Track By Tracks: Hrafnablót - Guðlaugar Saga (2026)
About the upcoming debut album (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Inspired sonically by various genres of metal and Icelandic folk music, and lyrically by Icelandic folklore and Sagas, Guðlaugar Saga is a true Icelandic epic. The album tells the tale of how a modern-day woman called Guðlaug gets sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and a taser. Listeners follow her journey through battle, celebrations, kidnapping, and her internal struggle over whether to return to her mundane life in the present or stay in the past. Musically, the album strongly contrasts darkness and light, ugliness and beauty, past and present. Drawing influences from Icelandic folk music, Nordic folk metal, NWOBHM, and various gothic and extreme metal, Hrafnablót has brewed its own brand of sorcerous folk metal.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
1. Spádómurinn:
Spádómurinn is a spoken-word intro in which our guitarist Steingrímur portrays a seer, gazing into the future of our protagonist, Guðlaug. The track features various sound effects, ranging from howling Icelandic winds to ravens, along with eerie whispers. The lyrics are written in highly lyrical, old Icelandic.
2. Dísablót:
Dísablót prominently features a groovy, driving main riff along with powerful vocals, twin guitar harmonies, and fast guitar solos. The song tells the story of how Guðlaug, alone and friendless at the bar, is drawn into an ancient rite called Dísablót and sent back to the Icelandic settlement age with nothing but the clothes on her back and a taser.
3. Heljarhlíð:
Heljarhlíð is the first song on the album to feature harsh vocals by keyboardist Ólafur, alongside Hugrún’s clean singing. The song is influenced by various melodic death metal sounds and draws to a close with a strong vocal harmony. Lyrically, the song is about how Guðlaug is drawn into a battle and is forced to defend herself with her trusty taser.
4. Kappar, meyjar, komendur:
Kappar, meyjar, and komendur are the spoken-word intro to the next song, Fögnuður, in which guitarist Steingrímur portrays an Icelandic chieftain celebrating after the battle and remembering the fallen. Musically, the song consists of arpeggiated guitars, deep bass tones, and melodic keys.
5. Fögnuður:
Fögnuður, Icelandic for celebration, is a celebratory folk metal party song with a drinking chant, strong guitar melodies, vocal hooks galore, and even a keyboard solo. In Fögnuður, we follow Guðlaug through the post-battle celebrations.
6. Nornarheimt:
In Nornarheimt, a band of brigands crashes into the hall after the party has subsided and the guests have fallen asleep. They assume Guðlaug must be a witch, having helped decide the battle with her magical weapon, and kidnap her. Nornarheimt is perhaps the harshest song on the album, featuring galloping guitars strongly inspired by Icelandic folk music, swift, rhythmic singing, and pounding drums.
7. Svartigaldur:
Svartigaldur is, in essence, an Icelandic, metallized sea-shanty. The main riff for the song is adapted from the Icelandic folk song Að bíða þess sem búið er, which stands alongside rowboat rhythms, guitar chord work inspired by black metal, and exceptional clean vocal hooks. Lyrically, the song tells the tale of how Guðlaug, having recently been kidnapped, is bound to the mast on a boat as she is assumed to be a witch, no matter how much she explains her apparent lack of magical powers.
8. Heimþrá:
Heimþrá centers around a melodic keyboard riff and the vocals of singer Hugrún. Lyrically, Heimþrá, homesickness in English, centers on Guðlaug trying to come to grips with having been thrown into the past and wishing to return home to present-day Iceland. She realizes she has to embrace dark magicks to escape her captors.
9. Örlagavegur:
Örlagavegur is a roughly 11-minute epic in multiple parts, with various tempo, key, and meter changes. It features everything from waltz-inspired rhythms to a heavy riff in 13/4 time. In Örlagavegur, Guðlaug is struggling with whether to return home to the present or stay in the settlement age. She’s visited by the Fates, who implore her to go back to the future. Realizing that in her old life, she had no power or purpose, she elects to stay in the past - changing the course of Icelandic history.
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