• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Rebellion, the band formed by masterminds Uwe Lulis and Tomi Göttlich after their departure from Grave Digger, returned for their third album in 2005, entitled Sagas of Iceland, which started a three-part effort depicting the Vikings' history. Despite being a widely-visited theme, Rebellion managed to tell their story with creativity, accuracy and, most importantly, respect.

The first song of the album, "In Memorandum Lindisfarnae", sets up the atmosphere by slowly and calmly luring you to the Viking world, and by the time "Ynglinga Saga (To Odin We Call)" starts, you've already fell in so deep you never want to return. Historical passages such as "Harald Harfager", "Eric the Red" and "Sword in the Storm (The Saga of Earl Hakon)" are proof that these guys did their homework and delivered accurate songwriting. Michael Seifert's raw voice has an angry and melancholic feeling that adds to the whole experience and the strong choirs throughout the album gives the impression that you are hearing actual Vikings tell their tales. The whole band is on top form here, from guitar master Uwe Lulis and his ripping melodies to Gerd Lücking's ability to dictate the pace perfectly with his drums. This album has everything, from fast and fierce opuses to quieter and dramatic passages.

Featuring some of the best songwriting about Vikings I've ever seen, Sagas of Iceland is everything a true metal fan can hope for: It is grandiose, epic, brutal and filled with riffs and heavy tunes. This effort is something that comes by rarely in the music world, so sit back, let the Valkyries embrace you in their arms and prepare yourself for a beautiful journey to Valhalla.