One of my favorite folk metal bands, and an outstanding showcase of long hair. Enjoy!
--Val
''Gryning,'' by Fejd
Lot's of long hairs, but some cool Renaissance period instruments as well. One guy strumming a lute, another playing a nyckelharpa. Very interesting instrument, instead of using a fretboard depressing the strings with the fingers, like a violin, this traditional Swedish instrument use a series of keys that depress the strings against the frets.
The lute is a modern one, with geared tuning for the strings, like a guitar. A traditional lute would used wood tuning pegs. Tuning pegs don't hold the strings on key as well as modern gears, so a pegged lute needs frequent tuning. It would make sense for this lute player to use a lute with tuning gears for the music he is playing. It would be a constant annoyance if you had to keep tuning the lute during a performance.
Folk metal is a good way to keep classic instruments alive, and introduce them to a new generation, who otherwise might never hear or see them. And the long hair fits in perfectly, men of the Renaissance looked very much like the lute and nyckelharpa players in this band. I can't even imagine some short-haired buzz-cut guy playing either, it looks so wrong!
Wow Carol ! You must do something with music or instruments. That was educational
Thank you
Glinka
I love Medieval and Renaissance period music and appreciate the variety of instruments used over the centuries. I had a good music education as a child, can both read and write music, but not play so much. I did play piano as a child, and I currently have a wood recorder from the Black Forest of Germany, and a mountain dulcimer that I made myself from a kit. I think it's important to keep these historic instruments in use, and exposing new generations to them. Sadly, music education in the schools are being eliminated due to lack of funding, so the musicians themselves need to do the educating, or we really will have a "day the music died" (Don McLean "American Pie"). If today's artists don't use these ancient instruments, they will cease to exist. That would be sad.
I'm a fan of the Renaissance music ensemble Pantagruel, founded by the English lutenist Mark Wheeler. Prior to Pantagruel, Mark was in a goth metal band where he began an interest in traditional Renaissance period Madrigals and other tunes. A lifelong guitarist, both acoustic and electric; he took up learning the Lute, Cittern & Gittern, becoming accomplished in all three. Mark founded Pantagruel in order to resurrect and save the music of the past, for an audience of the future. He still does metal, but Pantagruel is his main project ATM. He's just one of many rock artists reviving an interest in old traditional instruments of the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Fold metal bands like Fejd help keep these instruments alive by incorporating them into their music. They have a unique sound, you cannot replicate them electronically no matter what. Be a bit unplugged, and play the real thing.
Val, loved the video, Ive been getting into those nortic type groups lately myself, i love the girl wearing leather swinging around fire. i have a weakness for Scandinavian women.the guys hair in the video is healthy and long but i think im going a little longer than that. July will be 26 months without a trim mine will be mid to lower back at 36 months. by the way you have a gift for writing, i think you would make a great comedy writer. snl, stand up,sitcom etc. take care dude James / Tampa,Fl
Thanks for sharing Val and you do have good taste music and bands :-)
Cheers,
John.B
Very cool indeed!
Very cool video Val as it reminds me of what music videos on MTV used to look like when it used to be a 'real" music channel.Now I have no idea what it is anymore.Still getting back to your link I found the band very unique as it would be cool to see them live should they ever tour the US.Cheers
Mark
Cool Band Val,
Like this vid. Like Hairball said, this is how vidieos use to be. Dont know what they were sayin, but got the jist of it thru the vid
Thanks
Glinka