then the strict, tough electric instruments join them

The vocals are very interesting as well, because the single voice and the choir are having a dialogue in the stanzas, then they join their forces for the chorus.

In the chorus I again sniffle some tempo changing, but here I'm even less sure about it than with the verses. I tried to hit it for myself, but it just made me even more confused. Nevertheless, regardless of what's been hidden here (or what's not) it's again something a band can win my heart with. Pure creativity, thinking outside the box, not being afraid of doing something other than the usual. I love it.

Well done, gentlemen, well done. You know how to tickle the (future) fan. 😉

For the second stanza Deneb takes it over

allow me, dear Reader, to take a deep breath and calm myself down or else I end up in hopeless screaming and drooling over his voice and this blogpost is already full of all sorts of fluids from suspicious fountains, and I don't want to disgust you away.

I love this "uncut diamond" voice of him. You hear this young wolf with all the dreams, enthusiasm, energy and passion he has - and look at him e.g. in this song and the myriad of emotions and colors he interprets with his vocals. Mature, deep, rich and manly. The clear evidence of his progress and growth as a singer.

with the faithful company of the choir. Just like in the first stanza, the tiple, the rhythm section and a few beats later the electric instruments appear to hold the humane voices on their shoulder.

The chorus is followed by a short solo

this is also very interesting, and again I keep up the possibility that I'm wrong, but is the solo practically an improvisation for the main theme? Do I hear it well?

and then comes the greatest gem of the song.

The Warrior's Prayer by Deneb.

This is the very reason that in my opinion it's more than a [CENSORED INDICATIVE] song. I get that many people hear only the "SKÅL" cries and they automatically think it's a [no way I say it out loud] song. In a sense they might be right though, but let me be an elitist or gatekeeper

call it whatever you will, not that it would make me change my standpoint

and tell that for me it's a war song. 

Partly because the song is by default full of war cries, like 

The battle upon us here and now

We stand together, all as one

or

Together in line we stand like a wall

Hold your ground and kill them all

and in fact the chorus is also a call for battle:

We fight as one till it is done

We fight till the battle is won

None can turn, none can run

Feast with the gods...

SKÅL!

But getting back to the topic where we left it, the solo is followed by a wonderful piece of gem. Deneb says the Warrior's Prayer. The music slows down and only the tiple dances aetherally around the humane voice. And here at this point Deneb already flashes his future singer/performer abilities with his mellow voice full of emotions.

Beautiful. It's just beautiful.

The chorus returns along with the guitars and the rhythm section, and very interesting, this song fades out. This is the only song on the album that ends this way and unlike the future albums, this time it's the first song instead of the last one.

It would be very interesting to talk about it one day because there's surely a reason behind it.

And also because I love listening to stories like this about the creative process. Among others.

The video is special, because it's a lyrics video, so you can not only listen to it but shout it out loud, for the pure joy of the neighborhood. Invite them over and enjoy it together!