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Ragna
Rap?
An interview with Norselaw
By Bob Ignizio |
Valhalla Ice (to be
referred to as “Val” from here on), MC for Norselaw, says, “The ethos of rap
music is "keep it real." I ask, what is so real about going into a bar and
seeing a sorority girl, or a guy like me from a civilized background, sing
along to a "50-Cent" song about selling crack and shooting people?” Val
and his partner in rap, Ragnar, set out to “keep it real” their way by
forming the worlds first, and so far only, Viking rap group. Ragnar and Ice
take turns on the mic, while Ice handles keyboard and drum programming and
playing guitar as well. Recently the duo recruited new Norsemen Keith Von
Triumph on drums, Olaf Hellhammer on bass, and Magnus Malmsteen on guitar.
Together these musicians mix hip hop with Scandinavian metal to create a
sound that is truly unique.
Apparently, Val and Ragnar
feel they had no choice in the matter. Val says, “Thor has become mad with
rage at the disobedience people have shown toward the order of the "Norselaw."
He has sent me on a journey, along with my fellow musical warriors, to rid
Midgard of the chaos brought upon our world by infiltrating the very style
of music which has become our enemy.” You can judge for yourself how
successful this infiltration is by checking out Norselaw’s latest album on
Latticesphere Records, ‘Sweet Home Scandinavia’. Just don’t call the band a
novelty act. Val says, “It is incorrect to label a revolution as a
novelty.”
So how does the
revolutionary music of Norselaw come into existence? Ragnar says, “Ice will
usually come up with the guitar parts, and then he'll add keyboards and
drums. I will often influence his ideas by playing him something I like
from the Northern European metal scene and ask him to incorporate the sound
I heard.” Val further elaborates, saying, “Ragnar's influence on the new
songs is overwhelming. His vocals are extremely brutal and the influence he
brings forth from his thousands of obscure metal CDs has been invaluable in
creating our new style of music.” Apparently the gods themselves approve.
Ragnar says, “Odin was recently saying he thought the beats for the new
songs were much more dope. He also said the song writing was much better.
Who am I to disagree with such a supreme power?”
But what do metal fans,
especially black metal fans, think of Norselaw? After all, the average
Mayhem or Emperor fan tends to take his or her style of music pretty
seriously. Drummer Keith Von Triumph says, “The guys I know who like black
metal enjoy our stuff. Whether they are indicative of the typical fan I
don't know.” According to guitarist Magnus Malmsteen, however, the band’s
biggest fans don’t even come from the metal scene. Magnus says, “Our best
fans have been punks. Not the boy band Blink 182 fags, but the ones who
respect my "Mentors" t-shirt.” And in case you’re wondering, you don’t have
to be a “real” Viking to listen to Norselaw. Guitarist Magnus Malmsteen
says, “Anyone who embraces the Norselaw is a Viking. Anyone who doesn't is
a piece of shit.”
And so the battle rages
on, against what Val describes as, “a spineless society of weak minded fools
dominated by evil scoundrels.” It’s a world in which many measure success
by money, fame, and “bling-bling”. That’s not the kind of success Norselaw
is interested in. Rather, says Val, “Success would be to die sword in hand
with the mangled carcasses of my enemies surrounding me on a blood drenched
field. Only then would I be able to enter Valhalla.” Hey, how else are
you gonna’ get a decent pint of mead these days?
Visit the Norse Law website.
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