The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 brought metal to its soundtrack, highlighting a historical trend that once sawThe Silmarillionget made into a whole album. WithThe Rings of Powerseason 3inevitable, it is the right time to dive into the music that surrounds Middle-earth and has helped build it up into the institution that it is today. Starting off the story that would change the world forever across multiple art forms, Allen & Unwin published J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsin three parts between 1954 and 1955.
Beginning withThe Fellowship of the Ring, the seminal novel introduced Eä, a pioneering high fantasy universe with races from Elves and Men to Dwarves and Hobbits. These unique species were the prototypes for countless fantasy characters in the franchises released in the years to come, includingDungeons & Dragons.The Peter JacksonLord of the RingsandHobbitmovieswere what propelled Tolkien’s 1960s phenomenon to household-name heights, but metal had caught on right from the start, with a love of Tolkien since the ’60s.
Blind Guardian’s Nightfall In Middle-Earth Tells The Story Of The Silmarillion
Lúthien Dances On The Cover Of Nightfall In Middle-Earth
In 1998, Blind Guardian released their critically acclaimedSilmarillionconcept albumNightfall in Middle-Earth. Consequently, the power metal band Blind Guardian can probablylay claim to the bestLord of the Ringsmetalout there. If Howard Shore’s soundtrack toThe Lord of the Ringswasn’t so iconic, it may have paled in comparison to this. Granted, for those who don’t like metal, it won’t magically be more likable than other metal, but for those who are open to it, this varied tour de force tellsthe story ofThe Silmarillionwith flair and musical ingenuity.
Before time
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Elves awoke in Cuiviénen
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Power metal is uniquely suited to fantasy, and that has been recognized for decades, with multiple bands and albums exploring the rich terrain offered by crossing fantasy worldbuilding with lyrics. The genre is also melodic, dramatic, loud, colorful, and a bit camp -this is no drab black metal. Fantasy metal is its own subgenre, which often interacts with power metal.The Vala Morgothand Sauron have a tragic, Byronic element to them in these atmospheric voiceovers and highly imaginative interpretations of First Age stories.
The Lord Of The Rings Has A Long Relationship With The Metal Genre
Tolkien Inspired Fantasy Metal
The Lord of the Ringsmay seem mainstream today, but it has been on the side of underdog movements and art forms for generations. J.R.R. Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsattained some degree of cult statusin the 1960s, coming to be associated with a countercultural move towards appreciation of nature. The magic of this era had a profound impact on music and can be caught in lyrics such as those of Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On.” The song refers toThe Lord of the Ringsthroughout, including oblique mentions of “Gollum and the evil one” and “The darkest depths of Mordor”.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page wrote “Ramble On,” released onLed Zeppelin IIin 1969.
Classic rock and fantasy metal populate music with the kind of lyrical worldbuilding that would make Tolkien proud, often taking influence from the epic poetry Tolkien himself taught and loved. But numerousmetal bands of the heavier variety pay homage to their nerdy upbringingand the innate darkness of Middle-earth. Amon Amarth, for example, is a Swedish metal band named afterMordor’s Mount Doom.Lord of the Rings’cultural symbolism has long pegged it as a point of resistance to problematic authority figures and social systems, which metal is all about.
How The Rings Of Power Honored LOTR’s Metal Connections
Bear McCreary Brought Metal To The Rings of Power Season 2
The Rings of Powertapped Jens of the heavy metal titans Meshuggah for its season 2 soundtrack. In many ways,Bear McCreary is the main character ofThe Rings of Power. His soaring compositions have intelligently called back Shore’s arrangements for the Jackson movies without being derivative, while Shore himself also contributed to proceedings. McCreary uses Tolkien’s languages in his compositions and reverses certain melodies in line with character arcs, so his apt use of metal for a Troll anthem was no surprise.
What Sauron Really Is In The Lord Of The Rings: True Nature & History Explained
The eponymous Lord of the Rings is an enigma in the novel and the movies but answers are available in Tolkien lore as to his true nature.
The darkness of Sauron’s realm and followers was the perfect sandpit for Meshuggah’s lead vocalist, Jens Kidman. The key member of the Swedish extreme metal band is known for pummelling intensity, making him perfectly positioned to express the searing impact of a confrontation withSauron’s Second Age forces, led by Adar at the time. One look at McCreary confirms that metal is his ballpark. He cites Gojira and Slipknot as some of his favorite bands, but more to the point, he actually released a brilliant solo album with Kidman and Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor in May 2024.
Like various artists before him, McCreary honors the rich tradition of pounding drums and blistering guitars to convey the inherent fury of Arda Marred.
More Wizard than Man, McCreary was clearly desperate to write metal forLord of the Rings, and was finally given the opportunity in the form ofDamrod the Troll. McCreary said “When I first glimpsed Damrod, the murderous troll… I knew immediately I had to call Jens” (Revolver). Like various artists before him, McCreary honors the rich tradition of pounding drums and blistering guitars to convey the inherent fury of Arda Marred.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris lucky that McCreary won’t shy away fromLord of the Rings’rich musical heritage.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
