History & Biography Himinbjørg is a French band with Viking influences. The band was formed in the spring of 1996 and released a demo called Hedning in 1997. Zahaah is the band's main man with line-up changes being numerous. The band released an EP in February 2001 simply called Third. This EP featured a new drummer who was chosen because the original skin basher was too dark in his ways. The band signed to Adipocere Records in 2003. Himinbjorg was “proud” to announce a new album on its own label, European Tribes, in 2010. Chants D'hier, Chants De Guerre, Chants De La Terre (Songs Of Yesterday, Songs Of War, Songs Of The Earth). This was the first time the band’s album was sung in French. The CD was available on the band's website.
In tandem with Himinbjorg's 2010 album Chants d'hier... (Songs Of Yesterday, Songs Of War, Songs Of The Earth) Red Stream was re-releasing four Himinbjorg albums including, Where Ravens Fly, In The Ravens Shadow, Haunted Shores and Third before the end of this year.
The biography for Where Ravens Fly - a conceptual Viking story - states that the band, "honor us by releasing this anticipated CD." Wyrd of 2015 was on European Tribes. Zahaah handled most musical instruments and sang and Kahos drummed. Osmose pressed it on vinyl. Guitarists Avgruun of Caïnan Dawn and Sven of AntiCorpse joined in 2013.
Himinbjørg is the name of a castle in the heavens where Heimdall, a god of Scandinavian folklore, lives.
Reviews HIMINBJORG - IN THE RAVEN'S SHADOW - RED STREAM
I know the issuing label, America's Red Stream, has high hopes for this release, but one has to say it as it is: weak derivative black metal coupled with a vocalist who sounds like he's doing a darned good impression of a drunkard Viking sailor on his way back from a trip to the watering hole in Valhalla is not my idea of good metal. In fact, it's down right laughable. It might be something to do with the fact that these boys are French (and should stick with what they know best, namely fermenting blue cheese), but the fact remains that In the Raven's Shadow is...sure to be a flop. - Ali "The Metallian"
HIMINBJORG - THIRD - RED STREAM
I wrote candidly about Himinbjorg's last full length in issue 29. The review was not positive. Much to my surprise, the French group has undergone a major overhaul with this EP, and things have taken a turn for the better. For better or worse, Himinbjorg is not a pure force like Immortal or whoever; but on their latest release for Red Stream the band ditched much of the lame vocalizations and experimentations of the past and finds its own footing. While the CD kicks off with a song sporting an intro and a solo akin to Metallica, the truth is that the band is more extreme than that comparison allows, and can often launch an attack on the jugular. Having said that, Himinbjorg's new line up embraces a variety of moods and provides for a more diverse attempt. The surprise is that by virtue of better composition and sound, it often works. - Ali "The Metallian"
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